Located approximately 80 kilometers from Colombo, about two hours drive, is Kithulgala, now one of Sri Lanka's capitals for white water rafting. Named after a tree called ‘kitul' from which treacle can be gathered, the town is located alongside the Kelani River, probably most famous for its' appearance in the 1957 Hollywood movie “The Bridge on the River Kwai”.

Today, it is now fast becoming known as a hot spot for keen rafters, seeking an exhilarating day on the river. Originating in the Adam's Peak area, the river hosts rapids between grades 2 and 3, with the rafting stretch being approximately 6.5 kilometers, and taking between 1 to 2 hours to complete. With up to seven rapids to tackle, including the “Killer Fall” and “Rib Cage”, rafters are guaranteed a challenge, but are also offered a chance to relax, with small calm stretches allowing a refreshing swim in the river to unwind. Ideal times are from May to December, although there are no “bad” times. The river is dam controlled, therefore water levels can be low in April, but can also be quite high during the monsoon season.

Borderlands recognizes rafting as an adventure sport that encourages team-work, support and communication, which is why it is now incorporated into many of our corporate training and youth programs, proving extremely successful in building team confidence and cooperation. Rafting not only challenges the individual, testing their endurance and strength, but also challenges the teams to focus on communication skills and team building skills.

All Borderlands rafting tours meet international safety standards, with all staff and guides internationally trained in CPR,(Cardiovascular Pulmonary Resuscitation), artificial respiration, first aid and river rescue. Equipment included on all Borderlands rafting tours include:

• Comprehensive First Aid Kits
• Safety Lecture by guides before rafting
• Safety boat on each trip
• Throw bags on all rafts
• River rescue equipment
• Helmets
• State of the art life jackets
• Repair equipment
• Drinking water
• Properly equipped rafts

Borderlands is now based on the Kithulgala River; Sisera's Lodge, which provides a number of small cabins overlooking the river, running water, showers and catered food. It is a great location to view many of the wild birds found in the area. Day trips from this site can include:

• A hike into a stunning rainforest
• A canyoning descent
• A hike through several small villages to Beli-Lena Cave, a magnificent setting, with a 150 foot waterfall descending down over the opening of the cave. Archaeological excavations have proven that Homo sapiens once resided in the cave over 30,000 years ago; a prime real estate no doubt!

There are also a number of other guest houses and hotels Borderlands can book, ranging between camping sites ($5 per night) to rooms up to $60 per night, upon request.

Borderlands offer introductory kayaking classes to those looking to learn how to kayak, and various skills associated with the sport. In these classes, participants will learn:

• Effective paddling strokes
• Reading water and rivers
• Effective maneuvers
• Safety techniques
• Wet exits
• Rescues
• Eskimo rolls

Staff on all kayak classes are all internationally trained, with state of the art equipment used for all classes. Wade Campbell, Managing Director of the company, has been paddling for over thirty years, and brings a wealth of safety and experience on all classes.

Please contact Borderlands at borderlands@wow.lk or teamwork@wow.lk for more information on these classes or any other activities.