Diyaluma Falls

Sri Lanka's second-highest waterfall with natural infinity pools at the top

The road from Ella to Wellawaya passes the base of Diyaluma Falls — impressive enough, but the real attraction is the top. A trail leads up from the village of Koslanda to a series of natural rock pools at the summit, the highest of which sits right on the edge of the 220-metre drop. The infinity-pool view across the southern plains is the photograph that has made Ella's wider region famous on Instagram.

The hike up takes about an hour and is steep in places; a tuk-tuk to the trailhead saves the long approach. Best done early in the morning, both for the light and to avoid the crowds. Bring water and proper shoes — the rocks at the top can be slippery and the drop is not fenced.

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A story
At 220 metres Diyaluma is Sri Lanka's second-highest waterfall, but it is the infinity pools at the top that have made it famous. A series of natural rock basins sit right at the lip of the drop, and on still days they reflect the sky into a single bottomless mirror with nothing but a thousand feet of empty air beyond.