Hi guys, hope you are doing well. I will take you to a stunning landscape today. In my recent visit to Kandy, I went to an amazing place (out of Kandy though). That is Sembuwatta Lake. It is really a beautiful lake situated on a mountain. The place is situated in Elkaduwa, Matale District.
By the first look you will definitely realize that it is a priceless product of Nature. But seems it is not, it is a man-made reservoir. Can’t imagine right? According to Wikipedia, Sembuwatta Lake has been created by collecting natural spring water. There is no doubt that no one says it is a man-made reservoir by looking at it. Even I knew that only after seeing this Wikipedia article. The place is owned and maintained by ‘Elkaduwa Plantations’. And they will charge a little fee from you when you there.
How is the Path?
Let’s start from the basics. This is the most important thing to consider if you are hoping to go there. The road is really bad. As I have already mentioned, it is situated on a mountain. Plus the gravel road is heavily damaged. There are lots of stones that have come out of the road. So I heavily recommend you to have a vehicle with high ground clearance. Otherwise, you will find the journey very hard and you might face lots of troubles. There are number cases heard about cars being damaged by getting the bottom hit with stones.
Therefore, a van or an SUV is highly recommended. And make sure you got a skillful driver with you. And in rainy days, the situation is worse for obvious reasons. Even though the path is tough, the sights along it are so eye catching.
You might have heard a saying that ‘difficult roads often take you to beautiful destinations’. You will witness it at Sembuwatta Lake.
Around Sembuwatta Lake
OK, now you are at the lake. Let’s have a walk around it.
The mountain range and the forest cover around the lake, make it more and more beautiful. Sembuwatta lake has become a major tourist attraction in the past few years. I noticed lots of foreigners there. In a long weekend, the place can be crowded. In that case, parking the vehicle and taking it out can be a bit difficult.
At Sembuwatta Lake there are numbers of huts built on the bank of the lake. You can take your meal there and the best thing is you are even allowed to cook your meal there. But make sure you don’t pollute the surround and take back everything you brought.
Walking around the lake on these footpaths is a really nice experience. When the time we get there, it was raining. Even though it makes the walking difficult, it added much beauty to the lake. Don’t forget, you might find leaches measuring your legs.
As I mentioned before, Sembuwatta Lake belongs to a plantation, and that is a tea plantation. So you will be walking through the tea bushes while you are going around the lake.
Other Activities
On the opposite side of the entrance of the lake, there is a pool which is being filled by natural springs. To be honest the pool is not very impressive. It is a small one. But, it will be fun for your children to have a bath. Since the water is coming from natural springs from a distance, the water sometimes can be little bit muddy.
You can have a boat ride there if you want. I didn’t try it, but I feel it will be fun. A lot of people seem to be enjoying it. Further Swan Boats are also available there.
There is another very interesting activity you can take part in. They have a Zip Line. And the best thing is, a part of the zip line goes above the lake. I couldn’t try it, but I could definitely feel the thrill of that.
The one in the above image is a member of the operating team. They were testing before opening it to the public for the day. There is also a shooting range at this place.
The management allows more activities in this place. They allow night camping for groups with the required facilities. And they rent the place for leadership training camps and any other form of camps.
Sembuwatta Lake is a wonderful landscape with a height of natural beauty and with a lot of activities that can be taken part of. It is highly recommended for you to pay a visit.
How to Reach…?
If you are convinced to visit the place, here is the exact location.
Matale is a popular destination among both local and foreign travellers, which bears number of natural attractions. To list some of them other than Sembuwatta Lake, Knuckles Mountain Range, Sera Ella (waterfall), Pitawala Pathana, Riverstone Gap, Bambarakiri Ella (waterfall), Hunas Falls, Wasgamuwa National Park can be highlighted. Apart from natural attractions, ‘the world heritage site Sigiriya’ also situated in Matale District. So, consider visiting Matale in your next trip. Click here if you want to book an accommodation in Matale.
But if you ever visit Sembuwatta Lake, make sure not to litter the place, especially if you are going cook at the lake. It is your responsibility to protect that natural beauty for others, even though it is a private property. And the management of the Plantation has their own rules, read them at the entrance before entering. As an example, you are not allowed to bring liquor to the lake.
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So that is about Sembuwatta Lake. Again, it is a highly recommended place to visit. Hope you will visit this amazing place someday. If you have more queries, feel free to leave a comment below. I’m more than happy to help. See you in the next article.
Note: Hunas Falls (Hunnasgiriya Waterfall), is also situated nearby Sembuwatta Lake. You have to take a little detour from the route from Kandy to Sembuwatta Lake, to reach Hunnas Falls. It is also a beautiful place to visit.