A Day Excursion to Kithulgala Rafting

We had a fabulous time rafting and canyoning. Our driver picked us up on time and we drove about 90 mins to the river point for the rafting. It was just my husband and I and 2 guides. I had never tried rafting and had a blast. No expeience is needed but you do need to be able to move quickly in and around the raft. It wasn't an issue for us but if you are not comfortable on water or have any mobility issues this activity isn't for you. We did a couple of low grad rapids that were alot of fun and always felt safe with our guides. After rafting we did some canyoning. Again, this was a first for me. The same rafting guides took us up a short hike path (about 20 minutes) to the first canyoning location. I want to note that you do need to hike a little. It wasn't bad but you do need to wear shoes and there are some slick and steep areas. We hike alot so while we weren't as fast as our guides, it wasn't a problem. It was very hot and humid though so be prepared. Canyoning was great! A ton of fun. You pay for the activities when you arrive so bring cash. There was also some haggling with the guides about price. You cannot bring anything with you in the raft including cameras or cell phones. The guides take photos and video which you can buy at the end for about $15-20 USD. We wore tennis shoes/sneakers to the activity but water shoes would have been much better. You get completely wet and there is no chance to stay dry. Make sure to bring a towel and change of dry clothes. There is a changing area but it is not up to western standards. I literally took off my bathing suit and put on dry shorts and a shirt and left. I didn't want to spend ant time rinsing off or even staying in the changing area 1 min longer than I needed to. That said, the rafting and canyoning were well worth the minor inconvience. You are in the middle of Sri Lanka so you just go with it. Our driver took us back to Colombo which took about 2 hours and showed us some of the city which was an added bonus for us. All in all a great day and would recommend.