Riverston is one of the most beautiful hill tops of the knuckles mountain range, located nearly 30km from Matale town. Riverston is very rich in bio diversity with its natural flora and fauna. Described as the ‘mini world’s end’, the Riverston peak with a sheer drop of 300 metres, offers a grand view of the central hills, the Knuckles mountain range and beautifully terraced paddy fields in the Thelgama valley. A trekking trip to the waterfall and the Riverston peak will be an amazing adventure to discover the picturesque beauty of the nature at the hills.

Pitawala Pathana, near Riverston is a picturesque site of mountains, waterfalls and natural pools. This grassland is a gently sloping slab of rock covered with a thin layer of soil with scattered trees and shrubs. There is a myth in Ramayana about this place that Rama and Ravana fought a chemical war in Pitawala pathana.

Situated nearly 45 kilometres from Pitawala Pathana is Sera Ella, a beautiful waterfall, which at a height of 10 metres drops down at the face of a rock like the cascading veil of a bride, a dramatic sight of magnificence. The name of the waterfall is derived from a species of fish named ‘sera’ that inhabit its waters. With a year round flow, the waterfall spills with all its splendor during the monsoonal season of November and March. The cascading water fall encompasses a cave that could be reached even when the water is gushing at its peak.

The sight of the Sembuwatta Lake amidst scenic mountains and forests is breathtaking. Situated in the Elkaduwa plantation, the lake is filled by natural spring water, with a depth of at least 30-40 metres, which the locals would advise is not suitable for a plunge despite its beckoning beauty.

Wasgamuwa encompasses more than 3000 hectares of land and has been established as a wildlife reserve. The Wasgamuwa National Park is home to herds of elephants, the Purple Faced Langur, wild boar, sambar, spotted dear, buffalo, sloth bear, the elusive leopard and reptiles. There are 143 species of birds, many endemic, such as the Ceylon Jungle Fowl, 52 varieties of butterflies and 17 species of fish.

A Buddhist temple, Nalanda Gedige is situated 20 kilometres north of Matale town. This temple described as a masterpiece of sheer beauty, exhibits a hybrid design of the Buddhist and Hindu temple architecture. The edifice wrought on stone and crystalline limestone, is a demonstration of Hindu temple architecture with the inner sanctum and pavilion blending with the Buddhist elements of the moonstone, the crocodile balustrades, the elephant guards and the dwarfs on the architrave of the doorway. Nalanda Gedige was considered as the centre of Sri Lanka by our ancestors, so take a trip to Matale, to feel the extravagance of nature, the master strokes of artists and to witness its rich cultural heritage in its grandeur.