Kande Ela Reservoir
A quiet reservoir ringed by pines and tea country a little outside Nuwara Eliya, a peaceful spot for a stroll away from the town crowds.
Along the road connecting Nuwara Eliya to Pattipola, roughly 10 to 12 km outside town, Kande Ela Reservoir sits framed by hills on one side and the Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve on the other, a genuinely tranquil stop for anyone heading toward Horton Plains. Also known as Meepilimana Reservoir, it was built between 1947 and 1949 under Hon. D.S. Senanayake, Sri Lanka's first prime minister, and formally opened in 1950, holding around 2.17 million cubic meters of water across roughly 4.5 square kilometres at full capacity.
Its primary purpose has always been practical, supplying drinking water to the surrounding Meepilimana area, which explains why motor boats are banned outright, only paddle boats and larger human powered rowing boats, built on platforms of tied together plastic barrels, are permitted on the water. Visitors can rent either for a couple of hours, drifting across the reservoir toward the far shore where camping and informal barbecue setups have become a popular way to spend an afternoon.
The setting has caught the eye of filmmakers too, most notably serving as a filming location for the 2003 Tamil film Kakkha Kakkha, a detail local boat operators still like to mention. Quiet, scenic, and rarely crowded, especially in the early morning, Kande Ela offers a slower, more contemplative pace than most stops along the busier Nuwara Eliya to Horton Plains route.
At a glance
- Entry fee: Free
- Opening hours: Daylight hours
- Time needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour
- Best time: Late afternoon
Getting there
About 6km from Nuwara Eliya on the Boralanda road.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to visit Kande Ela Reservoir?
- Free.
- What are the opening hours at Kande Ela Reservoir?
- Daylight hours.
- How long should I spend at Kande Ela Reservoir?
- Plan for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- When is the best time to visit Kande Ela Reservoir?
- Late afternoon.
- How do I get to Kande Ela Reservoir?
- About 6km from Nuwara Eliya on the Boralanda road.