St. Clair's Falls: The Little Niagara of Sri Lanka
Easy · Nuwara Eliya District · Central Province
St. Clair's is really two falls on the Kotmale Oya: Maha Ella, 80 m high and 50 m wide, and Kuda Ella, 50 m, just downstream. They pour over rock outcrops inside the St. Clair tea estate, which gave them their name, about 3 km west of Talawakele.
What you’ll walk through
The falls are seen from the Hatton-Talawakele road, which makes them an easy stop on a hill-country drive or train journey. Since the Upper Kotmale Dam was built 2.2 km upstream, most of the river is diverted. The government committed to releasing a set flow between sunrise and sunset, so the falls run by day but far thinner than in old photographs.
The flow is controlled by the dam and can change without warning. Keep out of the riverbed.
Access & permits
Viewed from the roadside. We could not confirm the rules or any fee for walking down to the base.
On the map
Pin 1 is St. Clair's Falls. The others are the nearest places in our trail directory.
- St. Clair's Falls: Twin falls near Talawakele.
- Devon Falls: Seen from the A7 near Talawakele. About 2 km away.
- Great Western Mountain: Summit, 2,216 m, above Great Western station. About 5 km away.
- Kikiliyamana: Summit, 2,240 m, above Nuwara Eliya. About 11 km away.
Key landmarks & features
- Maha Ella - The main fall, 80 m high.
- Kuda Ella - The lesser fall, just downstream.
- St. Clair tea estate - The estate the falls are named after.
- Upper Kotmale Dam - 2.2 km upstream; it controls the flow.
When to go
Daylight hours, when the regulated release is running.
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Nearby in the directory
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