“Elephants, when they were in dotage, went to breathe their last at Madunagala hot springs!” – Dr. R.L. Brohier in Seeing Ceylon

Nobody in the group was in ‘dotage’ but all were anxious to visit the springs.

We drove to Madunagala that morning from Udawalawe. The forty kilometre journey on the A18 via Embilipitiya took about an hour. The thermal wells are in a beautifully sculptured and enclosed garden surrounded by green paddy fields.

Hot water springs are found in many parts of Sri Lanka. The slightly alkaline water at Madunagala (pH 7.1) bubbles up at a temperature of 44 degrees centigrade. It has a high mineral content (5288 mg/L of solids) which is supposed to have health giving properties.

Many visitors travel long distances to bathe here but today there was only brave enough to test the water. “It is fantastic” she later said. There are male and female…