If glimpses of multi-colored kingfishers, treks through vine-clad forests, and expeditions down gushing riverways are your idea of a weekend away from the city, Kitulgala might just be the Sri Lankan town you've been searching for. 

This small speck on the map of the rising mountains west of Colombo has been magnetizing the island's adventure-seeking crowd for years now. It's packed with outfitters and Kitulgala tour guides eager to launch whitewater rafting jaunts down the frothing Kelani Ganga River, or canopy-crossing hiking days through the surrounding woods. The famous Peak Wilderness Sanctuary, spiked with the sculpted tip of Adam's Peak and its holy Buddhist shrines, also beckons to the south – just in case there wasn't already enough to keep the boots laced. 

Those after something a little more cerebral can journey out to the ancient Belilena Cave complex that's just five miles from the center. That's yielded human remains that are thought to date back a whopping 32,000 years, and the area showcases tunnels that carve dramatically straight into the Sri Lankan bluffs.