Badulla (Sri Lanka)

General information about Badulla

Badulla (Badulla, Badula) – a small town in central Sri Lanka, the capital of the province of Uva. The population of the city is 47,000 people. The city is located at an altitude of 680 meters 230 kilometers from Colombo (see Badulla on the map of Sri Lanka).

Although Badulla is a well-known tourist destination, there is really nothing to do in the city itself. There is a basic tourist infrastructure, it is connected to major cities by rail, but there are no beaches, no entertainment, no serious attractions here. And the town is known to tourists only thanks to one of the largest and most famous waterfalls Sri Lanka-Dunhinda (Dunhinda). In addition to the waterfall in the city there is a minimum standard set of several temples, churches, City clocks. People come here, as a rule, because of the waterfall, as well as to look at the wonderful landscapes along the Nuwara-Eliya-Badulla route. It is believed that these landscapes are even more spectacular and beautiful than if you go from Nuwara Eliya to Kandy. There is nothing more to do in the city, so there are practically no tourists here. If you have a rented transport or hired a driver with a car, it is quite possible to get to Badula from Nuwara Eliya, see a little of the city and the waterfall, and return back the same day.

Well, another reason to visit Badulla is its presence on the way from Nuwara Eliya to Polonnaruwa and to the East Coast. Therefore, if you are planning to travel by rented transport from N.Y. or in the opposite direction to Polonnaruwa, Arugama Bay, Bangalore, or other resorts of the east, you can lay a short stop here in the route. Any of these routes is quite possible to drive in a day, if you leave early in the morning.

How to get to Badulla, transportation

Badula can be reached by bus from Colombo, Ella, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya. Buses run frequently, only in the daytime.

The railway line from Colombo through Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella ends in Badulla. Every day five trains come here (depart). The schedule and cost can be found here: https://eservices.railway.gov.lk, http://colombofort.com.

The city is very small, so transport is not needed here. From the railway or bus station it is easy to reach any hotel and place in the city on foot.

And here is the schedule of trains and other transport to Badulla available for online booking:

Badulla hotels where to stay

Accommodation options in Badulla are minimal. There are several hotels and hostels.

You can pick up and book a hotel in Badulla through the suggested search form. In the search results, you can read descriptions of hotels and its services, reviews of visitors, and see the position of the hotel on the map.

You can find and book accommodation in Badulla on these sites or through the search form. All sites have a Russian interface and Russian-language customer support, a lot of reviews from real guests.

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Badulla on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Badulla on Trip.com (💥 our choice)
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

Sights Of Badulla

Dunhinda Falls (also Dunhinda, Danhinda Falls)

This waterfall, although not one of the most picturesque, is definitely one of the most powerful and full-flowing in Sri Lanka. Its height is 63 meters, and it consists only of a single threshold, from where a powerful stream of water falls. There is a legend, according to which, at the bottom of the pool at the base of the waterfall are hidden treasures that are guarded by the spirits of the princess and her lover. Due to the difference in social status, they were unable to stay together in life, and chose to commit suicide by throwing themselves into a waterfall. And now they have nothing left but treasures that they won't let anyone near.

Danhinda is located 5 kilometers from the town. You can get to it from the city by local bus, which departs every 30 minutes from the bus station next to the city clock (Clock Tower). Having reached the entrance to the waterfall by bus, then you will have to continue on foot along the mountain trails and the jungle for about another two kilometers. In places, the ascents and descents are steep and even dangerous, but in general, everyone can overcome the route. The trail ends with an observation deck from which you can go down to the waterfall pool itself. But we do not recommend doing this, because the bottom is very wet and slippery. By the way, take care of the technique here, because around the waterfall there is a constant suspension of small drops, and in general the humidity is very high. Also, be careful when communicating with wild monkeys, which can be found here throughout the way to the waterfall: hide everything that is poorly fixed on you (glasses, chains, phones), and do not leave things unattended.

Entrance to the waterfall is paid, 200 rupees (see Sri Lankan money, exchange rate). But you can get to it for free if you come here early in the morning before 8 o'clock, when tickets are not yet sold.

Near the entrance to the waterfall there is a shop market, there is a parking lot where local "businessmen" rip off rare tourists at fabulous prices. Be prepared to give 50 rupees for parking a motorbike here, up to 200 for a car.

Learn more about Dunhinda waterfall and photos here...

Other sights of Badulla

Kataragama Devale. An ancient Hindu temple (dating back to the 18th century), located in the center of the city.

Muthiyagana Vihara. Buddhist temple.

Church of St. Mark (St Mark's Church). A church built by the British.

Tea plantations. Separately, as an attraction, it is worth mentioning the picturesque tea plantations in the vicinity of Badulla. You can see them on the way by bus or train from Ella.