Weligama Taxi & Shuttles Number 01
Badulla is the unhurried end-point of Sri Lanka's most celebrated railway journey — an authentic hill country town of ancient temples, colonial bungalows and fresh mountain markets, surrounded by the tea estates that produce the world's most distinctively flavoured seasonal tea, and just five kilometres from the most powerful waterfall in Sri Lanka.
Elevation
680 m above sea
Avg. Temperature
15 – 24 °C
Scenic Train
Colombo – Badulla Line
From Colombo
230 km · 5 hrs
Badulla is the capital of Uva Province — an old hill country town of considerable character set in a broad valley at 680 metres, surrounded by forested ridges and tea-covered slopes that represent the highlands at their most verdant and varied. It is the terminus of one of the world's most celebrated railway journeys, a place of ancient temples and waterfalls, and a town that most visitors to Ella pass through without stopping — which is their loss.
“Badulla is where the train line ends and the highland wind begins — a cool, quiet, genuinely beautiful town that most people pass through in a hurry on their way to somewhere more famous, which means those who stay have it largely to themselves.”
Badulla sits at the convergence of several river systems descending from the higher central highlands, and the resulting waterfall landscape is one of the richest in Sri Lanka. Dunhinda Falls — five kilometres north of town on the Badulu Oya — is the centrepiece: a 64-metre cascade of extraordinary power that drops over a sheer basalt face into a mist-filled gorge, the spray drifting over the surrounding forest and the footpath that approaches along the river bank. The trail to Dunhinda takes approximately 45 minutes from the road-end, passing through riverside forest where the sound of the river grows progressively louder as the waterfall approaches. The mist cloud at the falls is genuine and substantial — you will get wet — and the sight of the full fall from the viewing platform at the base is one of the most dramatic waterfall encounters in the country. Nearby, the Diyaluma Falls — 60 kilometres south near Wellawaya — is the second highest in Sri Lanka at 220 metres, a sheer ribbon of water dropping off the edge of the highland escarpment that is best seen from the road in the early morning when the spray catches the sun. The Rawana Falls near Ella, reachable in 40 minutes, adds a third significant waterfall to the landscape accessible from Badulla, making the area one of the finest waterfall circuits in Sri Lanka.
The railway line from Colombo to Badulla is the full version of the celebrated hill country train journey — a nine-hour traverse of the entire length of Sri Lanka's central highlands from the hot coastal plains to the cool Uva valley, passing through Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Ella on a route that climbs to over 1,800 metres before descending to Badulla's valley. For rail travellers, Badulla is the end of one of the finest train journeys on earth, and arriving by train — stepping out into the cool highland air after nine hours of extraordinary mountain scenery — is one of the most satisfying arrivals in Sri Lanka. The tea estates surrounding the town produce Uva tea — a category that commands premium prices in the global specialty tea market for a single reason: the Cachan winds that blast through the valley between July and September from the Indian Ocean, desiccating the air and stressing the tea plants in a way that concentrates the essential oils and flavour compounds in the leaf. The resulting tea is assertive, almost peppery, with a cooling menthol-like finish that is quite unlike any other Sri Lankan tea. Visiting a working estate during Uva season and tasting the tea at source — with the wind in the bushes outside and the green hills dropping away into the valley — is a flavour experience of real distinction.
Badulla rewards those who look beyond the waterfalls and the train terminal. The town's religious landscape is characteristically layered: the Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya — one of the sixteen most sacred Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka, said to have been visited by the Buddha himself during his third visit to the island — sits at the town's edge, its white dagoba and ancient Bodhi tree constituting a place of genuine spiritual significance that has drawn pilgrims for two millennia. The St Mark's Church, built by the British in 1857 and still maintained as an active Anglican church, is one of the finest colonial-era churches in the hill country — its interior stonework, memorial plaques and the old British graves in the churchyard tell the story of the planters and administrators who spent their careers in these hills. The Badulla market, operating every morning near the town centre, draws produce from across the Uva highlands — vegetables that grow exceptionally well in the cool climate, mushrooms from the highland forests, seasonal fruits, honey and the fresh flowers used in temple offerings. The old colonial district secretariat and the remaining bungalows on the hill above the town — their gardens still planted with the roses and herbaceous borders that British planters favoured — give Badulla a historical depth that is often overlooked by visitors en route to or from Ella.
Traveller's Notes
The Train Terminus
Badulla is the end of the celebrated Colombo–Kandy–Ella hill country line. The most scenic section is from Nanu Oya (Nuwara Eliya) to Badulla. Book a Class 1 observation car seat well in advance. Arriving by train is one of the finest experiences in Sri Lanka — depart Colombo at 5:55 AM for the full 9-hour journey.
Dunhinda Falls
The trail to Dunhinda starts 5 km north of Badulla. Allow 45 minutes each way on the riverside path. Bring a light waterproof — the mist at the falls is genuine and substantial. Go in the morning for the best light. The falls are most powerful during and just after the monsoon months.
Uva Tea Season
The Uva tea season peaks July to September when the Cachan winds create the finest quality leaf. Visit a working estate during this window and taste the season's tea at source — the mentholated, assertive flavour of fresh Uva tea is unlike any other variety. Ask your accommodation to arrange an estate visit.
Muthiyangana Temple
The Muthiyangana Raja Maha Viharaya is one of the sixteen sacred Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka. Visit early morning before the day's pilgrims arrive. The ancient Bodhi tree and the dagoba are the essential elements. Dress modestly and remove shoes at the entrance to the inner complex.
Where to Eat
Badulla's market restaurants and the small establishments near the bus stand serve excellent hill country rice and curry with locally grown vegetables at very low prices. For more comfort, the guesthouses on the Ella Road and the Clock Inn Badulla have reliable kitchens. The morning market is excellent for fresh fruit and highland produce.
Where to Stay
Badulla has few international-standard hotels but several clean, comfortable guesthouses popular with train travellers and hikers. It makes an excellent alternative base to the more expensive Ella — 20 km west — for exploring the Uva highlands. Overnight here to catch the early morning train west through the mountains.
Badulla
Uva Province, Sri Lanka · End of the Hill Country Railway
From Colombo
230 km · ~5 hrs
To Ella
20 km · 30 min
GPS Coordinates
6.9934° N, 81.0553° E
Let us transfer you from anywhere in Sri Lanka to Badulla's cool highland valley — comfortable, reliable and always on time.
