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Voykit pocket guide · Sri Lanka
Badulla
Spend 1–2 days in Badulla: one day for town sights, add half a day for Dunhinda Waterfall.
Badulla, capital of Uva Province, sits in a hilly landscape. Its main attractions are a historic Buddhist temple, colonial churches, a small botanical garden and the nearby Dunhinda Waterfall. The town is a good base for a short stay before heading to Ella or Haputale.
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- May–Sep (monsoon)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- LKR
- Money
- LKR in small notes for tuk-tuks, buses, tea and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget Rs 1,200–1,800 excl. bed · Mid Rs 1,800–2,500 excl. bed · High Rs 2,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Dialog, Mobitel (SLT-Mobitel) and Hutch sell tourist SIMs at the airport; passport required.
- Emergency
- Police 119 · Ambulance 1990 · Fire 110
- Plugs
- Types D, G, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Old three-round-pin (D and M) and UK three-flat-pin (G) sockets both appear; bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Nothing extra if 10% service is on the bill; otherwise 10%.; Driver: Rs 2,000–3,000 a day at the end.; Safari jeep driver and tracker: Rs 1,500–3,000.; Guide: Rs 1,000–2,000 for a site visit.; Hotel staff: Rs 200–500; many hotels have a tip box.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels provide filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants, with a hose; squat toilets in bus stations. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | Rs 150–250 |
| Meal (rice & curry) | Rs 300–600 |
| Taxi (5 km (3.1 mi))Taxi (3.1 mi (5 km)) | Rs 800–1,200 |
| Dunhinda Waterfall entry | Rs 50 |
| Train 2nd class Badulla–Colombo | Rs 520 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CMB · Bandaranaike International Airport
- about 230 km (143 mi) north of Badulla, 5–6 h by busabout 143 mi (230 km) north of Badulla, 5–6 h by bus
Typical fares
- Train Badulla–Colombo (2nd class)
- Rs 520, about 9½ h
- Bus Badulla–Dunhinda Waterfall
- Rs 150 round‑trip, 30 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walkable town centre; tuk‑tuks and local buses connect to outskirts and Dunhinda Waterfall (5 km (3.1 mi) north).Walkable town centre; tuk‑tuks and local buses connect to outskirts and Dunhinda Waterfall (3.1 mi (5 km) north).
See and do
Known for
- Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara
- St. Mark's Church
- Badulla Botanical Garden
- Dunhinda Waterfall
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dunhinda Waterfall | Local bus No.314, half‑hourly from Badulla station; 5 km (3.1 mi) northLocal bus No.314, half‑hourly from Badulla station; 3.1 mi (5 km) north | ≈30 min total |
Sleep
- Dunhinda Falls Inn
- Budget rooms, Wi‑Fi, near railway station; Rs 2,978 per night.
- Mount View Hotel
- Air‑conditioned rooms, terrace; Rs 5,025 per night.
- The Heritage Resort
- Bay‑window rooms, restaurant; Rs 7,445 per night.
- Nilgira Resort
- Singles Rs 6,000, garden balcony; moderate mid‑range.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | සමාවෙන්නsamāvenna |
| Thank you | බොහොම ස්තුතියිbohoma sthuthiyi |
| How much is it? | ඇයිද?æida? |
| Where is the bus stop? | බස් නතරය කොහේද?bas natharay kohēda? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Ayubowan' (Sinhala) or 'Vanakkam' (Tamil) with palms together; avoid: Kissing on the cheek
- Temples: White clothes, shoes off, walk clockwise; avoid: Posing with your back to the Buddha; pointing feet at statues
- Hands: Right hand to give and eat; avoid: Left hand for food or money
- Head wobble: A side-to-side nod means yes or OK; avoid: Taking it as no
- Dress: Swimwear only on the beach; shoulders and knees covered in towns; avoid: Topless bathing
- Buses: Leave front seats for monks, the elderly and pregnant women; avoid: Sitting next to a monk (women)
Scams and watch-outs
- Train service limited after Cyclone Ditwah (2025); only 4 trains per day to Colombo, 9½ h express, 11 h night mail, Rs 520/325 (2nd/3rd class).
- Bus schedules to Colombo run until 11 pm; plan return earlier.
- Dunhinda Waterfall entry fee is small but may vary.
Badulla is generally safe; keep an eye on night train schedules and watch belongings on crowded buses.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Badulla yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Muthiyangana Raja Maha Vihara
- St. Mark's Church
- Badulla Botanical Garden
- Dunhinda Waterfall
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Sri Lanka Railways service notice: railway.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=917&lang=en
- Wikivoyage: Badulla, revision 5323066 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5323066
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/badulla). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.