Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The 19m-high Rawana Ella Falls are about 6km down Ella Gap towards Wellawaya. Dur-
ing rainy months the water comes leaping down the mountainside in what is claimed to be
the 'wildest-looking' fall in Sri Lanka, but during the dry season it may not flow at all.
There are vendors selling food and trinkets. Catch any bus heading towards Wellawaya.
Ravanna Ella Temple
BUDDHIST, HINDU TEMPLE
This little temple and cave are associated with the Ramayana story. The cave, located in a
cleft in the mountain that rises to Ella Rock, is reputed to be where the king of Lanka lived
before capturing Sita. To get here, approach Ella from the direction of Wellawaya, then
veer off shortly before the town along a side road. Boys will show you where the steep,
overgrown and slippery track up to the cave starts.
Badulla
055 / Population 42,572 / Elevation 680m
Badulla marks the southeast extremity of the Hill Country and is a transport gateway to the
east coast. It is one of Sri Lanka's oldest towns, occupied briefly by the Portuguese, who
torched it upon leaving. For the British it was an important social centre, but beyond the
pretty gardens and clock tower, any vestiges of a past - including a racecourse and cricket
club - are lost in Badulla's typical Sri Lankan bustle. The railway through the Hill Country
from Colombo terminates here. In British times, it was an important hub for transporting
plantation products to Colombo.
Sights
