Dunhinda Falls
Dunhinda Falls
Dunhinda Falls
Dunhinda Falls
Dunhinda Falls

Dunhinda Falls

63M in height, Dunhinda falls is certainly one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka. Not the closest to Ella, 25 km away, but definitely worth going as it is one of the high ranked tourist attraction in Sri Lanka.

  • Activity Level Easy
    Waterfall/Sightseeing
  • Best Time All Day
    64 m in Height
  • Total Time 1.5 km walk
    From entrance
  • Our Rating Must Visit
    5/5
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Dunhinda Falls

Dunhinda falls, certainly one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka.

Not the closest to Ella, 25-30 km away, but definitely worth going as it is one of the high ranked tourist attraction in Sri Lanka.

It got the name by the meaning of “Dun” in sinhala is smoke and the mist created by this falls is like a smoke.

Waterfall is located about 5 kilometres to the north from Badulla City Center and the water resembles a thin cloud as it cascades 63m downwards into a large pool. From the entrance gate, you have to walk about 1.5km to reach to the waterfall.

Walk itself is a fascinating experience to see wild birds, butterflies, monkeys, deers etc as it worth very much for the tourists interested in wild life.

The best time to see them is June and July, but you are welcome to visit at any time. It gets more fascinating on the months from November to March as it carries a huge volume of water in this rainy season of Sri Lanka.

About Dunhinda Falls

This fall is steeped in history. The area was once inhabited by indigenous people – the Veddha tribe. During the time of King Rajasinhe, a giant fern got stuck at the top of the fall, between two mountains. This acted as a dam, which resulted in the flooding of Badulla town.

Seeing the gravity of the situation, the king entrusted the task of clearing the sluice to a person named ‘Ranhavadidaraya’. After toiling for three months he managed to clear the water and the town re-emerged. The fern was swept away but got stuck again at a place now known as Pussellawa (‘pus’ meaning fern).

Waterfall is enriched with Uma Oya, Hal Oya and small rivers from Bandarawela and Welimada areas.

On the way to the waterfall you can see another small waterfall named Kuda Dunhinda at a glance. Thus you can taste and refresh yourself by having a native herbal drink by the venders on sides of the way to the water fall. At the end of this journey you can meet a secured stage constructed for the viewers and enjoy the water fall. If you are very much confident, you can reach the foot of the water fall and cross the river. While enjoying the fall it’s better to remind that do not go closer to the fall or bathe as it is deep and full of slippery rocks and stones near the bottom of the water fall.

Hence Randenigala ,Victoria and Rantambe are identified as the three main water valleys down sided from the Dunhinda Water fall, apart from being a natural water resource it has been a relaxation for the tourists.

You can allocate one full day to spend around Badulla and visit the sacred Muthiyangana Temple too, which is regarded as one of the Solosmasthana, the 16 sacred places in the country.

From Ella

You can take either the train or bus from Ella and reach Badulla.

From Badulla you can take any bus going on Badulla - Mahiyangana road, and after 5 km you will arrive the entrance to the Dunhinda Falls. Instead, you can take a tuk tuk from Badulla town

From the entrance you have to walk about 1.5 km to reach the Dunhinda beauty.