Wellawaya

Is Wellawaya worth a stop?

Quick answer: Yes, for a few hours. Wellawaya is a junction town about 27 km below Ella, where the hill road meets the roads to Tissamaharama, Arugam Bay and Udawalawe. Its big sight is Buduruwagala, giant Buddhist figures carved into a rock about 5 km away, listed at USD 3 by the Central Cultural Fund. Most people stop on the way down from Ella rather than stay the night.

Visit Uva calls Wellawaya a gateway to the elegant Ellewala Falls, the Buduruwagala carvings and Handapanagala Lake. It is much lower and hotter than Ella, so you will feel the change on the drive down.

What is there to see near Wellawaya?

Buduruwagala. Visit Uva says the main standing Buddha is about 51 feet (15.5 m) tall, among the tallest in Sri Lanka, with bodhisattva figures beside it, carved in the 8th to 10th century in the Mahayana tradition. The CCF price table lists:

The boat service is a solar-powered boat on the Buduruwagala tank, provided in 2025 under a CCF and Uva Provincial Tourism project, per a CCF news post of 12 August 2025. The Department of Archaeology also runs a Buduruwagala Regional Museum, which it says shows antiquities from the area. The CCF ticket page says its site counters open from 7 am to 5 pm and SAARC citizens get 50% off.

Ellewala Falls. Visit Uva's directions: go 3 km from Wellawaya on the Ella road to the Rathmal Vehera temple, take the road opposite, and walk a few hundred metres into the jungle at the end. The last few kilometres are rough, so use a tuk-tuk or a high car.

How do you get to Wellawaya?

By bus. The NTC fare list names Wellawaya on route 27/218/58 to Anuradhapura (Rs 1,349). It also lists route 31-2 Matara to Badulla (Rs 989) and route 31 Matara to Bandarawela (Rs 930). The list gives end points and fares only, so ask at the bus stand whether a bus goes via Wellawaya.

By train. There is no station in Wellawaya. For the hill country line, see our Nanu Oya to Ella train guide.

Which waterfalls near Wellawaya are the tallest?

Visit Uva gives these heights for the falls around Wellawaya and the hills above it:

Diyaluma is the easiest big fall to add from Wellawaya, at about 13 minutes by road with no traffic. Bambarakanda suits a day based in Haputale. For Surathali Falls (62 m) and Pahanthudawa, see our Belihuloya page.

When is the best time to visit Wellawaya?

There is no WMO station in Wellawaya. Badulla, in the same province, is the nearest with 1991 to 2020 normals; Wellawaya is lower and hotter:

June to August is driest. October to December is wettest, when waterfalls are full but jungle paths are slippery.

What does a half day around Wellawaya look like?

Where does Wellawaya fit in a trip?

Wellawaya sits on most road routes out of Ella. Use it on the way to a safari in Tissamaharama, to the beaches (see our Mirissa to Ella transport guide), or east to Arugam Bay.

Next stop east: Buttala, about 17 km and 18 minutes by road with no traffic, is the base for the Maligawila Buddha and Yudaganawa.