Welimada Bomburu Ella Falls | AmazingLanka.com

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Hidden amidst the lush hills near Welimada, Bomburu Ella Falls cascades in multiple shimmering streams, creating a breathtaking natural spectacle. As the widest waterfall in Sri Lanka, its roaring beauty, misty spray, and tranquil forest setting make it a must-visit haven for nature lovers and photographers.

Height (in metres)	30
District	Nuwara Eliya

The beautiful Bomburu Ella Falls (also known as Parawella Falls) is a collection of about 10 little-known jungle waterfalls, situated between 1500 and 2000 m above sea level in the Sita Eliya Kandapola Forest Reserve in the Nuwara Eliya District. They are served by the upper segment of the principal tributary of the Uma River, known as the Dulgala Oya River.

Visiting Bomburu Ella Waterfall – Tourist Information

Bomburu Ella is relatively easy to access, making it a popular spot for nature lovers and families alike.

Parking & Facilities: Ample parking is available at the entrance. Several local eateries nearby offer meals and basic washroom facilities.
The Hike: The trail begins after crossing a bridge over a stream. The first section involves a set of steps (about 150), followed by a mostly flat gravel path beside a stream. A narrow concrete path leads into a wider track with a few small bridges and shaded sections.
Scenic Points: Along the way, you’ll find small waterfalls and rest areas. A short detour through a gate takes you to an anicut (small dam), where you can view the main waterfall—although partially obscured by trees. Some visitors cross the river here to reach better viewpoints, but only if water levels are low.
Final Stretch: Beyond this point, the trail becomes steeper and unpaved, with dry and slippery spots. The total hike takes around 45 minutes, with a slightly quicker return. Difficulty is moderate but manageable for children and the elderly in fair weather.
At the Falls: Bomburu Ella is known for its width and beauty, especially after rains. Bathing at the base is not permitted.
Other Notes:
- No leeches during the dry season, though they may appear in wet weather.
- Expect large crowds, especially after noon and on weekends—weekdays are quieter.

Welimada Bomburu Ella Falls—Ticket Prices / Entrance Fees

Description	Price per Head
Foreign – Adult	LKR 700 (USD 2.50)
Local – Adult	LKR 100
Parking Fee	LKR 100

Bomburu Ella Falls in History

Dulgala Oya was called Fort McDonald River during the British era. Samuel Baker author of Eight Years of Ceylon states that this country was abundant in elk. He continues to describe the Fort McDonald River and the waterfall.

The whole country forms a gorge, like a gigantic letter V. At the bottom roars the dreaded torrent Fort McDonald river, in a succession of foaming cataracts, all of which, however grand individually, are completely eclipsed by its last great plunge of 300 feet perpendicular depth into a dark and narrow chasm of wall-bound cliffs.
The bed of the river is the most frightful place that can be conceived, being choked by enormous fragments of rock, amidst which, the irresistible torrent howls with a fury that it is impossible to describe.
The river is confined on either side by rugged cliffs of gneiss rock, from which these fragments have from time to time become detached, and have accordingly fallen into the torrent, choking up the bed, and throwing the obstructed waters into frightful commotion.
Here they lie piled one upon the other, like so many inverted cottages; now forming dripping caverns; then resembling walls of slippery rock, over which the water falls in thundering volumes into pools, black from their mysterious depth, and from which there is no visible means of exit. These dark and dangerous pools are walled in by hoary-looking rocks, beneath which the pent-up water dives and boils in subterranean caverns, until it at length escapes through secret channels, and reappears on the opposite side of its prison walls. Lashing itself into foam in its mad frenzy, it forms rapids of giddy velocity through the rocky bounds; now flying through a narrow rowed gorge, and leaping, striving, and wrestling with unnumbered obstructions, it at length meets with the mighty fall, like death in a madman’s course.
One plunge! without a single shelf to break the fall, and down, down it sheets; at first like glass, then like the broken avalanche of snow, and lastly !—we cannot see more—the mist boils from the ruin of shattered waters and conceals the bottom of the fall.
The roar vibrates like thunder in the rocky mountain and forces the grandeur of the scene through every nerve. No animal or man, once in those mysterious pools, could ever escape without assistance. Thus in years past, when elk were not followed up in this locality, the poor beast being hard-pressed by the hounds, might have come to bay in one of these fatal basins, in which case both he and every hound who entered the trap, found sure destruction.
The hard work and the danger to both man and hound in this country may be easily imagined when it is explained, that the nature of the elk prompts him to seek for water as his place of refuge when hunted; thus he makes off down the mountain for the river, in which he stands at bay.
Now the mountain itself is steep enough, but within a short distance of the bottom, the river is in many places guarded by precipices of several hundred feet in depth. A few difficult passes alone give access to the torrent, but the descent requires great caution.

The fall on the border of Nuwara Eliya and Badulla districts, Uva Paranagama Divisional Secretariat, in the Pewella GS area. From the Welimada – Pusselawa road, turn off at Ambagasdova junction and follow the Pewella bus route. The route then ascends and becomes a slightly perilous-looking winding track, with difficult boulders and jungle to negotiate, before the fall is reached.

References

Kautzsch, E. (2003). A Guide to the Waterfalls of Sri Lanka (2nd ed.). Tisara Prakasakayo.
Baker, S. W. (1902). Eight Years in Ceylon. Mongmans Green & Co.

Also See

Waterfalls of Sri Lanka
Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity

Bomburu Ella Falls Video

An informative video clip by Nade Gura Travel & Conservation Society

Map of Bomburu Ella Falls

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