Ella was one of the Sri Lankan destinations that I was most looking forward to visiting. And the small town, perched high in the hills and surrounded by verdant tea plantations, did not disappoint. I spent three days there, following accessible and rewarding hiking trails, train spotting (yes, again!) and chasing waterfalls. The latter is particularly appropriate because the name Ella is derived from the Sinhala word for 'waterfall.' Read on to find out the best things to do and see in Ella, as well as my recommendations for places to eat, drink and stay.
It wasn't peak season when I visited Sri Lanka and thus far, there hadn't been too many other tourists. It turned out that a lot of them had come to Ella and this is reflected by the traveller-friendly eateries, bars and shops on the town's main street (the I [heart] Ella sign at the station gave me Bali flashbacks!). But it's Ella's beautiful surroundings that make it so special — and very much worth a visit. And whether you choose 'hill' or 'chill', you'll soon find fall for Ella's charms.
THINGS TO DO IN ELLA
Hike Little Adam's Peak
Named for the larger Adam's Peak — a sacred mountain further west near Hatton — Little Adam's Peak, standing at 1,140 metres, is a relatively short and accessible hike from Ella. From Main Street, I followed Pasara Road east until I got to Ella Flower Garden Resort and then followed the signs up to the peak, past the beautiful 98 Acres Resort & Spa, which has the most incredible infinity pool. The path isn't too steep, until the final 15 minutes where there are some steps and harder sections. The second photo below is the view of Little Adam's Peak from the top of Ella Rock, which I climbed the following day.
The panoramic 360-degree views of Ella Rock, the Ella Gap and the surrounding countryside are well worth the hike. It took me about an hour from my hotel, or 50 minutes from Ella's main road. Some of the guides I read strongly recommended doing this hike at sunrise or sunset, a) for the views and b) to avoid the worst of the heat.
As I'd already done my designated sunrise hike for this holiday, I left a little later, around 8 am, but I didn't find it too hot and thought the views at the top were still absolutely breathtaking. So, don't be disheartened if you're not a morning person! As for the sunset version, you'll want to take a torch with you for the descent.
You can either return to town the way you came or you can combine this hike with a visit to Nine Arch Bridge, the incredible viaduct bridge in Demodara, and then walk back to Ella along the railway tracks, which is what I did. Read on for more information about visiting Sri Lanka's most famous bridge.
Climb Ella Rock
I wasn't sure I'd want to climb Ella Rock, but after spending two days in Ella enjoying the amazing views of the 1,350 metre hill, I felt it would be remiss to leave town without giving it a go. It's a more strenuous hike than Little Adam's Peak, and it can take four to five hours round-trip. And as ever, it's recommended to do the hike early in the day — ideally at dawn to beat the heat and enjoy the sunrise.
I still wasn't keen for an early wake-up call and it was after 9:00 am by the time I left my hotel. It did get pretty hot along the way — especially during the very steep final ascent — but I was wearing a sunhat and had plenty of water with me (there are also vendors selling cold drinks along the way,) so the heat didn't really get to me.
The biggest challenge was the navigation. My hotel had a map of the trails, which I'd photographed. The instructions were basically to walk east along the railway tracks and then take the path to the left just after Black Bridge and before Kithalella train station, pass the Small Ravana Falls, and then head through the tea plantations, always taking the left path when there was a fork, until you get to a small cafe, when you need to take the right fork. You can also look out for the orange circles on trees, marking the Pekoe Trail, but these are somewhat sporadic, so I wouldn't count on them.
The trouble is that with these small paths, it's hard to tell when a fork is really a fork and with a physical map, once you've taken one wrong turn, you're a bit stuck. And with Ella Rock, there are very many paths so you can't always rely on people coming in the other direction as an indication you're going the right way.
Indeed, finding the first left turn soon after the waterfall was quite challenging among the dense tea plants. Later, I bumped into some Czech guys who told me to download Mapy.cz, a trail map app, which saved my hike. It was really easy to use and gave me the reassurance I needed to keep on track.
To enter the viewpoint at the top, you'll need to pay 1,000 LKR (£2.60). If possible, try to bring exact change — a guy who arrived just after me only had a 5,000 LKR note and the ticket officer was struggling to make change. Once you've paid, you can finally enjoy the stunning views of Little Adam's Peak just opposite and the lush green countryside of Ella Gap.
I sat there for about 45 minutes, taking in the scenery and chatting to some other hikers. After paying a visit to the loo, I began the descent, which was a lot easier. It took me about 1h45 to reach the top from my hotel (which was on the right (east) side of Ella for the hike), plus about 10–15 minutes when I was struggling to find the right path. On the way down, it was more like 1h20 — and much hotter by then, so I treated myself to a king coconut and an ice-cold soda. Bring small notes to pay for these.
If you want to hike Ella Rock, I would strongly consider either hiring a guide or using a trail map app, especially if you're not an experienced hiker. Take lots of water and snacks and you should really take a torch if you are going for sunrise or sunset. Navigation was hard enough in daylight so I wouldn't fancy it alone in the dark. You'll want to wear hiking boots, trainers or hiking sandals with a good grip; I visited during a very dry period, but this made the dusty ground quite slippy.
A view from the Nine Arch Bridge
If you walk east along the train tracks from Ella station, about 1.5 miles later you'll reach Nine Arch Bridge in Demodara, an impressive, curving viaduct that does indeed have nine (count 'em) arches. It felt a little strange walking alongside the railway tracks at first — and, of course, if you do so, it is at your own risk and you must be incredibly careful. However, trains are not very frequent and you can hear them coming many minutes ahead of time.
The train track route is the quickest way to get to the bridge and it also offers delightful views of the surrounding countryside. You can also get a tuk tuk to or from the main viewpoint (about 1,000 LKR (£2.60) one way).
I visited Nine Arch Bridge twice: once on my first afternoon in Ella, when dusk was just starting to fall, and again the following morning after my Little Adam's Peak hike, when the sun was out. There are number of different viewpoints for the bridge. One of the most popular photos to take is with you or your travel companions sitting on the bridge. I just about managed this with my mini-tripod and Apple Watch remote, although it was tricky with so many people around.
The bridge is busiest at sunrise, sunset and whenever a train is passing through. You can check the timetable but as Sri Lankan trains often run late, you may have a long wait. I got lucky with a train passing through on my first visit. If you want the full Nine Arch Bridge experience, you can book a return train ticket from Ella to Badulla and enjoy the view from the train.
Chasing waterfalls
There are several beautiful waterfalls in and around Ella, including the Small Ravana Falls near the Ella Rock trailhead and its larger sister, Ravana Waterfall, a few miles south of town. I passed the former on my Ella Rock hike but skipped the latter in favour of a half-day trip to Diyaluma Falls. Located just over an hour south of Ella by taxi or tuk tuk, Diyaluma Falls is Sri Lanka's second-highest waterfall, standing at 220 metres.
If you go, ask your driver to take you to the Upper Waterfall, where you can take a 20-minute hike to visit what is essentially a natural outdoor water park, with infinity pools, rock slides and outstanding views. (There's also a much longer hike that you can do from the Lower Waterfall.)
I'd read that the tuk tuk journey should cost about 8,000 LKR (£21) return, but the starting price offered was usually 13,000 LKR (£34). I negotiated down to 10,000 LKR (£26) including a guide to walk with me to the top of the falls but when we got to the car park, my driver said he hadn't agreed to go to the top. I ended up paying a local guide a further 2,000 LKR but he was fantastic, so I didn't mind the extra £5. If you're a better haggler, you may get a better rate but I'd learned earlier in my trip that negotiating too hard sometimes means a less enjoyable experience.
My guide and I set off on the trail and I was glad I was wearing waterproof sandals with good grip, because it was quite rocky and slippy in places. We had a nice view of Lipton's Seat (pictured above) on the way up and soon reached a large pool at the top, where I swam for a few minutes to cool off.
No one else was there as most people were swimming in or lounging near the first set of infinity pools near the top. My guide said these could be dangerous and advised not swimming there. The currents can be strong (Diyaluma means 'rapid water flow' in Sinhala) and there are, of course, no barriers or other protections. He also recommended not to walk in the area after dark because of the elephants.
Instead, we hiked to the pools at the bottom and my guide showed me to a little natural rock slide. He was a great photographer because it looks like I'm sitting halfway up the waterfall, but I only climbed just over a metre or so up from the rocks at the bottom.
Finally, we went to another set of infinity pools where the current was gentler and the view even more amazing. It wasn't too busy there and I was able to swim, relax and get a neck and shoulder massage under the water flow. And then it was time to climb back down to my tuk tuk and head back to Ella.
As the tuk tuk journey wasn't cheap, I was worried Diyaluma would turn out to be one of those 'just for Instagram' places but I loved my afternoon there. It's a beautiful place and it was one of my favourite experiences of my trip. Check out my Instagram for even more photos and videos. If you're heading on to Yala or the south coast after Ella, you can visit Diyaluma on the way. Don't forget to bring waterproof walking sandals, a towel and a waterproof camera if you have one.
Time for tea
I'd already had my taste of a tea planation tour at Bluefield in Nuwara Eliya, but if you want to learn more about tea production, Uva Halpewatte, a short drive north of Ella, is a great place to visit. You can take a factory tour and/or a plantation tour, where you can have a go at plucking tea and taste some tea in the cafe. I spoke to several other tourists who'd taken the plantation tour and highly recommended it.
Shop for unique souvenirs
Ella's main street boasts a number of shops where you can pick up high-quality souvenirs, homewares, clothes and accessories. At Talvir, I bought a turquoise pouffe cover (which I somehow squeezed into my small suitcase!) and some crystal jewellery. I also liked Maya (fashion and accessories), Slow Days (good quality and well-priced clothing), Chill Bay (where I bought some comfy, lightweight cotton trousers) and I Love Ceylon (vintage poster prints and postcards).
FOOD & DRINK IN ELLA
I ate at several of the restaurants on Ella's Main Street. Cafe Chill was my favourite. The large all-day eatery and bar is indeed very chilled out and there's a great atmosphere, especially in the evening. The menu includes Sri Lankan and international dishes but after eight days of curry and rice, I finally caved and had a chicken burger and chips, which was really tasty. As was the creative and fruity mocktail I enjoyed while I followed my football team snatching yet another defeat from the jaws of victory.
I also had a nice lunch at Cafe UFO, just across the road, which has a similar open-plan set-up and vibe. The egg kottu roti I had (chopped up roti, stir-fried with egg and veg) was really tasty but the service was very slow even though it wasn't that busy when I arrived. Ella isn't, in general, the best place to come when you're in a rush, but I was really hungry after my morning hike to Little Adam's Peak and Nine Arch Bridge.
My favourite eatery in Ella was AK Ristoro, located just off Pasasa Road. The restaurant has attractive, modern décor and a fusion menu that combines Sri Lankan and international fare, with some tapas options. I started with papadams with sour cream dip. There were some green papadams with a different texture that were particularly tasty, so I asked what they were. "Green papadam, madam," said the friendly waiter. Well, then.
For my main course, I tried the Sri Lankan dish with the unappealing English name of 'lump rice.' The name (sometimes spelled lamprais) comes from a Dutch word for 'packet of rice.' Essentially, it includes curry, meat and/or fish, sambol and rice, baked in a banana leaf. You mix everything together (and don't eat the banana leaf) and it was wonderfully fragrant. If you're craving non-rice carbs, you'll love AK Ristoro's pasta bar!
Back on Main Street, I came across a gelateria called Isle of Gelato. I came for the gelato (well, and the puns — Isle of Puns, myself!) and stayed for the specialty coffee. After a week of only drinking coffee I'd brewed in my Aeropress, I spotted a gorgeous coral La Marzocco espresso machine and a Sri Lankan National Barista Championship award.
I went back the following day and had an excellent flat white. It was brewed, I soon discovered, with coffee grown in Kotmale, Sri Lanka, and roasted by Colombo-based roasters Temple Grounds. Sri Lanka still grows a little coffee these days and I was excited to taste it, and I ended up tracking Temple Grounds down again later in my trip. I should add that the gelato at Isle of Gelato is also excellent. For once, my camera didn't eat first!
And if you fancy learning how to make the delicious Sri Lankan dishes you've been enjoying on your trip, Ella is a great place to take a cooking class. Your tastebuds — and friends and family — will thank you!
WHERE TO STAY IN ELLA
I stayed at Zion View Ella Green Retreat, an eco-friendly boutique hotel with stunning views of Ella Rock and the Ella Gap. The hotel is a five-minute walk from Ella's Main Street and 15 minutes from the station — note that the final stretch is steep, although I only really felt it when I was towing my suitcase. I paid about £83 per night for a mountain view double room — and what a view it was!
My private balcony had both a hammock and a swing chair and I loved hanging out there watching the sunset, listening to the birdsong and watching monkeys play. The room itself was large, with both a double and a single bed, and a good-sized bathroom. The air conditioning was very effective — important after hot days of hiking — and the room was quiet and very peaceful.
Breakfast was included — a good buffet that included a hoppers and omelette station — and served on the terrace facing Ella Rock. The egg hoppers were particularly tasty here. On the all-day menu, they serve made-to-order poke bowls, which I enjoyed by the pool one day. As for the pool, it was small but perfect for a cooling dip after long walks in the sunshine, and with lots of comfy loungers. I also had a wonderfully relaxing and very reasonably priced massage (5,000 LKR (£13) for 45 minutes) at the spa.
Note that the hotel is built on the hillside and there are a fair few steps, including down to the reception from the road and to and from rooms and the pools.
There are lots of accommodation options at all price points within an easy walk of Ella's main drag. If you want to splash out, the 98 Acres Resort & Spa, located near Little Adam's Peak, looks amazing and has one of the most impressive infinity pool views I've ever seen. You can also get a pool day pass for the Ravana Pool Club and check out the Ella Swing (another 'am I in Bali?' moment).
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Ella is located in the southeastern part of Sri Lanka's central highlands. By road, it's about two hours from Nuwara Eliya, four hours from Kandy, four hours from Galle and five to six hours from Colombo.
I recommend Less Taxi for intercity taxi transfers in Sri Lanka. They offer good rates (and you can pay via their secure online system) and their responsive team makes it very easy to book via WhatsApp. I used them several times during my stay in Sri Lanka, including to go from Ella to my hotel near Galle, with a three-hour stop for a safari in Yala National Park. I paid 22,000 LKR (£58) for the transfer, which was a lot cheaper than the price quoted by my hotel and various other drivers I asked. My driver drove carefully and spoke very good English.
I also paid 16,000 LKR (£42) for my Yala safari jeep, driver and guide (the jeep seats up to six people, but alas, I had no one to share mine with). I'll be writing about my Yala experience in my next blog, but if you're planning a trip, note that you'll also have to pay a per-person national park entry fee (usually around 13,000 LKR, or £34) on top of the jeep and drive hire.
If you're travelling to Ella from Kandy or Nuwara Eliya (or vice-versa), I'd highly recommend taking the scenic train journey. The section between Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) and Ella is especially beautiful and thus especially popular so if you want to guarantee getting a seat, you'll need to book well in advance. I wrote about my experience of riding the rails in my Nuwara Eliya blog post, and you can also check out the Man in Seat 61's guide to train travel in Sri Lanka for more information.
From Ella, it takes about three hours to Nuwara Eliya and about six or seven hours to Kandy. You can go by train all the way to Colombo but it takes nine to ten hours, so I'd suggest breaking your journey in Kandy or Nuwara Eliya.
As for getting around Ella, it's a small town and easy to explore on foot. It is, of course, very hilly so I'd recommend wearing trainers or good walking sandals. Away from Main Street, it also gets very dark in the evenings, so consider bringing a small torch, especially if your hotel is further from the centre. Tuk tuks are readily available to take you to any of the main destinations in and around Ella. There's little or no PickMe or Uber service here.
NEED TO KNOW
If you're looking for packing tips, check out my Sri Lanka packing guide or my recommendations of tried-and-tested products for travel.
Electricity. Sri Lanka uses two main plug sockets: type D (with three round pins) and type G (with three rectangular pins, also used in the UK). All but one of the hotels I stayed in on this trip had sockets that supported type G plugs, but I packed a type D adapter just in case.
Time zone. Sri Lanka Standard Time is 5.5 hours ahead of GMT. There is no daylight savings time, which means the country is 4.5 hours ahead of the UK during British Summer Time.
Wifi/mobile data. A free 30GB Mobitel eSIM card was included with my airport transfer, which gave me good 4G coverage throughout my trip; download speeds were often better than the hotel wifi. If I hadn't had the free SIM, I would have used my favourite eSIM provider, Airalo. I've used their eSIMs in various countries across three continents and always appreciate the convenience and reasonable pricing that they offer. Want to try Airalo on your next trip? Sign up using my referral code — REBECC3024 — and we both get $3 credit.
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