Beautiful nature around the backpacker village of Ella with nice cafes
Within five minutes I was in love with Ella. An attractive backpacker village located around beautiful nature. However, this popularity also has a downside, because Ella is becoming increasingly built up. One more reason to visit Sri Lanka soon. In Ella you can enjoy beautiful walks, tea plantations, fantastic viewpoints, waterfalls and the famous Nine Arch Bridge. There are also delicious and cozy cafes and restaurants in the village. Ella is clearly my favorite destination in Sri Lanka!
Marvel at it the beautiful Nine Arch Bridge
Our hostel was about a 15 minute walk to the beautiful Nine Arch Bridge, probably Ella's main attraction. People were planning to build this bridge from steel, but when the First World War started the steel was moved to the English front. Then the bridge was built with stonesud. Which is of course much more beautiful! Tip: walk across the bridge and find a spot on the mountain for a beautiful and peaceful view. Pay close attention, because before you know it the train will have passed!
Climb Ella Rock or Little Adam's Peak
Ella is a top destination for some beautiful hikes through the beautiful nature. We chose to climb the Ella Rock, a more difficult climb than the Little Adam's Peak. When we reached the top we certainly did not regret it. What a breathtaking view! However, it was a fun quest to get to the top. There are no signs and there is no clear path. Via the station of Ella you walk a bit on the railway to Kithalella Train Station. If you If you want to shorten the hike, you can also take a Tuktuk from Ella to Kithalella Train Station . This website has a clear description of the route.
An impression of my experience climbing Ella Rock
We heard from other backpackers that it was a fun quest to get to the top. There are no signs and there is no clear path. That sounded like a nice challenge, so we left our hostel around 09:00 . It was bright blue and the sun was already shining quite brightly. According to the information on the internet, we first had to go to Ella station and then walk over the tracks (yes, that is all possible here in Sri Lanka) to another station. Once there, we took we, neatly following the directions, took the second path on the left after which we walked over a small bridge into the tea fields. We followed the 'path' until we came to a three-way junction, hmmm what now?! After looking closely we saw an arrow carved into the tree pointing to the left. Got it! We continued our route and the bushes made way for a forest of tall eucalyptus trees. Just before we reached the top we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the mountain landscape. Motivated by this picture we continued the steep climb to the top, which we reached after fifteen minutes of sweating and puffing! So beautiful! From the top we had a super beautiful view of the Little Adam's Peak and Ella itself. After a little hour we started hungry the way back. Once back at Ella station we had a delicious and especially cheap (Kottu for €1.25) lunch at a local restaurant and walked back to the hostel. Phew, tired and satisfied with our legs up we chilled out the rest of the evening and had a nice beer with some other backpackers! Tomorrow a new adventure, then we go to Yala National Park for the second safari!
Take a dip in the Ravana waterval
After all the efforts, it is time for a wonderful dip in the Ravana Waterfall. From Ella this is a fairly short tuktuk ride. Some relaxation! Do you prefer adrenaline? Then visit the Flying Ravana Zipline!
Visit the Halpewatte Tea Factory
Another recommendation is a visit to the Halpewatte Tea Factory. Take a tour of the factory where you will see and have the entire production process explained. There are five steps to making tea from the tea plants. Part of the factory was now shut down, but the guide still turned on a number of machines. A few facts: the youngest leaves of the tea plants are the very best and most refined. These are therefore intended for export (90% of the total production). The remaining 10% of older leaves of lower quality go to the local market. This factory also has its own tea label, namely Halpé Tea. In total, this factory with 100 employees and 3,500 farmers/tea pickers produces 1.3 million kilos of tea per year, most of which is produced in the high season. A visit to this factory gives you a more complex picture of the 'tea country' Sri Lanka. Also a great place for very nice souvenirs!
How to get to Ella?
From Nuwara Eliya you can reach Ella by train in about two hours.
Stay overnight/to eat
Basic: Little Paradise Homestay
Standard:Romance in Ella
Luxury: Chill Ville orMountain Heavens
Tip: Definitely eat and drink at Café Chill!
Continue your journey
Continue your journey to one of Sri Lanka's National Parks. We chose to visitYala National Park. Another option is Udawalawe National Park. Udawalawe is a better option if you want to spot larger herds of elephants. This is also a less busy park than Yala. However, in Yala you also have the chance to spot leopards!
