Ella on the Hill Country
Welcome to Sri Lanka’s favorite hill country village!
It is a blissfully relaxing place nestled in the valley at around 3500 feet high; it is surrounded by mountains covered with lush farmland and tea plantations.
This is a great place to spend 1 or 2 days relaxing and cooling off in cooler temperatures than normally found in the coastal areas of Sri Lanka.
Make sure you take some time for some relaxing walks through tea plantations to temples, waterfalls and scenic spots.
The views across the Ella gap are simply stunning and the short but rewarding hikes to Little Adam’s Peak and Nine Arch Bridge are worth the effort.
The main attraction for us was to take the train journey from Ella to Nuwara Eliya, considered one of the best scenic train journeys in the world!
The sleeping center of Ella is quite spectacular but pleasant enough and offers some good options for lunch, dinner and drinks.
There are many good accommodation options in the area in and around Ella ranging from backpacker hostels to luxury resorts.
When to go to Ella
Like other areas of the Hill Country, Ella does not have a real dry season or a monsoon.
The risk of rain is high in every season!
The least rainy months go from February to July; while the rainiest (and therefore less suitable for long jungle walks) are October, November and December (where the sky is often full of clouds).
In every period, unexpected showers alternate with full sun, giving landscapes of sparkling green.
The temperatures in these mountains are very pleasant and stable all year round, between 20 and 25 ° C, and pleasantly cool nights (although often very humid).
It can be visited all year round, but you will have less problems with the rain if you decide to go here between February and the beginning of October!
Little Adams Peak
The Little Adam peak is one of the closest and easiest excursions to do in Ella.
The start of the hike to the summit is about 15 minutes on foot from the city of Ella.
If you are walking from the city of Ella, turn on Passara Road and you will reach the entrance to the third mile just after the Flower Garden Resort on your right with a tight curve.
Little Adam’s Peak is 1141 m high and is about half an hour uphill.
Take a short but pleasant walk through the Greenland tea estate to reach the main climb.
The views from the top are a spectacular 360 degree panorama with clouds rolling in, it’s really very rewarding.
We recommend that you go early in the morning or late in the evening for the best views and it will be less tiring.
Nine Arch Bridge
The glorious Nine Arch Bridge between Ella and Demodara station is one of the engineering marvels of the early 20th century and one of the most iconic bridges in Sri Lanka; built with only bricks and mortar without the use of steel.
The construction of the bridge ended in 1921 and is one of the best examples of British railway construction from the colonial period.
The construction of the bridge is generally attributed to a local builder, P. K. Appuhami, in consultation with British engineers.
You can access the Nine Arch Bridge either by walking along the tracks from Ella station – this is perfectly safe as the trains are slow and noisy so you can hear them coming!
Alternatively, you can take a short walk from the town of Ella via Passara Road, turning left onto Nine Arch Bridge Road.
Ella Rock
Ella Rock is the most demanding excursion you can do in the area and is about 10 km (6 miles) and will last about 4 hours, however the breathtaking views of the hill and the plains below, in addition to the experience of walking along the railway the tracks to get there are worth the effort.
From the city of Ella you have to start from the train station and walk south towards Kithaella station.
If you have seen the movie “Stand By Me”, you will particularly appreciate the walk along the railroad tracks, so take your time and have fun!
After Kithaella station, take the second left turn, then cross the bridge over the river.
Take the path that goes straight up and you will notice some blue arrows pointing you in the right direction.
Eventually the trail will start to the left towards Ella Rock, taking you through tall vegetation and eventually you will reach the main climb to Ella Rock through a forest of rubber trees.
Rawana waterfall
The Rawana Ella Falls, 25 meters high, are located about 6 km from Ella Gap towards Wellawaya and cascades from an oval rocky outcrop.
During the rainy months, the water drops from the mountainside, resembling an areca flower with withered petals, in what is said to be the “wildest” fall in Sri Lanka.
There are food and costume vendors nearby.
By train from Nuwara Eliya to Ella
Even though this journey lasts only 60 km, it takes about two and a half hours due to the somewhat mountainous terrain.
There are three travel classes on most trains, but we recommend traveling in first class where carriage service will also be available.
The journey takes you through the delightful hill country of Sri Lanka which is incredibly green and covered in tea plantations.
At each train station along the way, the train cabins filled with vendors offering delicacies such as freshly cut pineapple and mango with cinnamon, corn with salted butter, freshly made rice and curry, chili fritters and crispy mushrooms.
Sri Lanka is indeed the perfect place for children and for people who like animals and nature.
This country is incredibly green.
It is impossible not to find elephant herds on safari or even on the same road traveling.
It is also very easy to see leopards, macaques and other types of monkeys, giant squirrels, jackals, etc. etc
Furthermore, walking with children and adults through the Peradeniya Botanical Garden is a delight. Along with the giant trees and millions of plants, we will also find monkeys and other animals in this immense place.
Ella on the Hill Country
We use all the available and easy-to-use technologies to stay in touch with our customers.
Besides the email, the most used method, we are always available by phone and WhatsApp.
It is also possible to communicate via Skype or FaceTime or any other application available to the customer, but only with prior appointment.
We pay a lot of attention in being able to communicate to the customer all the necessary information to offer all the tranquility to you even while you are on Tour.
Living and working in Kandy, facilitates access to privileged information to create new routes and itineraries to Sri Lanka.
This allows us to design exclusive and unique journeys, reaching some places that only we know.
This is why we receive an excellent score in everything related to the design of customised and on-demand trips.
Moreover, we pay a lot of attention to everything related to the management of the booking and assistance, always in English, Spanish and Italian, of your trip to Sri Lanka.
Ella on the Hill Country
Meanwhile, those who love exotic beaches, full of palm trees and coconut trees, offer beaches in the west of the country such as Bentota, Ambalangoda, Chilaw and Negambo.
You can also swim in the Indian Ocean in the east of the country on the beaches of Trincomalee, Pasikudah, Nilaveli …
If you like surfing you can practice at Arugam Bay, Weligama or Mirissa.
And of course, we have the beaches of southern Sri Lanka such as Tangalle, Unawatuna, Galle, Ahangama, etc. etc
If you like cities, we have Kandy, Jaffna, Galle Fort and Colombo where you can walk and shop among the wonderful shops and restaurants.
In a nutshell, we have a country with a wide variety of climates, places, cultures, religions, etc.
Where we will always find Sinhalese smiling and waiting for us with open arms.
Coming to Sri Lanka and not being surprised is absolutely impossible.
Ella on the Hill Country
