Ella is a beautiful and charming hill side town located on the southern edge of Sri Lanka’s hill country. Surrounded by green mountains, tea plantations, vegetable plots and a range of flora and fauna, the small town of Ella has marvelous views and many interesting things to do. Being a recently revealed tourist destination, it is fast gaining popularity among local and foreign visitors. The weather in Ella resembles that of a typical hill country: hot sunshine in the morning hours, about an hour of rain in the afternoon and then chilly weather towards the evening and night.
Getting there:
Province: Uva Province
Distance from Colombo: 232 Km
Approximate driving time: 5 hours
Accessible by bus and train
Where to stay:
98 Acres Resort & Spa is undeniably the best place to stay in Ella. Set amidst breathtaking mountains, this hotel offers an exclusive living experience to its guests. Our consultants at Blue Lanka Tours will be more than glad to arrange for your accommodation at this luxury resort. We can also plan an itinerary and arrange transport to take you to other popular tourist attractions in Ella and around Sri Lanka.
Because Ella is a small town in itself with just a few neighboring shops, bars and restaurants, it serves as a good base for exploring the surrounding area. Here are a few things you can do during your stay in Ella:
- Little Adam’s Peak
This is the most popular tourist attraction that Ella is known for. The Little Adam’s Peak, a 1141 meter high mountain named after a holy mountain in Sri Lanka because of the similarity in shape is what you have to climb here. It is an enjoyable half hour trek to its peak with an amazing view of tea plantations, the Ella Rock, Ravana Falls and an endless valley below you. If you are lucky enough to be trekking on a clear sunny day, you can see the south coast of beautiful Sri Lanka while on your trail.
- Ella Rock
Ella Rock is another trekking adventure but is a little more challenging than that of Little Adam’s Peak. Those who are interested in hiking will love this trail which is best climbed with a guide. There is no visible track along the trail so if you try to climb it without a guide it will take you much longer. Set out on your hike at the crack of dawn because the best views from the top are available in the morning hours. It is a 1.5-2 hour climb to the top during which you will hike through peaceful woodlands and tea plantations.
- Halpewatte Tea Factory
You most certainly can’t leave Sri Lanka without visiting a tea factory. In Ella, you can go to the Halpewatte Tea Factory and learn about the step-by-step manufacturing process of the world famous Ceylon Tea. You can ask the staff any questions and also request to taste their freshly brewed tea. Visitors can also purchase factory fresh tea from here.
- Ella Spice Garden
Visiting the Ella Spice Garden is quite a fun activity because you get to learn about where some of your favorite cooking ingredients come from. The garden tour is quite short but you can choose to enroll yourself in a lunch time cooking class. This is an informative, fun and personal class from which you can obtain a great insight on the recipes of authentic Sri Lankan food. If you wish to attend these cooking classes, please inform us in advance so we can notify them because these classes tend to get quite full.
- Demodara Nine Arch Bridge
This popular attraction was built by the British in the early 20th century and is located 2km away from Ella town. It has nine sky bridges built completely from solid bricks, cement and rock; no steel is used in the construction. It is indeed a splendid sight.
Not to miss in Ella…
- A tiny hole-in-the-wall curd shop close to the bus stand offers some delicious and cheap breakfast before or after your early morning trek to Little Adam’s Peak.
- T-Sips is a fair-trade tea shop that sells tea leaves, not fresh cups of tea. 5% of their revenue is donated to community projects in Ella.
- Grab a quick lunch at the down town rotti hut and try their mouth-watering rottis available in a wide range of delicious flavors.
- Garden view restaurant – a tree-house style wooden restaurant with friendly staff and delectable local meals.
- Café Chill is the most popular roadside café cum bar considered as the coolest place to hang out. Minty mojitos, good food, cool tunes and easy conversation is what you will find here.
- A nice cup of tea at the Little Folly Restaurant along with a slice of gourmet chocolate or lemon cake.
- A picturesque train ride from Ella to Nanu Oya (approximately 2 hours one way)