9 Things to do in Ella – A must-do in Sri Lanka!
9 Things to do in Ella – A must-do in Sri Lanka!
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Ella is our favorite backpacker place in Sri Lanka! We found it in the middle of lush green tea plantations and the jungle. It actually reminds us a lot of Ubud in Bali and there are plenty of things to explore!! We highly recommend staying here for at least 3 nights.
1. Explore the famous Nine Arch Bridge – a must do!
This place totally blew our mind! We saw many pictures of the bridge, but we were totally surprised that this tourist attraction is hidden in the middle of the jungle and without any tourist store at all. We went there in the early morning with an air full of mist over the mountains. Hiking through the tea plantations and forest trails, the bridge suddenly appeared in a valley. Although it became more crowded in the evening it felt like discovering a miracle.
The Nine Arch Bridge is a 30-meter high bridge with 9 big massive arches built by the British and it is definitely one of the highlights in Ella, hidden between lush green tea fields. You can stroll through the tea plantations around the bridge and you can actually walk over the bridge! You will see the blue train passing it. Ella is the start or the end station for the famous blue train ride and it is named as one of the most beautiful train rides in the world!
The best time to visit the Nine Arch Bridge is in the early morning for sunrise. We recommend
How to get there
Way 1 The most direct way is to walk along the rail track from Ella and to pass the tunnel to reach the Nine Arch Bridge. You can also take a tuk-tuk to the tunnel. But there are a few wonderful hiking trails from Ella village to the bridge you shouldn´t miss:
Way 2 The most beautiful trail starts at the Art Cafe Umbrella. Turn left into the jungle and follow the path for 10 minutes. Suddenly the bridge will appear between all the green trees, palm trees and tea plantations. In the early morning this trail offers a wonderful light!
Way 3 There is another trail from the road to Little Adam´s Peak. You have to turn left at the temple and follow Lake Front Cottage.
2. Hike beautiful Little Adam´s Peak
Don´t miss this
By the way – don´t mix up Little Adam´s Peak and the higher Adam´s Peak.
3. Visit Lipton´s Seat with the best view
We highly recommend going to Lipton´s seat. While a lot of people visit the tea factories and plantations near Ella town, you will have a unique experience in the hilly landscape of Lipton´s Seat and to get in touch with the wonderful people who work there. We took a tuk-tuk to get there – but it took us longer than one hour along the curved mountain streets. You can also take an epic train ride to Haputale and get a tuk-tuk to the top. Lipton´s Seat is located on the summit in a huge mountain area – where everything started for Lipton Tea. Seeing all the waving locals and children in the tea plantations at the way up and walking back down by foot through the tea fields, was just an amazing experience! But it is also a very moving experience because we never saw that much poorness. The people slept in tiny tin sheds and everyone was very undernourished. Some kids asked as for water. We think it is very important to see this side of Sri Lanka as well! The view over all the mountains is breath-taking and the lush green color gives them a very unique look!
4. Spot some Waterfalls: Diyaluma or Ravana waterfalls
Ravana Falls is only a 10-minute ride by tuk-tuk from Ella town. It is a popular waterfall for locals next to the curved mountain streets. You might get a little wet ;).
Diyaluma Falls, the second highest 220-meter high waterfall in Sri Lanka, is more difficult to hike and will probably take you a whole day! It is located in the same direction as Lipton´s Seat, about an hour away from Ella. From the foot, you need to drive up the mountain for 30 minutes, following the road to Koslanda town. Ask the locals to either show you the longer 2-hour trail or the 30 minutes trail, until you will reach several natural pools. Be careful there!
5. Ella to Badulla Train Ride
If you couldn´t get a reserved ticket for the blue Kandy to Ella train, you don´t have to be sad! Here is a pretty good alternative train ride: Take the exact blue train from Ella to Badulla. It is only a 1-hour train ride, but full of beautiful tea plantations and almost unknown amongst tourist. All the people leave the train in Ella and you will jump in ;). You will even pass the famous Nine Arch Bridge no one else does on the Kandy to Ella track. Also, Badulla has a beautiful temple to explore!
And if you wondered about the color of the train. Catch the blue train in Ella coming from Kandy to Badulla and take the red train back to Ella 1 hour later. It will cost you around 1 $.
6. Ella to Kandy train ride
The Kandy to Ella train ride is probably the most famous train ride in the world and we totally agree, the lush green tea plantations and green hills next to the rails are absolutely beautiful. It is a very special experience to take a train with open doors and so many locals. The only problem is to get reserved seats in advance. At this moment you can´t get tickets on the internet, you have to find a hotel or a travel agency who get you some at the train station around 1 week before your train ride.
We didn´t find someone who gets us the ticket in advance and we arrived in Kandy the day before the train ride. Therefore the train was very crowded, we had to stay for almost 5 hours. We will write a special blog post about all the tips for the train ride.
7. Hike Ella Rock or (big) Adams Peak
Do you need a little challenge? The summit of Ella Rock is about 100 meters higher than Ella town. The longer way up starts along the rails, passing the train station in Kithaella. After some rocks, you have to take the way left. Then you pass a bridge and later on a yellow building. Ask the locals for the exact path or go together with some other travelers. A lot of people like to hike Ella Rock for sunrise. You will need 2 hours each way for 8 km.
The big Adam´s Peak, don´t mix it up with Little Adam´s Peak in Ella, is located in the East of Ella. If you really like to see the non-touristic areas, this one is for you. You might probably stay there overnight, because it is far away from Ella!
8. Eat at the lovely restaurants in Ella
The Barn
This is a wonderful chilled place directly located at the main restaurant street in the middle of Ella. The interior is very chic and modern and there are many options for vegan meals. We highly recommend the vegan curry and
Chill Café
The Chill Café is living up to its name. It is the most famous chilled place, everyone goes there. Inside there is a lot of wooden furniture and an open kitchen. Try the
Ella Hiking Bar
We found this nice bar on our way to get our Ella to Badulla train. Just a few meters away from the train station you can find this chilled wooden place. It is a very nice place to have some tea or coffee.
Adam’s Breeze
This is a nice place near Adam´s Peak to get some local food.
9. Enjoy the backpacker vibes while strolling through the shops
When you are visiting Ella you should plan some time for strolling through all the shops in the center. There are so many beautiful wood carvings, colorful dresses, self-made bracelets, and prints. Afterward get some iced coffee and take some time to feel the relaxed backpacker vibes. Make some new friends!
Where to stay?
Eden View Ella
We were very happy with staying in this villa. It is pretty close (about 5 minutes) to the center, but also near to the train station, although it was very quit and relaxed. You should book one of the rooms with a very nice balcony. We highly recommend the owners, they are such a cute family. They gave us the tip, taking the train to Badulla and helped us with everything. Also her pancakes are awesome ;). We payed around 28$ per night.
Higherground Treehouse
Actually, we wanted to stay in the Higherground Treehouse, but it was already fully booked. It is a popular place amongst tourists because it has wooden balconies in the trees, and monkeys really love to play in the hammocks. It is a little bit more pricey and you have to book in advance.
How to get around?
The best and the cheapest way to reach Ella is to take the train from Kandy to Ella. The train starts in Colombo. There are many more options for places to reach by train. Visit the temple in Badulla, take the train to Haputale and visit Lipton´s seat. From Ella center, you can reach most places like the Nine Arch Bridge or Little Adam´s Peak by foot. There are beautiful hiking trails. You can easily take a tuk-tuk, they are everywhere, but you have to bargain.
Weather in Ella
There are two different monsoon areas in Sri Lanka, the North/East and the South/West. Ella could be effected from both monsoons, but most times the weather is very nice. Only be prepared for some short heavy rain from time to time. Weather in Ella generally stands in the comfort zone of 20-28 degrees °C, it is colder than the South Coast and warmer than
How to get there and where to go next?
The best way to get to Ella is by taking the train from Colombo or Kandy to Ella. It is very cheap and
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