Ella

Welcome to Ella, the independent travellers’ favourite hill-country chill out village. It’s the perfect place to relax, cool off, and ease up on the travel accelerator with a few leisurely days in some of Sri Lanka’s friendliest guesthouses.

ELLA WEATHER

The views through Ella Gap are stunning, and on a clear night you can even spy the subtle glow of the Great Basses lighthouse off Sri Lanka’s south coast.

Don’t be too laid-back though or you’ll miss the chance for easy-going walks through tea plantations to temples, waterfalls and viewpoints. After building up a hiking-inspired appetite, look forward to Sri Lanka’s best home-cooked food and a reviving cuppa made with fresh locally grown tea.

Best time to visit Ella

Best time to visit Ella is from January until May when the weather is at its best. However, Ella is an all-year-season hot spot.

Best time to visit Ella

There’s a great choice of places to enjoy a drink with friends.

Nightlife

You are in rural Sri Lanka at Ella and although there are a surprising number of bars and restaurants open at night, there is no city nightlife like discos and nightclubs. However, good music is available in almost all restaurants and pubs.

 

To and In Ella

Transportation

Train

The best way to get to Ella (unless you splash out on chauffeur-driven vehicle while doing a tour of Sri Lanka) is by train.

Not that it’s comfortable; it isn’t. But it’s fun and the scenery is superb as the train runs through crowded city suburbs to rural paddy fields before climbing, via Kandy, through hills of crew-cut tea bushes and lush forests.

It’s a journey of approximately ten hours and 271km. The best daily trains (express in name but not speed) are those bound for Badulla

Road

Private and state air-conditioned and old-fashioned non-air-conditioned buses start from Colombo Fort bus terminal for the journey to the hill country.

There’s only one bus that actually goes through Ella. It starts from Colombo and terminates in Madulsima but it isn’t air-conditioned.

The other option is the bus that goes from Colombo to Badulla bus number 99, (Starts from the private bus stand at Bastian Mawatha Colombo – Map) and there are air-conditioned options available. The journey takes at least five hours. But the bus doesn’t go through Ella so you have to get off at Kumbalwella junction and take another bus or a tuk-tuk taxi from there to Ella.

Transportation in Ella

Taxi-hailing apps don’t work in Ella. There are plenty of tuk-tuks so do a deal on the fare that you’re happy with. But make sure the driver understands where you want to go before you get in.

Tuk-Tuk fare calculation tip – Rs60 for the first kilometre and then Rs45 every additional kilometre. That’s the standard Government approved rate. If the tuk-tuk has a lot of hills to climb, bad roads and a lot of waiting, expect the driver to add extra to the hire cost.

Ella is small town, most of the places worth visiting there can be reached by foot or by public transport.

Travel Guide

Ella

Things to do and see

Ella

Ravana Cave, Ella

  • 500m from Ella town
  • By foot / Vehicle
  • 8.30 – 17.50
  • Free

Ella Rock, Ella

  • 1.9km from Ella town
  • By foot
  • Before and for sun-fall
  • Free

Ella, Nine Arches Bridge

  • 2.1km from Ella town
  • Foot/ Tuk-tuk
  • Before sun fall
  • Free

Flying Ravana Mega Zipline

  • 4km from Ella town
  • Getting there: By foot
  • 8.30 – 17.00
  • $20 adults and $15 children

Ella Mini Adams Peak

  • 4.2km from Ella town
  • By foot
  • 8.30 – 17.50
  • Free

Ravana Ella Falls

  • 5km from Ella town
  • Tuk-tuk/ bus
  • Before sun fall
  • Free

Ellawala Ella Fall

  • Wellawaya, 25.8km from Ella
  • Tuk-tuk and by foot
  • Before sun-fall
  • Free

Demodara Loop

  • 8.4km from Ella
  • Vehicle
  • Train times
  • Free

Halpewatte Tea Factory Tour

  • 4.2km from Ella town
  • By foot
  • 8.30 – 17.50
  • Free

ATV ride in Ella

  • 5km from Ella town
  • Tuk-tuk/ bus
  • Before sun fall
  • Free

Attire and safety

Ella is a tourist town and can be regarded as safe. Just keep your wits about you. Wear comfortable light clothing and shoes as there’s lot of walking to be done. The nights can get cold although the temperature is unlikely to drop below 10 °C.

Important Contacts

Ella Tourist Police – 0572228522

Ella Railway Station – 0572228571

Free Ambulance – 1990 (toll-free)

State Hospital – 0573553954

Survival Guide

Ella

Dealing with Touts:

Touts occasionally hang around popular places promoting guest houses and tour services Avoid all of them. Follow your maps or ask your hotel front desk for advice before going out.

Transportation Tips:

Avoid rides offered by drivers of private transportation. Let your hotel or guest house arrange known transport for you.

Accommodation Guidance:

Book hotels through reputable travel agents or popular online websites

Nighttime Caution:

At night, apart from the town, the rest of the area sleeps.
Avoid walking around the town alone late at night. It will be more fun meeting other guests in your accommodation.
You’ll find it useful to carry a torch or a headtorch

Legal Matters:

Be advised that drug taking in Sri Lanka (even in laid-back Ella) is illegal

Shopping Awareness:

Ella is not known as a shopping destination
Self-proclaimed tour guides who will try to strike a deal should be shunned.

Seeking Assistance:

If you need help or directions, pop into a shop, guest house or restaurant and ask as there will be someone there who speaks English and the staff aren’t touts.

Water Consumption:

Avoid drinking tap water. Water bottles are cheap (500ml Rs50 750ml Rs100- 150)

Safety Measures:

Take good care of your personal belongings.
Walking along the rail track is actually trespassing. If you do it (as locals do) be constantly on the lookout for on-coming trains.
Be especially alert about your surroundings when taking “selfies” so you don’t have an accident

Begging is Illegal:

Begging is illegal in Sri Lanka. Beggars are best ignored even if you feel compassionate; that’s what they rely on.

Picturesque Ella

Captures

Train shedule

  • Badulla: Podi Menike, leaving Colombo Fort at 05.55, arriving Ella at 15.14
  • Udarata Menike, leaving Colombo Fort at 08.30, arriving Ella at 17.16
  • Express, leaving Colombo Fort at 09.45, arriving Ella at 18.22.
  • A night mail train departs Colombo Fort at 20.00, arriving Ella at 06.05 but you don’t get a chance to see the scenery (or get much sleep) on that.
  • The air-conditioned compartment is Rs.1500, 2nd class fare is Rs430; 3rd class Rs270.

All the trains from Colombo to Ella and on to Badulla (the terminus in the east) stop at Kandy and Nanu Oya (for Nuwara Eliya) as well as at Haputale and Bandarawela, so you can board there to get to Ella.

Train Schedule

The renowned Ravana Cave is the place where Ravana kept Sita after kidnapping her. It was once concealed in thick jungle, now it is covered by the 82-feet Ravana waterfall. At this site, there is an ancient temple, waterfalls and cave. This place is nearly 6 kilometres from the Ella railway station and 11 kilometres from Bandarwela.

The cave is perched on a cliff of 1,370ms above sea level. Surprisingly, there is a tunnel at the back of the cave which goes to Ravana Eliya. Archaeological studies have confirmed human habitation as being 25,000 years old.

Payments

There’s no official ticketing counter. Rs.150 to 200 per person could be contributed to the nearby Buddhist temple.

Best time to visit

Before nightfall. The midday walk can be exhausting; choose the coolest time of the day..

Getting there

It’s an easy steep hike along with the man built steps. Apart from the great view from the top, there’s nothing much see in the cave itself.

Nowhere is more impressive than the view from the summit of Ella Rock, a dramatic peak, approximately 5km from town.  It’s a hike along the railway line. There’s no payment to see this place. Be mindful of the trains as you’re walking along the rail line.

Once there, be extremely cautious about what you do as it’s a steep drop.

Getting there

From the Ella railway station walk along the railway line towards the Kithalella railway station. It’s almost a 40-minute walk. Ignore anyone that says you’re going the wrong way, or who tries to direct you to the ‘correct’ route. Touts do this to confuse tourists into buying their services as a guide.

There are fake signs, so be sure to follow our instructions carefully. If in doubt, use our Ella Rock hiking map below.

3,100m above sea level, The Nine Arches Bridge,  called the Bridge in the Sky in Sinhala, is a bridge in Sri Lanka, a 25m-high viaduct built of local stone. It is one of the best examples of colonial-era railway construction in the country. The construction of the bridge is generally attributed to a local Ceylonese builder, P. K. Appuhami, in consultation with British engineers. It was built in 1921.

No tickets or entry fees.

It’s a great place to take photos. Be mindful on rainy days as it could get slippery.

Best time to visit

Afternoon and during train times. A photo with the train on the bridge could be one of the best photos.

Getting there

Nine Arches bridge is located between Ella and Demodara railway stations and can be reached by walking along the railway line from Ella towards Badulla.

Take off on the “Flying Ravana” zip-line is located about 4km from the main strip of Ella town as you go towards the Ella – Passara road. There’s a small gravel road branching off, next to the Ella Flower Garden Resort. You can’t miss the mega signboard which reads “Flying Ravana Mega Zip Line”

US $20 for adults and $15 for children

Read more – Flying Ravana Zip Along at Ella

Mini Adams Peak

Mini Adams Peak is 4.2km from Ella towards the famous 98-Acres resort and on the path to the Flying Ravana mega zip line.

It’s a fairly easy walk among the tea estates with marked signboards.

No tickets or entry fees.

Best time to visit

For sunrise and sunset.

Ellawala Ella Fall

Ellewala Ella is a small but beautiful waterfall, on the same road as the Ravana Ella Waterfall.

Accessible from the Ella – Wellawaya Road. This waterfall lies hidden inside the jungle about 5km from Wellawaya Town.

It’s got a natural pool-like formation and chill waters and it’s recommended to have a dip.

Best time to visit

Definitely before the sun set.

No tickets or entry fees.

Getting there

Rathmal Vehera Ancient Temple. Take the road opposite to the temple which will lead to the waterfall. The last bit of the road is not suitable for a vehicle except for a 4×4

The spiral railway is recognised as one of the most fascinating civil engineering marvels in Sri Lanka. The railway line runs under the railway station in a tunnel and appears on the top.

The real beauty of this can be seen when a train passes through it.

Best time to visit
Day time, during train hours.

Scheduled train times are: 0623, 0908, 11.40, 13.07, 15.28, 17.36, 18.34 and 1836.

No tickets or entry fees as you can watch from outside the station, but you’ll need to buy a platform ticket if you go on to the platform without a journey ticket.

Getting there
Walk along the railway line towards Badulla, or you could take the train from Ella to Demodara.

The Uva Halpewaththa Tea Factory, 5km north of Ella, runs some of the better tea plantation tours in Sri Lanka. After you’ve enriched yourself with knowledge, treat your taste buds by trying samples of the estate’s different teas. There’s also a small shop selling tea and tea-related paraphernalia. Tours take place throughout the day, but the frequency of tours varies depending on the kind of tea being processed.

Best time to visit
The factory is open from 08.00 to 16.00 for visiting. However, if you’d like to see the factory in its full operation better to be there around 08.00. The tea processing finishes by 11.00

Tickets – $3 per person

Getting there
Kumbawela junction, and flag a bus going towards Badulla. Get off just after the 27km post, near the Halpe Temple. From here you have a very steep 2km walk to the factory. A three-wheeler from Ella will charge Rs 1,000 return.

The contact number of Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory 0572 228 530

Take off on the “Flying Ravana” zip-line is located about 4km from the main strip of Ella town as you go towards the Ella – Passara road. There’s a small gravel road branching off, next to the Ella Flower Garden Resort. You can’t miss the mega signboard which reads “Flying Ravana Mega Zip Line”

  • Rate per adult: 40 USD (7200 LKR)
  • Duration: 30- 40 Minutes
  • Riders should be above 16 years of age.
  • Ride through scenic tea estates hills.
  • 5-10 minute basic training on the ATV will be provided by a professional rider.
  • Operational hours: 9.00 to 15.30

Read more – Flying Ravana Zip Along at Ella