The Best of Ella, Sri Lanka

Approximately 200km east of Colombo sits the picturesque village of Ella, surrounded by undulating hills and verdant valleys. At an elevation of 1,041m above sea level, the cooler climate makes for a perfect base for the numerous tea plantations and an excellent place to hike.

During our time in Sri Lanka we spent two days in this pocket-sized town. Although it is small, there is plenty to catch the eye. Here I have included some of our favourite to-dos whilst visiting Ella.

Hike to Ella Rock

Do you want to go on a wee hike? See beautiful panoramic views? Bask in the sun on a spectaculr rock? Well then, Ella Rock is a must.

Activity Level: Medium

Duration: 4 hours return

Landscape: Mountainous, rocky, muddy, grassy and small pebbles

Best times to do it: Mornings or evenings (I suggest keep to the morning)

Happiness levels: 5/5

The hike can begin in a number of locations, we started out walking along a lovely railway track, that soon turned into tea plantations, towering grass and then a steady slope up to the top of the mountain. Mapping this walk can be quite difficult without the proper instructions - my next blog will be about how to do this hike in detail.

Eat at Matey Hut

This simple roadside restaurant serves incredible fresh Sri Lankan food. The wonderful chef cuts up and cooks everything right in front of you. We ordered Kottu Roti, a delicious chopped up mixture of roti, vegetables, egg and spices, and a four curry dish and a cabbage salad. It was delicious. It was also HUGE, so go there hungry. They also serve freshly squeezed juices.

The place is tiny, so try to avoid peak times to eat, otherwise you might end up waiting a while.

We also found out they offer cooking classes, but didn't have enough time. If you love to cook...or eat, then this should definitely be on your to do list.

Walk along the railway

Treat yourself to an ice-cold take-away coffee from Barista Ella and stroll along the gorgeous rail line. You can combine this with your hike to Ella Rock.

If you walk from Ella along the railway tracks for about 30-40 minutes you will eventually come to an amazing view of the majestic Nine Arch Bridge (Ahas namaye palama, Nine Skies Bridge), or you can walk through the jungle for about 20 minutes. If you can time this with a train passing by, even better. If you don't feel up to walking, a tuk-tuk will take you there for about 200 rupees.

Drink tea and eat at Ceylon Tea Factory Restaurant

The beautiful tea factory theme of this restaurant creates an ambient and relaxed experience for anyone looking to treat themselves to a day/night of drinking special tea concoctions and eating delicious Sri Lankan food. The eclectic menu offers a number of Sri Lankan dishes as well as other Asian and Western favourites. We ordered the Sri Lankan Rice and Curry and tried a couple of the different iced teas and slushies. It was very different to anywhere we had eaten in Sri Lanka.

Make a pit stop at Ravana Ella Falls

This lovely waterfall can be seen from the side of the road and for those of you brave enough to face the cold water, it is a great spot to have a quick dip.

All the above are easily achieved in a couple of days. Make sure you don't rush around while in Ella, the relaxed atmosphere is part of the charm.

Other things to do if you have the time:

• Little Adam’s Peak - a much shorter and easier climb than Adam's Peak. It takes about half an hour to the top as you meander through tea plantations.

• Halpewatte Tea Factory - you get to see how world famous Ceylon tea is manufactured, step by step.

• Ella Spice Garden - learn about the source of some of your favourite ingredients and try out a cooking class.

Thanks for reading. Have a sunshiny day 😀 🐘