Things To Do In Ella

Things To Do In Ella – Tourist Attraction

Ella is a small, sleepy town famous for its beautiful hills, forests, waterfalls and tea plantations and other tourist attractions.  The entire town is very small and can be explored by walking.  The best way to come to Ella is by train ride from Kandy which takes 7 hours.  Do not let the journey is hold you back.  In fact, the train journey is as beautiful as the destination.

Sri Lankan government runs a special observation train for tourists which has large glass windows for viewing.  The bad news is that tickets for that train is sold weeks in advance so plan ahead.  If you are unable to get tickets then the next best bet is ticket for the 1st class air-conditioned train ride.

Once you arrive in Ella you will see a horde of Tuk-tuk driver’s who will approach you.  A 10 minute ride form train station to hotel can be between LKR 200 to 500 (US$1 to US$3).

The town of Ella can be explored by walking.  Once out of train station you can see arched bridge on the right and road on the left leading to main street.  The entire main street is dotted with cafes, restaurants, tattoo parlours, yoga studios, souvenir shops – all catering to tourists. If you, like most of the tourists, plan to spend a couple of days in Ella then plan to visit following attractions:

Little Adam’s Peak

It is the star attraction of Ella for tourists.  The Little Adam’s peak is popular sunrise point so plan to rise early for  this easy trek.  The entire trekking time is less than three hours which includes frequent break for taking pictures and watching beautiful view. The detailed post is here.

Damodar Nine Arch Bridge

It is a old beautiful bridge which is still in use.  A moderate intensity hike through jungle and tea plantation to reach viewing point is worth the trouble to view trains chug away from this old beauty.  More about this here.

Ravana Waterfall

Ravana waterfall is 6 kilometer from Ella city and can be easily reached by tuk-tuk or bus.

Spice Garden & Cooking Classes

There is a small spice garden run by a retired local who gives very informative tour of his garden.  He explains all with great interest.  Sale of spices at reasonable price along with cooking classes are also offered. More details here

Tea Factory

A visit to tea factory is cliche in Sri Lanka. There are many factories offering tours for free or for small fee.  The tour may last 10 to 30 minutes including tea tasting and result in buying overpriced tea to fund commission for tour guide, if you arrive with one.  This post describes what we experienced inside a tea factory.