You’ve no doubt heard so many things about Ella from many travellers as a go-to place in Sri Lanka and wandering about the web to find out about it. Well, you’ve heard right and you’re in the right place. It is the most happening destination of the hill country. Let us guide you to this lovely place.
Also called “Punchi Sri Padaya” by locals is named after the sacred mountain “Adams Peak” (Sri Padaya) for having a similar shape.
But not to worry, climbing Little Adams peak is fairly easy compared to its big brother. The path lies through tea plantations and signs are available throughout the road.
There are many viewpoints and summits and take your time exploring. There is a box-shaped protruding rock that affords a sweeping view over the Ella gap.
The climb may take 1-2 hours and make sure to start early to admire the glorious sunrise. The mountain rises 1,141 m above sea level but the elevation gain for the hike cannot be more than 200m.
There is no entrance fee to climb the mountain and no guides are needed, just follow the signs.
This insta-famous colonial via-duct is located just walking distance from the Ella-Passara road. Due to the unavailability of steel at the age of WWI, it had been built entirely using solid rocks, bricks and cement. Commissioned in 1921, the bridge is 97 feet tall and each arch is 24.5 feet wide.
Interestingly, construction of this wonder had been supervised by a local man named Mr P.K. Appuhami. He was generously rewarded by the English government for this endeavour.
The bridge is located between Ella and Demodara railway stations at tunnel No. 40, closer to the Ella station. There are several ways to get to it from Ella. You can either
To capture the perfect insta-moment on the bridge, a train must be in the scene. So try to get there on time to catch one. Refer to the following timetable to get a rough idea of train arrival times to the bridge.
Please note these are not exact times since train delays can’t be predicted. You can also climb to a higher ground opposite the tunnel side to get a better snap.
Up for a tougher hike than Little Adams peak? Conquer Ella rock (height – 1,340m) for a dose of panoramic views and a sense of profound adventure.
There are many trails leading to the peak and one could get easily lost their way among many branching trails. Stick to the below-mentioned trail to Ella Rock and you’ll reach the summit without hassle.
At the top you’ll observe Little Adams Peak, Namunukula range, Ella gap, Ravana falls. There is a camping site available but camping is not allowed at the summit.
Located 4.7 km from Ella by the side of Ella – Wellawaya road Ravana Ella is truly a magnificent cascade and the most prominent waterfall in Ella area.
You can visit this falls on your way to down south or hire a tuk-tuk from Ella town.
The site tends to get crowded with locals on holidays and weekends so better if you can visit the falls on a weekday to enjoy tranquillity.
Better to visit in the rainy season to behold her full force but bathing will be impossible at those times. It is quite dangerous to climb up the rocks and not recommended as there have been several deaths recorded onsite.
As the legend has it that in ancient times King Ravana kidnapped Princess Sita and kept her hidden in a cave.
This cave is located about 02 km from Ella town and can easily be reached via Ravana Ella temple off Ella – Wellawaya road.
The rumour also has it that the actual Ravana falls is the one called Kithal Ella falls due to the close proximity to the cave.
To complicate things more, Ravana cave surface itself bears signs of a waterfall that existed a long time ago and this could’ve been the actual Ravana falls. No written history exists about the famous Ravana falls.
Here is another engineering marvel you can visit. At the time that the Demodara railway track was being built (1920), the railway engineers faced a steep inclination in the terrain.
The max inclination allowed by the Ceylon Government Railways at that time was 1:44 and a pioneering idea was in need to construct the trek under those constraints.
The solution, however, had been suggested by a layman who showed the lead engineer Mr D.J. Wimalasurendra that the trek could be constructed as a loop that goes around the hill and under a tunnel as the way his turban was tied.
Did you know? : Demodara loop is considered the only loop in the world with a railway station situated exactly over a tunnel at the spiral loop.
You need to get to Demodara railway station to witness this marvel. It is located 8.3 km from Ella town and is the next station after Ella towards Badulla. The easiest method is to hop in a train travelling towards Badulla.
Get off at Demodara station, go right outside to the car park to catch the train while it traverses the loop and goes right under the station through tunnel number 42.
There is a model of the loop on display at the station and the station master is all eager to explain it to you in detail. The loop and the tunnel are 900m and 300m long respectively.
Towards Badulla ➡ : 06:21, 13:07, 15:28, 17:36
⬅ Towards Ella : 06:23, 09:08, 11:40, 14:18
We hope you’ve got the information you were looking for and enjoyed the article. If it didn’t meet your need or you want to share your experiences in Ella (good or bad), do leave us a comment and we’ll get back to you.
Don’t forget to check our travel guide to Ella for essential information you’d need when traveling.
Hope you’ll have a pleasant time in Sri Lanka.
