10 Fun Things To Do In Ella: A Guide To A Quaint Town In Sri Lanka

One of the places that I really enjoyed visiting in Sri Lanka was a little town called Ella. Located around 200 odd kilometers away from Colombo, this town is the perfect place to kick back and relax especially if you are looking for a place away from the crowds.

Have I mentioned that it is also popular because it is a foodie’s paradise? That isn’t all. Despite its location, there are quite a number of things to do in Ella. That is one of the reasons why you should definitely put the town on your list.

I kept thinking about how much I enjoyed my time in hills and it was just the added incentive I needed to sit down and write a comprehensive Ella travel guide.

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Weather In Ella

Ella is situated among the hills of central Sri Lanka. Its altitude means that the temperatures are usually lower than the rest of the country at any given time. This makes it the perfect place to escape the summer heat and is precisely what many of the locals do.

Also remember that midday can be really hot, so head out early in the morning or in the early evening if the heat bothers you. The rain is another thing that you need to consider. Sudden downpours can quite literally rain on your parade and you may have to change your plans rather abruptly.

Transportation To Ella

Ella is actually pretty easy to reach. In fact, the train from Kandy to Ella just so happens to be one of the most popular train routes in the world. This is largely because it passes through some really scenic valleys that are lined with gorgeous tea plantations.

Another draw to the train journey for some is the fact that they are able to stick their head out of the door. I would really caution against doing any hanging out of the train stunts as accidents can happen and those are some risks that you really don’t want to take.

While taking the train from Colombo to Ella via Kandy is a popular choice, we took a different route. Ours involved taking a bus from Tissamaharama. The journey was surprisingly pretty and was definitely something that I would recommend if you are on a budget.

A more relaxed mode of transportation to Ella would be via road. That would involve either hiring a cab or renting a car. If you want to consider to the latter, remember that you need a temporary driving permit to drive in Sri Lanka.

Where To Stay In Ella

The question of where to stay in Ella came up when we were planning our vacation. If you are heading to the town via train or bus, note that you will have to walk to your accommodation. Being a hilly area, make sure that you pack light or walking with your luggage will be difficult.

There are a number of options to choose from and they range from luxurious to the budget friendly options. We picked a place called Nimsara homestay and were very happy with everything from the customer service to the rooms.

Things To Do In Ella

You would be surprised at the number of things to do in Ella that can keep you busy. We stayed in the town for just two days and really wished that we had more time. While you can cram a lot of the activities in a day or two, we choose to chill and take in the sights slowly. The weather is another factor that you should take into consideration when making your plans.

1. The Demodara Bridge

One of the things to do in Ella is visiting the famous Demodara bridge.

One of the most popular attractions (and my personal favourite) is the Demodara Bridge. While the bridge is not technically located in Ella but a short walk/hike away, this bridge was one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Ella.

The bridge is popularly known as the Nine arch bridge because of the nine arches that make the bridge so visually attractive. The bridge is also one of the most popular Instagram worthy locations in Sri Lanka. While I am not particularly a fan of doing it for the Gram, I found that the bridge did inspire our creativity.

2. Little Adam’s Peak

One of the great outdoorsy things to do in Ella is to hike up Little Adam’s peak.

At first, I confused Little Adam’s Peak with the more strenuous hiking trail up Adam’s peak. They are however different entities. Little Adman’s peak is n easy trail and can be attempted by people who aren’t too keen on heights like me.

A lot of people combine the visit to Demodara bridge and Little Adam’s peak together. It is a great place to watch the sun rise over the tea laden valleys. We however got up a wee bit too late to catch the sunrise which is something that I regret to this day.

3. Indulge In The Food In Ella

Indulging in the Sri Lankan food is definitely on my list of recommended things to do in Ella.

Ella is popularly known as a foodies paradise and rightly so. I must say that after travelling the length and breadth of Sri Lanka, Ella definitely had the best food the country had to offer.

There are a range of places to eat at, from the budget friendly spots to the more expensive ones. The town transforms at night and while there aren’t dozens of restaurants, there are definitely enough to cater to the town and the tourists that visit it.

If you haven’t explored the culinary aspect of the country yet, then you should definitely check out our guide to food in Sri Lanka for inspiration.

4. Take A Cooking Class

Since Ella is one of the best places to indulge in food, one of the popular things to do in Ella is to take a cooking class. Since we had already taken one cooking class in Tissamaharama, we decided to forego taking another one in Ella.

Where will you get a class? The easiest way is to ask the owners of the accommodation that you are living in. This is especially true if you have picked a homestay.

Travel Bloggers Suggestions On Things To Do In Ellato Do In Ella

There were a couple of things that we did not get around to doing in Ella. That is why we reached out to other travel bloggers to fill in the blanks. Here are the suggestions that deserve to be added to the list of things to do in Ella.

5. Visit A Tea Factory

Visiting a tea factory is one of the things to do in Ella.

When I went to Sri Lanka I was looking forward to endless cups of tea. For the fact that Sri Lanka is a major tea producing country I was surprised that a cup of Ceylon tea was not as common as I thought it would be. Most is used for export to other parts of the world.

Ella is in the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country. The scenic Kandy to Ella train runs along hills dotted with tea plantations. This is where most of the Ceylon tea in the world comes from. The tea leaves are still picked by hand and If you come in the right time you will see the women carrying bags full of tea on their heads. 

However, this is just the beginning of how a cup of tea is made. Ella has several tea factories and some have opened up their doors to visitors with excellent tours that show you the process of how the tea leaves become the tea bags that we buy back home.

Some factories specialize in black tea while others specialize in green tea, because the production process is slightly different. During the tour you will learn a lot about tea and how they make the different varieties that we know about.

It makes you realize how much people and work is behind a cup of tea. At the end of the tours you can sample their tea’s and of course buy yourself some as a souvenir. The tea factories in Ella are probably the best place in Sri Lanka to drink and buy real quality Ceylon tea.

By Ellis from Backpack Adventures

6. Rawana Falls

Rawana falls is one of the epic things to do in Ella.

Sri Lanka has a signature of Ceylon tea, scenic train, beautiful forest, beaches, and the iconic Lion Rock Sigiriya. After climbing Sigiriya, visiting the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, we took a scenic train to Ella and walked through the Horton Plains. 

The temperature is generally lower in Sri Lanka Central Highlands. It was wonderful to escape the immense heat and enjoy the cooling breeze as we drove on the next day to the south. Before we descended and headed back to our next stop, the elephant trail in Udawalawa, we stopped by a natural attraction called the Rawana Falls.

The falls is located right on the side of the road, thus it’s a popular tourist spot in Ella. Cascading from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop, Rawana Falls is about 25-meters in height and one of the widest falls in Sri Lanka. Tourists could take a short walk down the rocks, get really close to the falls and feel the power of the tumbling water, especially in the wet season.

As part of the Rawana Ella Wildlife Sanctuary, the area also has a number of sights close by to explore if time allows. Like the Demodara Railway Station, Nine Arch Bridge, Diyaluma Falls, Dunhinda Falls, Dowa Temple, Ella Gap, Rawana Cave & Temple, and more.

As for us, we sat down on the balcony in the Mount Heaven Restaurant nearby the falls, had a cup of tea, and soak in the amazing view of the Little Adam’s Park on the other side.

By Kenny from Knycx Journeying

7. Dowa Rock Temple

Seeing the incomplete Buddha statue at Dowa rock is one of the things to do in Ella.

The Dowa Rock Temple lies just a few kilometres outside of Ella, on the road to Bandarawela, and should definitely be included in your Ella itinerary. This temple is roughly 2,000 years old and is believed to have been built on the orders of King Walagamba in the 1st century BC.

It’s one of many temples that he had built in this area while he took refuge here from foreign invaders. Walagamba was king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka, but just five months after taking the throne he was overthrown by an Indian invasion. Fourteen years later, he eventually defeated the invaders and regained his kingdom.

The main highlight of a visit to the Dowa Rock Temple is the huge Buddha statue carved into a granite boulder. This statue stands about 12 meters (39 feet) tall and is a fine example of Mahayana sculpture, even though it was never completed. 

Legend says that the King himself carved the statue and that the reason he didn’t finish it was because he had to flee suddenly from an enemy attack. Supposedly he disappeared through a secret tunnel that connected the temple with Ravana Cave, 11 kilometres away.

Nowadays, the statue has fallen into disrepair and is showing its age, but it’s an awe-inspiring sight nonetheless. While you’re here, also take a look inside the cave, which is decorated with wall paintings and more statues of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.

By Wendy from The Nomadic Vegan

Day Trips From Ella

While we spent a lot of time in the town, we did not really have a chance to take day trips from Ella. In order to make our guide to Ella more comprehensive we reached out to a couple of travel bloggers to fill in the blanks.

If you want to make Ella your base for a couple of days, you may want to look into these cool locations that you can head out to from there.

8. Explore The Quaint Mountain Village Of Haputale

Haputale is a great place for a day trip from Ella.

Haputale is a breath-taking village perched on the top of a high ridge right in the heart of tea country and is a must-see on any Sri Lanka travel itinerary. Situated along the famous Kandy to Ella train line, this little-known stop offers endless beauty and smiling faces. The town itself is a true gem and a welcomed relief from the hustle and bustle of Ella.

Start your day at the famed Lipton’s Seat for unbeatable views and tea. Hire a tuk-tuk driver to take you into Lipton’s Seat and hike your way through this magical landscape. Stop in the centre of town at the bakery for a delicious lunch of fresh samosas.

Wander your way through town, up the hill for more unbeatable views. It’s perfectly acceptable to walk through the tea plantations just outside of town. Sri Lankans are a friendly bunch, so don’t be shy when someone stops you on the road for a nice conversation.

Next, visit Bambarakande Falls, one of the easiest hikes in Sri Lanka that terminates at the tallest water fall on the teardrop island. Bring your bathing suit to swim at the bottom of the falls. Diyaluma Falls is another worthy stop if you would like to climb to the top and watch the water cascade below you.

Take a tuk-tuk or hop on the train to reach the beautiful town of Haputale. Keep in mind that Haputale has rather mild weather, with cool mornings and evenings, thanks to its higher elevation. Consider bringing a jacket for your day trip from Ella.

By Meg Atteberry from Fox In The Forest

9. Lipton’s Seat 

Lipton’s seat makes a great place for a day trip from Ella.

You simply can’t go all the way to Ella and miss out on visiting the iconic Lipton’s Seat. Lipton’s Seat is a viewpoint looking over the tea fields in central Sri Lanka. Not only is this a gorgeous scenic location, but it is also a place with a lot of history.

Lipton’s Seat got its name from Thomas Lipton, the man responsible for the international Lipton tea brand. Back in the day, Thoman Lipton had a home at the top of Lipton’s Seat and would often sit there watching all of the workers.

Back then, he owned the tea fields and production of the tea. Nowadays though, these tea fields are owned by Sri Lanka. However, the Lipton tea brand remains one of the biggest purchasers of the tea produced in this area.

If you want to visit Lipton’s Seat on a day trip from Ella, you have a couple of options for how to get there. The first and easiest option, would be to take an organized tour. These can be booked online in advance or right in Ella. This way, you don’t need to plan your own transport to anything, and your guide takes care of it all.

The cheapest option is to take public transport. This is a little bit time consuming and involves catching three different buses. Usually, this journey will take over 2 hours each way. Alternatively, just hire a tuk-tuk and get driven there and back, this is much more convenient than public transport and only slightly more expensive.

On your day trip to Lipton’s Seat, be sure to also stop at the Dambatenne Tea factory. This tea factory is just a couple kilometres down the hill from Lipton’s Seat and offers tours in English of the factory. Between enjoying the views, visiting the tea factory and exploring the tea fields, this day trip is sure to be a highlight of any Sri Lanka trip.

By Bailey from Destinationless Travel

10. Diyaluma Falls

Diyaluma falls is another great place for a day trip from Ella.

One of the best things to do while visiting Ella is to chase waterfalls. And while there are waterfalls close to town, it’s well worth making the trek out to Diyaluma falls. Diyaluma is about an hour outside of Ella.

If you don’t have your own vehicle you can hire a tuk-tuk driver from town. The driver should drop you off at the bridge below which is a good viewpoint to see the whole of Diyaluma falls.

From there you can walk about 10-15 minutes up towards the bottom falls. There you will find locals offering to guide you to the upper falls, but it is possible to get there on your own. The trek takes about an hour to the top and is challenging, as it’s a steep uphill walk along rubble. It takes about 45 minutes to get to the top.

It is truly worth the effort though as there are several gorgeous infinity pools at the top you can swim in. The views are stunning and you can see for miles in all directions at the top.

During mid-day the falls are busy but if you wait around you might have some pools all to yourself, as this was the case for us. Visiting Diyaluma falls was one of my best memories while visiting Sri Lanka!

By Lora from Explore With Lora

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