Janet's Journal

The small town of Ella sits 1,040 metres above sea level towards the southern end of Uva Province.  It is blessed with stunning scenery, and plenty to see and do over a 2 or 3 night stay.

Normally bustling with visitors, it was strangely quiet.  Many of the bars, cafes restaurants and shops are closed waiting for better times and the return of tourists. 

This time I booked into a small guesthouse with the intention of exploring the area at leisure.  The first morning I woke up to clear blue skies.  Always mindful that the weather can change very quickly in the Hill Country I decided to set off early and see the sights.

Little Adam’s Peak

A reasonably easy climb, starting on a narrow road winding up through the rich green of a tea plantation with workers scattered among the plants.

A little further up is the starting point for the Flying Ravana Mega Zipline.  For those with more courage than me you can whiz down over 500 metres at maximum speeds of 80 kilometres per hour.

The way gets a bit harder from here on, uneven steps or just a rocky path wind up the mountain.  The view gets better and better.

Finally, arriving at the summit there is a small Buddha statue and shrine, the inevitable dog hoping to share a picnic and a man selling chilled bottles of water.

At 1,140 metres above sea level now is the time to really take in the breathtaking views of Ella Gap, Ella Rock and surrounding areas, hoping that the clouds don’t come down.

The way back down is quite easy although it can be slippery in places.  Altogether allow about 2 hours.

Ravana Falls

Drive south from Ella town down the winding mountain round and after about 7 kilometres you come to Ravana Falls.

One of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka, the water drops 82 metres.  Depending on the season it can be a modest amount or a rushing torrent coming over the road.

Ravana Cave

Coming from Ella take a right turn off the main road after about 4 kilometres.  It’s signposted to Ravana Ancient Temple and Ravana Cave.  Follow the track until you come to a small café at the beginning of the climb.  Just a small entrance fee of Rs300.

Most of the climb is uneven, concrete steps, some of the way has a handrail.  It’s cool and shady going up beside the rock. 

Legend says that 5,000 years ago King Ravana kidnapped Sita, the wife of Prince Rama of India.  He took her back to Lanka and hid her in the cave. She was eventually rescued and returned to Prince Rama by the monkey demigod Hanuman

Its interesting to note that evidence of prehistoric habitation of the cave has been found dating back 25,000 years.

Ravana Ella Ancient Temple

A short walk down the road past the cave climb is the rock temple.  Legend says it was built in 2^nd century BC by King Valagambahu.

The roof of the cave has paintings of circular patterns of lotuses, creeper and floral designs.  The sculptures inside are ancient but would appear to have been painted with modern day paint.

The inner walls and tiled canopy built to protect the cave have recently been restored.

Nine Arch Bridge

There are many different tracks leading down to this famous railway bridge between Ella and Demodara Stations.

Completed in 1923 the construction of the bridge is generally attributed to P K Appuhami, a local Ceylonese builder, in consultation with British engineers.  Local stories say that the steel for the bridge was diverted by the British for war related projects, resulting in work coming to a standstill. Not to be daunted the local workman built the bridge with stone bricks and cement.

A firm favourite for tourists and hugely popular for photoshoots, many people come here every day to walk along the railway track to the tunnel.  

Listen to the local traders near the track, they always know the train times and where the best views are of the bridge and trains.  Warnings are given in plenty of time for people to get off the track and bridge before the approach of a train.  

You can see the train slowly making its way round the hillside before (or after) crossing the bridge.

Ella Rock

Popular with more serious walkers and hikers Ella Rock reaches 1,360 metres above sea level.  The hike is a moderately difficult round trip of about 12 kilometres and takes on average 4 hours. 

The views from the top look out over the southern plains of Sri Lanka.

Food

Perched on the edge of the road about halfway between Ella and Ravana Falls is a local restaurant.  The rice and curry buffet was excellent, popular with local people it was a feast for Rs200 much better value than the more expensive restaurant a bit further down the road frequented by driver/guides.

There is a multitude of different eating and drinking places throughout the centre of Ella.  At the moment only a limited number of places are open.  As tourism restarts then more will open up again.

The Rotty Hut halfway along the main street offered huge portions of noodles, fried rice, devilled meat for very cheap prices.  The shop front serves short eats, roti and kotthu.  Inside is a small supermarket selling essentials and a pharmacy.