Ella is a small beautiful town to the south of Sri Lanka in the mountains, at an elevation of 1,041 meters (3,415 feet). It is a great place to explore the surrounding mountains and take in the beautiful views of the green valleys of Badulla. The weather is quite humid, with moderate air temperatures, sunny mornings, and often rainy afternoons. Ella rock is one of the must-see places in Ella town. It is a famous cliff, located high above Ella’s village, around 8 km (5 miles) from the center of town.
Trekkers are love this place. The climbing is a bit tiring, but the scenic beauty of the destination manages to forget all tiredness in a moment. The view of the clouds full of fog in the early morning and the late evening is fantastic. The total time it takes to climb up and down is about 4 hours. It is a long journey but the road there is full of variety. The sunrise over the mountains is amazing. So we recommend early morning to start the journey. Most people start climbing from Ella station but if you start it from the Kithal Ella station, you will save half an hour or more.
The Route to Ella
If you are just starting at the Ella train station, you will enjoy the train walk, and soon you will find climbing, waterfall, rubber tree forest, and tea plantations. If you starting from Kithal Ella station the locals will give you specific directions on how to get there and what not to take. (“Turn left on the railway station, pass the bo-gah, cross the canal, turn the bamboo and right. – Turn left into handiya. Follow the path all the way and turn left from the tea estate, and then turn right at the end of the estate. Finally, turn left at the hatharamang-handiya.”)
This roadmap is not 100% accurate and is written regarding road signs. Once your vertical climb is over, you reach a plateau where eucalyptus trees are sprinkled. Walkthrough this and you’ll be on the edge.
Take care of what you wear for the trip as it can be slippery on a rainy day. Wear something suitable for climbing. Ella is popular with many because of its echo-liveliness and calm-rural atmosphere. So help us protect the area by being responsible for your travel. Please make sure you don’t throw all those plastic bottles, food wrappers around here. Bring trash bags and pack everything you bring so you can dispose of it in the right place. The next time we visit this place, we can all be happy.
