Ella is a small town located in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. It was nice being in cooler temperatures. There was no shortage of restaurants and cafes.
How did we get here? Our hotel in Mirissa arranged a driver for us. First he stopped at his brother's fruit stand and gave us fresh watermelon. It was delicious but filled with seeds. We had fun tossing the rinds out to a nearby cow to eat. We stopped a Uda Walawe National Park where a Jeep was waiting to take us on a safari. Our driver went with us and told us this was his first safari. I think he had more fun than we did. It was dark by the time we arrived in Ella.
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| A highway sign we've never seen |
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| Our Safari Ride |
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| Best pic ever! |
What did we do? Hired a tuk tuk to visit Nine Arches Railroad Bridge. We managed to accidentally time our visit to see the train cross the bridge. We liked our driver and asked if he would take us to Rawana and Secret Falls. Jackpot for him! He was really nice and super laid back.
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| I should have tied her down! |
Secret Waterfall -- it really was secret. Thank goodness we had a guide.
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| Part of the trail 👣 |
While on our tuk tuk adventure, we saw all the same animals we had seen on our safari except for a peacock 🦚.
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| A responsible monkey using the crosswalk |
Our primary reason for traveling to Ella was to take the train to Nuwara Eliya. This 62 km ride is supposed to be the most scenic stretch on the island. It was definitely a beautiful ride! We booked our tickets, first class observation car, weeks in advance. One of the fun things to do is hang out the door. Of course we had to do it although a bit more careful than our younger travelers.
Where did we stay? BBQ Hub. Not sure how it got the name because they did not serve bar-b-que or any food other than breakfast. It was a nice room with a jungle view and the staff were great!
Where did we eat? Cafe Chill. Our server was so awesome and fun! He was very attentive and stopped by several times to make sure everything was good. We rarely get 'Western' service anywhere.
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| Server showing me how to unwrap dinner |
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| Lumprais Banana leaf wrapped treat comprised of chicken curry, deep fried boiled egg, brinjal, potato, rice |
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| Chicken Schnitzel |
When did we visit? March 22 - 24, 2023
In conclusion, Ella is a small town with a rich history and breathtaking scenery. Whether you are interested in hiking, history, or just relaxing, Ella has something to offer.
“When dealing with complex transportation issues, the best thing to do is pull up with a cold beer and let somebody else figure it out.” ~Anthony Bourdain (This was never more true than in SE Asia)
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