This blog post is about Sri Lankas highlands around the cities of Ella and Haputalé. You should read on if your heart beats for tea plantations, hiking through cloud forests in lush mountains or going down fast on a mega zip line.
Ella: vibrant hub for backpackers and nature lovers
From Kandy to Ella you can either take a train which takes about 7 hours or go by taxi in 4 hours. Either way is an impressive ride as one crosses into the Sri Lankan highlands, which are the areas rising above 1000 m above sea level. If you choose to go by taxi like we did be aware that the distance is a seemingly endless stretch of curves. When we finally reached Ella at 9 pm we were all dizzy and our little one had thrown up 7 minutes before we have reached there.
Ella is a favorite destination for backpackers and nature lovers, a must see for every adventurer at heart visiting Sri Lanka. Two things surprised me about Ella. Firstly, the climate. When we reached the city the car thermometer displayed 16 degrees Celsius, which is a noticeable drop from Kandy where we started with 26 degrees. The wonderful hosts of our holiday home at Ella Rockland greeted us wearing wool hats.
Second thing noteworthy about Ella is the vibe. Although it is a fairly small mountain village (one can easily walk from one end to the other in ca. 15 minutes), there is a scene. „Downtown“ are bars and restaurants, some playing live music. The places we have visited so far in Sri Lanka were often pretty void of western travel folks. When visiting touristic hot spots this was welcome as it gave us more room for ourselves but at bars and restaurants it felt sometimes strange to be the only customers. Ella was the first town we visited which was packed.
What to do in Ella?
Visit the Halpé Tea factory
Tea from the highlands is the most important economic pillar alongside tourism in Sri Lanka. The name „Ceylon tea“ is still today – decades after the transformation of the Kingdom of Ceylon into the Republic of Sri Lanka – a standard term for excellent and diverse highland teas.
If the world drinks tea, that’s good for Sri Lanka. And if the world wants to see how tea is grown and processed, then you should visit one of the many tea factories. One which we can recommend is the Halpé Tea factory at Ella.
9-arches bridge
Probably one of the most photographed landmarks in Ella, the 9-arches bridge is a piece of beautiful architecture built by the British. The bridge is somewhat hidden in the jungle and surrounded by tea fields. You can reach it from Ella town in about 10 minutes by tuktuk plus a 15 minutes walk on a jungle trail. Trains pass the bridge about 6 times a day. The exact times are subject to change. When we got there for the 2:30 pm train leaving Ella to Kandy it had an hour delay. You can spend that time easily by walking across the bridge. No worries, it´s allowed.
Flying Ravana mega zip line
If you are craving for a little adrenalin kick, the Flying Ravana mega zip line will satisfy your needs. Located along the trail to Little Adams Peak, it is Sri Lankas first, longest and fastest zip line speeding you up to 80 km/h. The GPS in my GoPro action camera measured 65,6 km/h (41 mph).
To get your kicks you must take a 10 minutes tuktuk ride from Ella and then continue walking around 30 minutes on a trail from where you have beautiful views to Ella rock on the other side of the valley. Along the way are vendors selling coconuts. At the ticket booth foreigners pay 20 EUR for the fun, you are weighted and your zip line gear is fitted to your body by the Flying Ravana staff. Everything is very professional, the gear is up to market standards. Is it worth the money? I think so. But watch yourself.
Ravana Falls
When you travel towards the coast, Ravana Falls is on the way, about 6 km outside of Ella. The waterfalls which are said to be the widest in Sri Lanka are definitely worth a stop. There is a secret pool where you can take a bath.
Where to eat in Ella
There are plenty of options to eat in Ella. These are the places we can recommend.
Cafe Chill
Great and stylish spot to eat. Different from what the name suggest this place rather is a restaurant but they make good coffee here too. There is good music, the staff is very engaged and the food comes quickly. The quality of food is above the average. Their fish and chips are to die for. If you sit nearby the roadside it can be noisy but they have an upper deck which is the best spot to be seated and enjoy the food.
Cafe UFO
The design of the place reminds of a flying saucer, indeed. The architecture is dominated by wooden beams. There is great music and a laid back atmosphere. Upstairs you can sit on cushion seats. We came here for drinks. The Pina Coladas were made with cream from buffalo milk so the taste turned out different from what we expected.
Kottu: Sri Lankas popular street food
Kottu, sometimes spelled Kothu means „chopped“ and is considered the most popular Sri Lankan street food. You can find the dish on almost each menu card and it is served on food stalls in Ella as well. When I first tried it I couldn´t quite guess what the main ingredient is. It has the consistency of cabbage but tasted liked noodles. Later, I figured out it´s Roti bread. It is served with veggies (onions, leek, cabbage) and optionally with chicken, eggs or soft cheese. The outstanding thing about Kottu-making is the sound the cook makes when he prepared the dish using two metal spatulas to mix and cut the stuff on the griddle with a rhythmic beat. Every cook has his own personal rhythm.
Where to sleep in Ella
We have chosen to stay at a homestay called Ella Rocklands located nearby Kumbalwela junction ca. 3,5 km outside of Ella. The hosts were super friendly and helpful. They gave us maps and other info material to get to know the area, cooked dinner for us when we arrived late and provided transportation to Ella when we needed it. The rooms were very clean. Breakfast was served on a terrace, we got fresh fruits, eggs and pancakes with chocolate sauce. This place is a very good deal for your money.
Haputalé
Compared to Ella, Haputalé is more laid-back and less touristy. For people who seek to explore the Horton Plains National Park or climb on Adam’s Peak this town is a good hub.
What to do in Haputalé
Lipton’s seat
We left Ella at 4:30 am to watch the sunrise from „Lipton´s seat“, one of Sri Lanka’s most impressive viewpoints. The place was named after Sir Thomas Lipton who has loved to come to this lookout point and for whom a memorial has been erected there. It shows the British founder of the trademark „Lipton“ sitting while holding a cup of tea. From Lipton’s seat you can have a stunning view of surrounding mountains and reservoirs. Clouds might fog the views at times. We advice to ask the locals about the expected weather conditions. They´ll know better than the well known weather websites. There is a basic tea stall which serves breakfast, with tea of course. A final advice: bring some extra warm clothes, it gets quite chilly in the morning.
Walk through Dambatenna Estate tea plantations
From Lipton’s Seat you can walk through the tea plantations of Dambatenna Estate. It takes about 1 hour to walk down a winding road to the tea factory. We were daring and cut short using the paths of the tea pickers. Once you get closer to the tea factory your chances increase to watch people harvesting tea. On the way we crossed a village of Tamils where we saw several Hindu shrines. People were very open and friendly waving at us. We were invited to visit the local Kindergarden.
Adisham Bungalow
Build as a cottage for British aristocrat Sir Thomas Villiers, a descendant of the Dukes of Bedford, the place it is nowadays a monastary of the Benedectines. You have to pay a fee to get in and visit the house. Honestly, the place is not really worth a visit. There is a small shop which sells jam, I suppose made by the monks.
Walking on the train tracks
From Adisham Bungalow to Haputalé train station you can walk along train tracks. The hike takes about 45 minutes. When mist blows in from the surrounding mountains it feels nice as it cools down the temperature on the tracks but it also makes the walk more dangerous as nearing trains are more difficult to spot. On the way in the grass leeches live. I felt something sting my ankle when I realized I got bitten by one. I was able to pull the leech off my skin. Luckily, we have brought some band aid to protect the wound from getting infected.
Train ride in the Sri Lankan Highlands
Riding a train through the tea plantations in the Sri Lankan highlands is something we had looked for as it is said to be one of the best ways to experience the beauty of the area. We have aimed to take the train back from Haputale to Ella. We had missed the one leaving at 11.13 am and when we turned up for the one at 1:56 pm they told it is delayed for 2 hours. So we ended up going back by tuktuk.
Tip: Reserve the Viceroy train or the observation train ahead of time! Unfortunately, it’s not as romantic as it looks on most Instagram pictures. The trains are popular and the classes that do not require reservation are filled by the locals. A long train ride while standing can quickly become uncomfortable.
Useful link to the online Time table of the Sri Lankas Railway.
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