Day 6, 7 – 2 nights Chill Ville, View Point Hotel
Ella is a small town 200 km east of Colombo and 55kn southeast of Nuwara Eliya. It is at an elevation of 1,041 metres (3,415 ft) above sea level. and surrounded by hills covered with tea plantations. It has a cool climate just like Nuwara Eliya.
- Scenic Train Ride from Nuwara Eliya to Ella
- Ella, View Point Hotel
- Nine Arch Bridge
- Little Adam’s Peak
- Town of Ella
Scenic Train Ride – The 3-hour train ride from Nuwara Eliya to Ella is one of the most scenic in Sri Lanka and a popular one among tourists.
The train journey allowed us to appreciate the natural beauty of Sri Lanka. You get lovely views of hills, valleys, tea estates, and a couple of waterfalls. Our tour guide had reserved 2nd class tickets scheduled to leave at 12pm, but it left at about 12:40pm. The train carriage was half empty and we were able to move around from one side to other to check out the scenery, and you can stand near the door and hang out too.
Note – The first class ticket has seats facing the front and you don’t get a great view of all sides. Also one cannot look out from the door which remains shut.
Ella, View Point Hotel – The train reached Ella after 3pm and Dushan was waiting to pick us up as he had driven from Nuwara Eliya to Ella. The hotel we stayed in Ella was on the outskirts at an elevation of 3600 feet and in the middle of what looked like a rain forest with gorgeous view of the surrounding hills. We could see the scenery sitting on our bed. The hotel had only 7 rooms in all. We ordered some snacks and tea and just relaxed in the scenic surroundings for the rest of the day.
Nine Arch Bridge – The next day morning after breakfast, we first visited the famous Nine Arch Bridge. Also called the Bridge in the Sky, this is a viaduct bridge built during the colonial-era. Completed in 1919, and built entirely by local labor under British supervision, the bridge has since stood resilient, showcasing innovative engineering solutions. From the parking lot, it is a 0.4 mile trek downhill to the bridge. The way back is a steep climb uphill, with an elevation gain of 210 feet. In the hot and humid weather, the trek uphill was moderately difficult.
The place was swarming with people, walking on the bridge or waiting for the 10AM train to make its appearance. We decided to walk on the bridge while waiting for the train. It finally made its appearance and was thankfully only 15 min late.
Little Adams Peak – The trailhead to this peak is less than 2 km from the Nine Arch Bridge. At a height of 1141m this mountain peak got its name from the larger Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) in central Sri Lanka. It is lot easier and faster to climb this peak than its big brother Adam’s Peak near Nuwara Eliya, which is at a height of 2243m.
The round trip to Little Adam’s Peak and back was 1.6 miles from the parking lot and back. There are about 315 steps to the top with an elevation gain of 385 feet. There is also a zip line – Flying Ravana – and a large cafe near the area where the steps to climb the peak starts. Once you reach the top, there are a couple of viewpoints to explore. Plan on spending at least 2 hours here.
Town of Ella – After our morning visits, we stopped by in the small town of Ella for lunch. There is not much to see here, just one main road with hotels, shops, and restaurants.
Hiking Ella Rock – This hike is a little more challenging than Little Adam’s Peak hike and takes about 3-4 hours depending on how many times you stop and how long you spend at the top. It starts off relatively easy and mostly flat, and begins to climb towards the end. Considering the view from the top would be similar to the one from Little Adam’s Peak, we skipped this hike and relaxed in our hotel for the rest of the day.