Friday, April 5 – Sunday, April 7
So far, my journey in Sri Lanka hasn’t felt “touristy” at all. Of course, the safari guests were only tourists and Mirissa had a fair amount of surfer-tourists, but compared to most vacations, the saturation of tourism is pretty low, especially as an American. I don’t think I’ve met (or even overheard) more than 3 or 4 other Americans total since I’ve been here! Apparently Sri Lanka is quite the untapped gem for the American tourism market!
But Ella is definitely a tourist town, and with good reason. It’s high in the mountains and home to cloud forests and tea plantations which make for breathtaking photos. Instagrammers love it.
When my buddy Ranjith dropped me at Coconut Gardens, he expressed interest in coming back to pick me up in Tissa and drive me to Ella! So we negotiated a price and he returned on Friday morning in his tuk tuk to drive me up into the mountains! The journey was slow but that was part of the magic. It took us about 2.5 hours to travel 90 km, but we stopped along the way for many photo opportunities AND Ranjith bought me a coconut! Gotta stay hydrated!
Views from the tuk tuk driving up to Ella
I did my second homestay in Ella and from the reviews, people had advised that it was a bit difficult to find and the road was a steep and tricky. Ranjith was up for the challenge and we were able to find the lovely Hill Forest Cottage after a few back and forth efforts. What a view! What a place! Ella surely is magical! Below is a photo of my breakfast spread the first morning I woke up at this gorgeous homestay!
The following day I did a full day tuk tuk tour around Ella. We stopped at a tea factory and I did a very informative tour, we went to the famous Nine Arches Bridge just in time to see a train pass over, I hiked up the Mini Adams Peak for spectacular view of the region, saw a giant waterfall, and then we headed into the main town for late lunch and some browsing around.
Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory
Nine Arches Bridge
Views from hiking up to Mini Adam’s Peak
After two wines with my lunch, my waiter had peaked my interest about a local man across from the restaurant who is a snake charmer. I hate snakes, but felt I had to see this for myself. Terrifying and mesmerizing all at once!
My time in Ella was brief but I really feel like I took advantage of my day there doing the tuk tuk tour. I saw all the high points and still allowed for relaxation and enjoyment of my beautiful homestay location. This is a place I would definitely like to return and spend some more significant time!
Where's Lindsey? 