Ella Travel Guide

Ella (also spelt 'Elle') is a beautiful small town on the southern edge of Sri Lanka's Hill Country. It is popular with tourists and makes a great base from which to explore the surrounding countryside. It's in the middle of beautiful countryside, with small vegetable plots in the valleys, tea plantations on the hill slopes and forests on the tops. The climate throughout most of the year is typical of the high Hill Country, with a hot sun by midday, but a moderate air temperature. It will often rain in the afternoon, but only for an hour or so. A sweatshirt, or light jacket is needed at night. In December it can rain a lot! Heavy rain can cause tea harvesting to be suspended, dirt trails can turn to mud, and the emergence of leaches on greenery including along hiking paths and in tea plantations. There's not much to do in Ella itself, and it gets quite busy with tourists, especially along the main street. The centre of town (predictably named Ella Rd) is a combination of shops, lots o

Ella is a few stops from Badulla at the end of the railway line that snakes through the Hill Country. Three day trains and one night train leave from Colombo via Kandy daily, taking 9-10 hours. Fares are cheap (2nd class LKR 900, 3rd class LKR 440 as of 2025) and the views are particularly spectacular. It's usually no problem getting a seat in 2nd/3rd class (seating is unreserved) goingtoColombo or Kandy, as the trains from Badulla are quite empty until reaching Nanu Oya. However, getting a seat

There are plenty of tuk-tuks around, but the best way to get around is to rent a scooter- most guest houses do this. Online carhire services exist such asElla Taxi Service.

There are a number of cheap guest houses scattered around town.