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Ella
Ella is a scenic town about 200 km east of Colombo. It's elevation is at 1041 meters above sea level so it has a cooler climate than most of the country. Near Ella you'll find lush hills filled with tea plantations, cloud forests, waterfalls and a variety of flora and fauna. Aside from the sights to see in and around Ella the train ride here from Kandy is also very memorable and should be on anyones Sri Lanka itinerary. Sometimes it's referred to as the most beautiful train ride in the world. I'll mention some of my favourite things to do in Ella as well as my experience on the train from Kandy.
One of the more scenic hikes in the area is Little Adam's Peak. It's a relatively simple hike which shouldn't take more than 30 minutes each way. A lot of the path in paved or is made of steps. It's offers some great views of the town and the lush rainforest surrounding it. You can either rent a motorbike from your accomodation or get a tuk tuk to drop you off at the entrance. When I visited there was a nice restaurant overlooking Little Adam's peak where you can stop either before or after your hike.
The 9 Arches Bridge located near Ella was constructed in the countries colonial era and is one of the best examples of the colonial era railway construction in the country. It's just outside of Ella and is easy to get to by motorbike or tuk tuk. It's a short hike down to the bridge from the main road once you arrive at the starting point for the hike to the bridge. It took about 15 minutes if I recall and should be doable for most levels of fitness. There are many coconut vendors near the bridge so you can buy a coconut and take in the views of the rainforest and tea plantations. You can walk across the bridge as much as you'd like however watch out because trains still pass over the bridge a few times per day. If this happens as you can imagine everyone must get out of the way.
The Ravana Falls are another nice spot to visit near the town that doesn't require too much trekking. In fact you just drive down to the falls and they are found just steps away from the road. Many locals (and some tourists) go swimming here. The falls are about 25 meters tall and they cascade from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop. The falls have been named after the legendary king Ravana. There's a story that he kidnapped princess Sita and had her hidden in the caves behind these waterfalls. The reason for the kidnapping is said to be exact revenge for slicing off the nose of his sister by Rama (husband of Sita) and his brother Laxmana.
On the main road of Ella you'll find a large variety of restaurants, cafes and tea houses. Some memorable dishes to try here (or anywhere in Sri Lanka) are deviled chicken and rotti. There are some restaurants with really laid back vibes like cafe chill which is a nice place to hang out on bean bag chairs. As Ella is a major tourism destination in the country there are also many western style restaurants serving a variety of food from burgers to pizza to fish and chips. You should definitely visit a tea house in Ella. The laid back atmosphere of the town and the fact that so much of the tea is grown in this region makes it a meaninful experience.
In my opinion the best way to get to Ella is to take the train there from Kandy. The other alternative is to take the train from Ella to Kandy depending on your travel route. Mine happened to be from Kandy to Ella. This train ride pases through what seems like endless rolling hills with tea plantations, mountains, valleys, forests and towns. I can certainly say it's one of the two most scenic train rides I've taken (the other one was from Amsterdam to Milan through France and Switzerland). I was able to buy a ticket online well in advance but paid probably 15 usd when at the station itself they cost far less. However, buying the tickets beforehand can give you peace of mind as the train does seem to get fairly crowded. Aside from the beautiful sights I spent lots of time conversing with friendly locals and tourists as well as trying snacks sold by vendors such as pakora and samosas. If I remember correctly the train ride took about 8 hours. It's certainly worth leaving early if possible so you can do this train ride during the daytime. There are also options for arriving at Ella from all over the country such as renting a car, geting a driver or taking a private or public bus.
