Ella - the Hill Country

Hi All,

Sri Lanka is becoming more beautiful by the day! We took another train journey from Kandy to Ella. This journey is said to be one of the most beautiful in the world. It’s true. The train is pretty slow; not great for locals but perfect to indulge in the breathtaking views. We passed men and women picking Britain’s much loved brew from the tea plantations that covered the hills either side of the tracks. These went on for miles and the mountains seemed never ending in the distance. We passed over Nine Arch Bridge as we closed in on the town of Ella. We later returned to this landmark to catch sight of the train crossing from the outside this time.

The hill country town of Ella has a main road with a few tourist restaurants and then just homestays and scenery. Our homestay was with a young couple and their daughter; located a 25 minute walk from town in the middle of nowhere but with a view to die for. From our wooden balcony in the trees we could see into the valley; Little Adam’s Peak on one side and Ella rock on the other. A perfect spot for a cup of tea (and a beer or two). Our host also made us delicious home cooked Sri Lankan dinners and breakfasts which we enjoyed in the tranquil setting.

One evening we did make our own dinner though at a cooking class in the town centre. We enjoyed cooking in a professional kitchen for the first time and even served some of our dishes to paying customers! With the chef’s help we made 9 different dishes including a coconut banana curry (Ross’ favourite), Sri Lankan fish curry (Danielle’s favourite) and many accompaniments! Afterwards we sat down to enjoy the fruits of our labour - it was quite a feast.

All the amazing food we were eating had to be burned off somehow and that was with 5am hikes each morning. Alarm set we walked up ‘Little Adam’s Peak’ for dawn on our first morning. This hill gets its name from the larger mountain of a similar shape 40km East (read on to hear about our climb of it’s big brother). It was a short walk up but with almighty views of the valley below. The following day we hiked up Ella rock. This was a much more challenging walk through forests and over grown tea plantations where we turned the wrong way several times. When we reached the top the views were slightly obscured by the clouds that had started to roll into the valley but still of course spectacular. From the top we could see Ella Falls and Ravana Falls, two stunning waterfalls; the later of which we visited that afternoon.

While in the highlands, home of Sri Lankan tea, we couldn’t miss a visit to a factory. It was amazing to have a tour and learn about which leaves they pick and the processes they go through to make the perfect cuppa. The machinery was impressive but of course the best bit was the sampling. Ross has even now turned to a tea drinker, although I dare say that will change when presented with Vietnamese coffee in a few weeks!

If we thought 5am was early, this was nothing as we woke to our 2am alarm to climb Adam’s Peak (the big one). We had arrived via yet another beautiful train journey the previous evening and had managed to catch a few hours sleep. Armed with bananas, Sri Lankan pancakes and rice hoppers we began the walk in the middle of the night. The path was slightly lit by the moonlight (just a day away from a full moon) but we still needed torches to guide our way. The 4 hour climb up 5,500 steps in the dark was even less less fun than it sounds. When we got to the top, we were expecting a rocky outcrop to sit on but were instead met by an old monastery and concrete seating area (rammed with other walkers). The sunrise itself was beautiful and turned the sky a bright orange, just a shame we couldn’t enjoy it in a more idyllic setting. The walk down was nicer as the view above other mountains highlighted how seriously high we were. Next time, we think we’ll stick to sunsets, at a more sociable hour!

Our next stop is Udawalawe National Park - home to over 500 elephants! To say Danielle is excited would be an understatement. Drop us an email or message to keep us updated on life at home and the chilly English November!

Love R and D xxx