I’ll keep the introduction short – especially for those who’ve been following my 7-day Sri Lanka solo female backpacker story! If you want to read things in order, my very first stop in Sri Lanka was at Colombo, followed by Ella (blog below) as my second stop

Table of Contents

• Choosing between Ella and Nuwara Eliya
• How to get to Ella
• What to do in Ella

Should I go to Ella or Nuwara Eliya?

Adding this in because I struggled with this question myself, and therefore want to provide my 2-cents as to why I chose Ella over Nuwara Eliya

If you’re only interested in moving to a colder climate location, then either works; but in terms of the actual sightseeing available – Ella and Nuwara Eliya are vastly different (in my opinion)

Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is perfect for those who want to escape the heat and experience the cold brrrr. At 2,000 meters above sea level, it can get cold here indeed – so pack up your sweaters and jackets! Aside from that, Nuwara Eliya is also home to Lake Gregory, a beautiful reservoir in the heart of the tea country. For enthusiastic hikers, Nuwara Eliya is also typically the starting point for those hoping to visit Horton Plains (National Park, which includes World’s End) and Adam’s Peak (sunrise hiking)

Ella

Ella, on the other hand, is still cold but slightly less so at 800 meters altitude – no need for air conditioners here either! What Ella has to offer though are two hikes perfect for solo travelers (Little Adam’s Peak and Ella’s Rock), as well as the famed Nine Arches Bridge (beautiful photos galore)

Scenic train ride

In terms of the scenic train ride, the Nuwara Eliya to Ella train ride is considered to be one of the most (if not the most) scenic train rides globally. Eliya to Kandy is pretty as well, but nothing compares to Eliya to Ella (from personal experience!)

My decision: Ella

Personally, I really wanted to do World’s End and Adam’s Peak – which would’ve placed Nuwara Eliya on top of my list. However, as a solo female traveler, I realized I felt a bit iffy about hiking up Adam’s Peak in the dark during the off-peak season (I could die out there with no one knowing until the morning!!), and hiring a van to bring me to World’s End would’ve been quite pricey if I didn’t have anyone to split with

In the end, I chose to do Ella because of my solo traveler status vs because I preferred the sights in one over the other (difficult to compare!) If you’ve got the time though, and are more adventurous than me, please feel free to do both!!

How to get to Ella?

The two most popular options to get to Ella (assuming you’re coming from Colombo, Kandy, or Nuwara Eliya) are via train and car

Train

I cannot emphasize how important it is you take the train ride from Nuwara Eliya to Ella. Maximize this opportunity – the train ride is fabulous and has been consistently voted the most scenic train rides in the world!

If you’re keen to do so, I suggest you either:

• Book online (at least ~30-45 days before) via this link or via your travel agency
• Book on the spot at the Colombo train station (but do this fast, aka as soon as you land in Colombo!). Just head to the reservations office (labelled counter 17) and inform them which route you want to take

Before booking, familiarize yourself with the train route timetables, then decide what type of seat you want to book. Note that if you’re booking in advance, you can only do so for reserved seats (which essentially means you’re guaranteed a seat). Unreserved seat tickets don’t run out (which is great if you’re following a strict schedule and need to get somewhere, not so great because there’s a high chance you’ll be standing the entire trip)

Here’s a shot that shows the ungodly struggle of waking up at 5AM to buy tickets (because I didn’t buy online and had run out of reserved seating)

For detailed timetables and explanation regarding Sri Lanka train travel, I highly recommend Seat 61 – which was my “Bible” when planning out my transportation in Sri Lanka

Car

Given all the benefits espoused above regarding train travel, why bother with cars? Well, for one – train travel is ridiculously slow. For example, my Colombo to Ella train took NINE HOURS (well, more like 10.5 hours since it was delayed); and delays are pretty common for trains – so please take that into account when booking. Car travel will definitely be a lot faster . I know lots of folks who took the train going up to Ella, then took a car back to Colombo so they wouldn’t miss their flight home

The other obvious reason is convenience and comfort. Nothing beats traveling in a car, which allows you to move at your own pace – where you can put your feet up, sleep lying down, stop for bathroom breaks or photo breaks. Your time is yours, your money isn’t – be prepared to shell out more for a car than a train

What to do in Ella

A lot of backpackers can spend upwards of four days in Ella, and I never really understood why (while planning). After spending time in Ella though, I get it now. It really feels like an idyllic small town, still on the cusp of commercialization, and surrounded by glorious nature all-around. No wonder people get sucked in and end up staying for much longer than expected

For me though, I had a strict schedule to follow, so all I really could afford was 1.5 days in Ella (which was more than enough if you just want to hit the scenic spots!)

My travel itinerary was simple

• Day 1: Essentially, I arrived around ~5PM (train was late), rushed to check in at my homestay, then rushed to get to Rawana Falls
• Day 2: Woke up at 7AM to start the hike up Ella’s Rock, chilled by the Nine Arches Bridge afterwards, then capped off the day with a mini-hike up Little Adam’s Peak
• Day 3: Woke up bright and early for my 6:40AM train to Kandy

And, that’s basically it! Ok, just kidding – read on below for more detailed thoughts on what can be found in Ella

Rawana Falls

Sri Lanka has over a hundred waterfalls, all beautiful I’m sure; but this is the falls to check out if you’re at Ella or Nuwara Eliya (convenient eh?). Considered to be one of the widest waterfalls in the country (I have no idea how they figured this out), Rawana Falls is a sight to behold! You can even choose to swim in the teensy weensy pools created by the falls itself

To get here, you can go via tuk tuk or via bus. Because I am a total cheapskate, I took the bus option. Essentially, I just went out to the “main” road and asked every bus passing by – “Rawana Falls”? FINALLY, a bus conductor nodded and I hurried up the steps, paid the LKR 20 fee (for 6 km, so cheap!), then realized I had essentially paid for a roller coaster ride! Not for the faint-hearted or for those prone to motion sickness, the bus driver expertly weaved in an out of the winding road, clinging to the edges of the mountain with barely a hair’s breadth to spare (not to mention coming face-to-face with another speeding bus heading straight towards you, only to veer off a millisecond after!!!) A true adventure to be sure

Heading back, you can either take the bus again (although be prepared to wait), or take your tuk tuk (or one of the tuk tuk for hire – which I did for LKR 100) back!

Ella’s Rock

Ella’s Rock is a strenuous hike – emphasis on the strenuous, especially for unfit office workers like me! To prepare for your hike, make sure to wear proper rubber shoes, bring at least 1 Liter of water, a cap to serve as shade from the sun, and a “I CAN DO IT” attitude!!!

So, I set off from my homestay at 7AM and started walking the tracks that would bring me to Ella’s Rock. The route is extremely scenic, so would suggest you stretch out your muscles here. Just keep your eyes peeled for the sounds of incoming train – don’t worry, you’ll have enough warning and you can step to the side as the train passes by!

If you’ve got knees / joints problem, I’d self-assess and decide if this hike is for you. It’s not dangerous per se, but it can get a bit tricky at certain parts. If unsure, you can always head over to Little Adam’s Peak which is an easier climb, and has a pretty nice view as well!

For those who’ve decided to say yes to this adventure, don’t worry – you can totally do it on your own! No need for a guide either, I just followed Gap Year Escape’s SUPER HELPFUL trail guide. When going back down, I suggest you just take the same route back! I met a new friend while at the peak, and we decided to explore and try a different route down – not our smartest decision. We ended up kind of lost in the wilderness, walking around and around the mountain (always downwards), meeting a few friendly Sri Lankans on a picnic (who couldn’t speak English but seemed to indicate we were going the right way) and a few not-so-friendly cows who weren’t keen to share their space with these foolish travelers

If you say yes though, you’ll be rewarded by this wonder view, but more importantly, a story to share via Instagram (just kidding!) Most importantly, a sense of pride knowing you’ve scaled up this treacherous hike all on your own #GirlPower

Nine Arches Bridge

Ok, what’s so special about Nine Arches Bridge? Aside from it being beautiful located as it is in the midst of a dense but very lush jungle, it’s also a 20^th century engineering marvel! Built entirely from rocks, bricks, and cement with nary a steel or metal found across its entire structure. Supposedly the bridge was commissioned right before World War 1 broke out – therefore the steel and metal materials to be used for the bridge had to be reassigned for military purposes. To ensure the construction pushed through, a Sri Lankan came forward and proposed to build the bridge with no metal support!

To appreciate the bridge at its best, I suggest you ask the train station for the schedule so you know when and where to position yourself just as the train passes by! Do keep in mind that trains in Sri Lanka are typically late… so 1PM, can become 2:30PM. In my case, I arrived an hour late (due to the Ella’s Rock detour) and was sure I had missed the train. Lo and behold, the train was later than me!

You can easily walk from Ella’s Rock to Nine Arches Bridge, essentially just back trace your steps and walk back through the train tracks – but walk past the train station as the Nine Arches Bridge is a bit further out. If you’re too tuckered out from the climb, you can opt to hire a tuktuk as well

Little Adam’s Peak

To cap off the day, time to hike up Little Adam’s Peak, which is essentially a nice walk up, with just one part where you kind of have to stretch your legs a bit. Once at the top, you’ll get a Buddha and a lovely view of Ella’s Rock as your welcoming committee!

Again, the Little Adam’s Peak starting point is a ~10 minutes walk from the town center, but you can opt to take a tuktuk as well

All in all, Ella was definitely worth the trip! If I had the time though, I would’ve loved to go to Horton Plains and Adam’s Peak as well. Next up: Kandy

If you wish to follow me on my 10-day Sri Lanka solo female backpacker journey, do check out my other blog posts as well:

• Sri Lanka Travel Guide for first-time travelers
• Start and end of trip: Colombo (includes day trip suggestions)
• Former capital of Sri Lanka: Kandy
• Cultural Triangle: Sigiriya and Dambulla
• Beach-y wonder: Trincomalee

My schedule over the entire 10 days was essentially as follows: