One of the places that absolutely amazed us is the town behind the nine mountains and the devatero tea plantations – Sri Lanka, Ella. We liked the fresh mountain air and good tea after the sweltering heat that we stayed there for almost a week. there are in the area Beautiful waterfalls, countless tea plantations and especially the beloved mountains. Where to look around, Where to stay in Ella and how to get there anyway?
Ella and why you simply have to visit her
Ella It is surrounded by mountains in which it is pleasant Cooler climate And most importantly, she is surrounded by a really by the beautiful and wild nature, which you can explore. Ella’s History is closely related to by the British colonial era, when the area became the center of the tea industry. The original inhabitants of this area were engaged in agriculture, but today they Almost everyone takes care of tea plantations.
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How to get to Ella
To Ella you can easily get by bus (practically from anywhere) or by train, which he rides Most tourists, because The ride itself is an experience. The route leads over endless tea plantations, dense forests and through valley, where you feel like Stopped time. You can get here by train from Kandy, Colomba, Peradeniya A Nuwara Eliya.
TIP: You can find the timetable from these cities Here.
Best Low-Cost Accommodation in Elle
Because we decided stay at Elle to extend, we were looking for several last-minute accommodations. and since We drive low-cost, we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on it when we spent whole days outside anyway. What accommodation in Elle Can we recommend?
- Ella Country House
- Misty Heaven
- Brisk Ella Retreat
What tea plantations does Sri Lanka offer
so that tea trees can grow well, need a little higher altitude (from 600 m above sea level). He mainly offers them here Sri Lanka’s Center, where both smaller and larger tea plantations on undulating hills hidden Among the larger mountains. Notwithstanding tea plantations You will see everywhere, In Elle, where all tourists go, You have a great opportunity to go through not only the plantations themselves, but to see also to factories for tea processing.
Excursions to tea plantations For us she was One of the most beautiful experiences in Sri Lanka. A guide was made for us by an elderly lady who was one of the best tea leaf pickers And during the excursion we could picking it yourself try.
Interesting things about growing tea trees
Ceylon Tea it belongs to the best quality black tea ever. Tea is madeí only from outer tea shoots, which have Highest content of requested substances (antioxidants, caffeine and polyphenols) and which are reaps by hand. daily here pickers (mostly women because men have a harder job) Must collect at least 20 kg of tickets, to receive a pay that is Approximately $3 per day.
Where to go on an excursion to see tea leaves
We can recommend youTea Factory Halpewatt, where they will guide you through the entire factory and production processes, show you tea plantations and explain what and how, and the whole excursion ends with a tea tasting. I really liked that you can try and touch everything, the guides will welcome all your questions (we had a lot of them) and then during the tasting You know exactly what you are trying, what each type of black tea contains and why.
We recommend going on an excursion in the morning to catch the tea processing at the factory. It will take you the whole morning and definitely Even small children can handle it.
Sri Lanka tea plantations are offered in the Nuwara Eliya and Ella areas, which are the nicest, but you can see the tea too in the area of Ratnapura and Kandy.
TIP: Do you prefer a cup of coffee? So take a look at Colombia with us for one of the best coffees in the world. We have for you 15 tips to see in ColombiaAnd where they have the most beautiful coffee plantations.
Nine Arch Bridge – Icon of all of Sri Lanka
In recent years he has become an icon of Sri Lanka The popular Nine Arch Bridge stone bridge, a nine-arched railway viaduct between Ella and Demodara stations, on which everyone wants to have a photo from a moving train. The bridge was built during colonization, without the use of steel – it is a purely stone structure. Below the bridge lie tea trees surrounded by mountains and jungle.
It is best to go here early in the morning or in the evening to avoid more tourists. It’s a beautiful spectacle, but be careful because There are wild wasps in the arches of the bridge!
When does a train pass through Nine Arch Bridge
Do you also want to take a photo of a train passing over this majestic bridge? in the direction To Ella According to the timetables, trains should pass at 6:33, 9:17, 11:50, 14:30 (over the weekend), 18:45. Vice versa From Ella Should the train pass here at 6:11, 12:56, 15:20, 17:23, 18:28.
RouteFrom Ella to Nine Arch Bridge Viewpoint
Ascent to Little Adam’s Peak (1151 m above sea level)
One of the popular mountain trips is Little Adam’s Peak (Not to confuse it with Adam’s Peak, which is a different and much higher mountain), where you can comfortably walk from Ella on the road towards Passara. The peak is freely accessible and Beautiful views of the waterfalls and the surrounding mountains (Ella Rock) await you at the top. Even children can easily come here, but the road is not suitable for strollers, nor is there a cable car. You will find the beginning of the trailHere:
If you are among the early birds, you can go there for sunrise or sunset. The trail is well marked everywhere, and a little below the summit there is also a larger resort where you can go on a zip line, for example. The road is safe, so you can go solo and I think the children will be able to do it just fine. It was such a pleasant walk for us.
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Exit to Ella Rock
If you’re looking for a bigger challenge, then Ella Rock is just right for you. This hike is more challenging, but the reward is all the sweeter. The path is not always well marked, so it is a good idea to have a map with you or join a local guide. The route can also start at Ella station, when the entire route is approximately 10 km long.
How to get to Ella Rock
If you start at Ella station, you will walk for about 40 minutes on the tracks to the Kithalella station. From there, continue on the tracks for another 5-10 minutes until you come across a rock marked with a blue arrow and the inscription ‘ELLA ROCK’. Turn left at this intersection. Then cross the footbridge along the path and after it go left at the crossroads and run up along the tea plantation. You will probably walk through the tall grass, which the locals do not deliberately maintain. Then you will have beautiful views.
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Rawana Falls Falls
About 6 km south of the village of Ella, the popular Rawana Falls are standing right next to the road. These are one of the highest waterfalls in Sri Lanka with a height of 25 m. They were named after the legendary King Ravan. The waterfalls are beautiful, but there are plenty of souvenirs, monkeys and a lot of people around them because they are very easy to get to. Anyway, if you have some time in Ella, it’s worth a look.
Nuwara Eliya – a piece of England in the middle of tea leaves
Do you want to travel in time? Then visit the village of Nuwara Eliya, where British elegance meets the wild beauty of tea plantations. This little piece of England will take you back to the times of British colonization. Here you will see narrow streets lined with stone houses and flower gardens, a golf course and a gloomy Mountain climate typical of England.
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The most frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Kde koupit čaj na Srí Lance?
Čaj na Srí Lance koupíte prakticky na každém rohu. Velký výběr a opravdu kvalitní čaje ale koupíte na tržištích nebo přímo v čajových továrnách, kde se čaj zpracovává jako třeba Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory ve městě Ella.
Srí Lanka Ella a co vidět?
Ella je horská vesnička obklopena čajovými plantážemi a krásnými horami. Mezi oblíbená místa, co vidět v Elle, patří jednoznačně čajová plantáž, kratší výšlap na Little Adam’s Peak a Ella Rock, Vodopády Rawana Falls a fenomenální Nine Arch Bridge.
Co se nesmí vyvážet ze Srí Lanky?
Dejte si pozor, ze Srí Lanky si nesmíte odvést drahé kovy (zlato, stříbro), drahé kameny, slonovinu, zbraně, návykové látky, zvířata ani rostliny.
Jak dlouho trvá cesta vlakem do Elly?
Pokud pojedete do Elly z města Kandy, cesta vám zabere zhruba 6 hodin. Doporučujeme si zakoupit lístek dopředu ve vyšší třídě, kde je klimatizace. Ve vlaku je možnost zakoupit si občerstvení. Cesta vám uteče rychle díky zážitkové jízdě skrze horské průsmyky, čajové plantáže a malé vesničky.
Resources
Sharmini, A.A. and Bandusena, P., 2020. Ecotourism influences on the Livelihood of local Community in Sri Lanka—with special reference to Ella. Journal of Tourism Economics and Applied Research, 4(2), pp.98-118.
Gayathri, P., Silva, D.S., Ganeshan, K., Erathna, B., Kulasekara, K.M.B.S.Y. And Werakotuwa, T., 2022. Employment issues in tea tourism: a way forward. in Routledge Handbook of Tea Tourism (pp. 146-153). Routledge.
Tsigkas, A., 2019. Tasting Ceylon Tea: Aesthetic Judgment Beyond “Good Taste”. Food, Culture & minis, 22(2), pp.152-167.