Tourist Places To Visit In Ella

Located in Sri Lanka, Ella is a traveler’s heaven and a place blessed with nature’s beauty, resplendent with ancient landmarks, history, and feel. Here’s a list of the tourist places you can visit in Ella, which is a small village town in Sri Lanka’s highlands, filled with tea estates, waterfalls, mountains and fresh air to breathe! A lot of tourists have Ella as one of their popular choices to stop by, in lieu of its breathtaking scenery with many a misty view of the hills & the clouds, covering the peaks of the mountain range and the beautiful rising sun     

This tourist spot blends the picturesque view and the wondrous craftsmanship of the 9 Arch Bridge, beautifully designed surrounded by the Country’s lush tea plantations and flora. The bridge is a significant crossing point along Sri Lanka’s main rail line and represents the country’s colonial period engineering skills. Featuring 9 sequential arched spans that stretch up to 300 ft across a small valley, the bridge stands tall at 80 ft. The Nine Arch Bridge doesn’t have steel or metals in its structuring, just rocks, cement and bricks. To arrive at the bridge you can either hail a three-wheeler or walk it done from Ella via the jungle trail and witness a clear view of this amazing landmark. The arches are best viewed from below or from the tunnel. You could also ride a train between the two stations at either side of the bridge. 

Ravana Falls is one of the widest cascades in Sri Lanka, located 5 km on the outskirts, situated at a height of 25 m, right next to the main road. The falls can be reached on a 3-wheeler or a motorbike. Measuring 82 ft in height, the falls plummet down a jagged graveled ridge, with the cascade looking like the wilting petals of an Arcea flower and as such exemplifies the backdrop of innumerable local legends and myths. The Ravana falls has several dive pools and multiple waterfalls, with a popular walking path and gorgeous views of the neighboring nature reserve.

Ella Rock’s ecological formations attract many nature lovers offering them lush green and abundant views of the neighboring villages and hillside tea plantations. Best visited by road, you can also catch a train and enjoy the hilly landscape en route. The spot also has few waterfalls where you can take a quick dip to cool from the sticky weather at the highland.

A private household established in the highland village amid the renowned tea plantations, the Ella Spice Garden offers cookery class and authentic Sri Lankan cuisine with an extensive tour of a variety of local spices cultivated here. The fragrant tour through cloves, turmeric, peppers and chili plants will have you looking forward to experimenting with them in the cookery class! You can also enjoy a delicious meal with their best curries.

The Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery Bandarawela is known for its magnificent mountain views and the spiritual teachings of Lord Buddha. Home to over 30 Theravada Monks, the Monastery offers personal interactions with the Monks discussing Buddhism, with some specific meditation instructions. You can spend a day here witnessing the construction of a historic stupa, offering food to the monks mid-morning, browsing through the Buddhist bookshop, getting blessed by the monks and experiencing the evening chanting at 6 pm.

According to historical beliefs, Ravana's cave was used by King Ravana to hide Princess Sita. Located 2 km from the town of Ella, the cave is set on the foundation of a cliff and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country with a historical repute. The cave is small measuring 50 ft in width, 60 ft in height and is 150 ft long. Located 4,490 ft above the sea level, Ravana’s Cave is a kilometer ahead from the Maha Ravana Viharaya with a steep climb of about 650 steps. It is believed that cave is connected to the Dowa Rock Temple and its tunnels magnify the architectural brilliance of the King that only served as a secret passage but also a quick means of traveling through the hills.

A preserved heritage site, located in the central mountains of the province of Uva, Dhowa is an ancient village on the Badulla- Bandarawela main road, situated 130 miles east of Colombo. Popular for its unfinished and large Buddha image that’s been carved into the rock face, depicting the Mahayana sculpture, this temple dates back over 2000 years and gained its name owing to its location within a ring of mountains, with a river flowing across the plateau.

The rock-carved Buddha, all of 12 m and the ornamental entrance are the main attractions of the Dhowa temple. According to folk tales, the half-finished sculpture was carved by King Walagamba, when he was hiding from foreign invaders, unfortunately, he couldn’t complete it as he left the area. There are paintings adorning the shrine room inspired by the Kandyan era, depicting several Jathaka tales, the rock canopy is decorated with lotus paintings and other flowers, also featuring the Ath-Gon Satana – a battle between a bull & a tusker. A lot of significance is given to a cobra image in the temple’s structure, with it featuring in many paintings as well and the urn that was used to serve water to Buddha.

A popular spot 1970 m above the sea level, Lipton’s Seat is in the Haputale Mountains, overseeing the Dambetenna Tea Estate from where Sir Thomas Lipton used to sit and reflect on his plantations with its graveled landscape and lush green tea bushes. On a clear day, you can enjoy seeing the Handapanagala Lake, the Udawalawe and the Chandrika Lakes and for a bonus, perhaps even the Hambantota Port.

4 km from Haputale is the Adisham Bungalow, now a monastery managed by the Benedictine Monks. Encompassed in the serene and misty hills, the bungalow attracts anyone who’s visually witnessed it, with its mysterious vibes. Built by Sir Thomas Lister Villers in 1931, you will find a number of tea estates and Hindu Kovils near the Adisham Bungalow, with a eucalyptus forest on the upside and the railway line between the Haputale & Idalgashinna stations on the downside.