Ella (Sri Lanka)
07-10 January 2026
Ella doesn’t set out to impress
you, and yet somehow that's exactly what it ends up doing. Tucked into the lush
highlands of Sri Lanka, this town feels less like a destination and more like a
deep exhale. Sitting in the morning chill of Awesome Place (yes, that’s the actually property name we stayed at), you wake to a morning chill that doesn’t just greet you, it
settles into you, crisp and alive, as the mountain air quietly steals your
breath in the best possible way. Standing still, you take it in: the
surrounding hills unfolding in every direction, while the rising sun begins its
slow performance across the landscape. Light spills over the greenery in soft
waves, turning the slopes into a shifting tapestry of gold and green, until
suddenly everything is touched with an orange-amber glow that cuts cleanly
through the low-hanging morning cloud like the world itself is being gently
switched on.
Coastlines, beaches, waves and
sand, that its own special mix but somehow the mountains for me where I feel at my best—at peace, finding my solace and slipping into an
“almost” meditative state. I say almost, because it is never fully that;
instead, it is something more grounded, more human—quiet contemplation shaped and softened by appreciation of the landscape. Coastlines, beaches, waves, and sand - of course that’s nice… but somehow, it is in the mountains where everything
slows just enough for thoughts to stretch out, to melt into the silence that feels intentional,
and where presence becomes effortless rather than something to be sought after.
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But Ella isn’t just scenery, it’s
movement. Hikes like Little Adam’s Peak and Ella Rock reward effort with
sweeping views that make the climb worthwhile. The beauty here isn’t
curated—it’s raw, slightly unpredictable, and all the better for it. You might
start your day in sunshine, walk through drifting cloud, and end up sipping tea
while watching rain roll across the valley.
And then there’s the vibe. Ella
has quietly mastered the art of being laid-back without feeling sleepy. Cafés
serve up strong coffee and even stronger opinions on travel routes, backpackers
swap stories like currency, and time becomes something you stop measuring too
closely. It’s the kind of place that reminds you travel isn’t about ticking
boxes, it’s about finding somewhere that makes you slow down, look around, and
think, “Yeah… I could stay a while”. Occasionally you come across places of
this elk, some in the same style, and some others are just kindred spirits. I’m
looking at you Jericoacoara (Brazil), Hoi An (Vietnam) and Montville (Australia).
Our first day in Ella faded into eternity beneath a misty sheet of drizzle, chill and laziness. The day prior had been an extremely long day, and thankfully, Ella never placed any high demands upon us. Ella gives you that sort of opportunity - to move without demands, and to settle in wherever it is that you feel is right for you.
Certainly Day 2 in Ella was a more
targeted one for us. We transferred from Awesome Place to something more
central, at the Oak Ray Gap Hotel, and
then aimed up for the iconic Nine Arch Bridge, a colonial-era structure
that has somehow become a social media celebrity without having lost its charm…
yet…although, with burgeoning popularity, you just know that there will come a
tipping point where the numbers of visitors will drive one of two outcomes;
1. Either an influx of idiots executing stupid
antics that leads to security and safety issues that will certainly restrict
the experience, or;
2. It will inherit such extreme popularity that it
will ultimately diminish the experience itself, as seen in places like Sintra
(Portugal), Barcelona (Spain), and Cinque Terre (Italy).
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Nine Arch Bridge - Ella - Sri Lanka
Nine Arch Bridge - Ella - Sri Lanka
In an age where social media visibility drives rapid tourism, which in turn creates pressures on infrastructure, ecosystems, and human behaviour alike, even the most innocuous, “off the beaten path” locations can quickly succumb to touristic fervour. It will happen here too, of that I am confident—but thankfully, on this occasion, we were able to experience it without restriction.
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Walking from Nine Arch Bridge back into the town of Ella along the train tracks was a pleasure. Taking in the hillside environment with every deliberate step on the railway sleepers, Inga & Aiden led the way, with their 50-yr old husband/father in tow. You know, I may have said this before, but at this age I really don’t feel any different about travelling than I did 25 yrs ago. The wanderlust, energy and desire to see more things is still there. Of course I’ve cut down on my stupidity intake as I’ve had to navigate that desire as a trade off for growing my own little human, but the rewards of discovery are still as significant to me now as they ever have been, perhaps more so, because now I get to share all of them with Aiden and Inga….and yes, I know that there’s also a finite time for that, which in the back of my mind makes all moments like these significant.
