Ella Town 800 Meters of Vibrant High Street

The eight hundred-meter stretch of Ella town is lined with restaurants, cafés, shops, tattoo parlours, massage joints, and supermarkets..

The now world-famous Nine Arch Bridge, where people hang out of the train to photograph each other or take selfies,  is actually located in the village of Demodara which has a twenty-foot long 5ft wide railway platform, now not used. The region is renowned for its stunning mountain views, waterfalls, trekking opportunities, including the now famous Pekoe trails,  tea plantations, and winding roads.

Situated about 1000 meters above sea level, Ella is centrally located and enjoys all year-round tourism, ninety-five percent of stay overs are foreign. Like many in Sri Lanka, I have been a day visitor to the town, seeing the sights and then moving on, but I had never stayed overnight in Ella.

The eight hundred-meter stretch of Ella town is lined with restaurants, cafés, shops, tattoo parlours, massage joints, and supermarkets. It caters primarily to backpackers and budget travellers. During the day tourist numbers are not heavy as most are out sightseeing. Evenings become busier, and restaurants fill.  When I tried to book Chill Cafe they said they only take bookings on the day you want to visit. I don’t like the uncertainty of not getting a seat. We get in however,  it is full, despite having over 80 seats. Chill Cafe and The Barn  restaurants are rated among the top in the world by TripAdvisor, offering amazing food and service at value prices. The Barn is less showy with great service and becomes our favourite spot. During  Christmas and New Year, the town is swamped with visitors. Poorly managed international travel advisory warnings in late October resulted in most roads in and out of Ella having police on duty. Police in the town are discreetly out of view.

Mainly young visitors stay for less than four days, and rucksacks outnumber suitcases dramatically. The town is expanding both outwards and upwards, with many three-plus-floor restaurants, large hotels, and chalets being built. This growth potential could spoil the attraction of the town. 

Though I’ve visited a few times, I still enjoy walking the Nine Arch Bridge and watching people hang out of the train taking selfies.  Having grown up in Livingstone, just six kilometers from the Victoria Falls in Central Africa, I’m not too excited about the collection of waterfalls around Ella.

In over two decades I have never really been verbally abused in Sri Lanka, but I had a big shock as school boys in a stationary  bus started shouting, "grandad" and waving at me ! I ultimately took it as a welcome message.

At night, Ella feels very safe. There are no gangs, rowdy music, or shady people, so visitors feel secure, and many women travel together. 

We are staying about eight kilometres from the town on what feels like a mountain top, surrounded by tea plantations, with a massive temple perched on a higher elevation. An Ella sunset and "I am in paradise." A few hours later, the mist rolls in and visibility goes down dramatically.