Ella...

 ...ella ella eh eh eh

Our first bus journey in Sri Lanka was somewhere between a joy-ride and a nightclub.  Way way too fast and packed full of hot strangers falling onto each other and grabbing onto random body-parts.  It was a hoot.

Ella is beautiful and that is no secret.  For this reason it is hella touristy.  To experience the natural wonders of Ella without joining a pack of other tourists, you have a to put in a little work. Picking the right time of day to visit the beauty spots is essential if you want to beat the selfie sticks as well as the blistering heat. Sometimes this can be pot-luck, but if you can haul yourself out of bed super early, you’ll often find you’re rewarded with cool air and  peaceful experiences.

We set off for Ella Rock at 5am.  This had a number of benefits. We would arrive in time for sunrise, the air was cool and the feeling that we were actually dying  didn’t bother us so much because we were so tired.  Our lovely host Nimal marched on ahead of us, in flip-flops, without even breaking a sweat, which was really nice for him.  Tom stopped a couple of times because he thought he was going to throw up. But, in just under an hour, we made it to the top and to our delight, we only had to share the view with one other couple.  Apparently hundreds of people would make their way up there later in the day.

Nimal kindly invited us to his home for breakfast when we got back.  The food his wife prepared was amazing, although I’m not sure if they were expecting another 5 people or what.

Air B’n’B delivered once again and we enjoyed the most fabulous views of the mountains at Chamodya Homestay. Unfortunately we were too bust enjoying it to take a photo. 

We also ate dinner there one night.  The rice and curry meal included NINE different curries.  One of them was banana flower curry. Another was soya meat.  The poppadoms were spherical.  It was special.  Once again though, we could have done with another 5 or so people to help us finish it.

We also took a walk up Little Adam's Peak which is much easier mooch than Ella Rock.  The views are stunning and it's a incredibly peaceful place to be.

We spent two nights in Ella which definitely seemed like the right amount of time to explore its natural beauty. Despite how touristy the main town is, you can get some great food. We had really yummy Kotthu and Rotis at Fish and Chips and at Roti Hut. We also had amazing curry and samosas at Adam's Breeze, which is near to where the walk up Little Adam's Peak starts.  There are loads of guesthouses offering stunning views and it's small enough to walk around the town  in an hour. You can't really go wrong.