Ella, a beautiful mountainous town, sitting in the Hill country of Sri Lanka, offers visitors breathtaking views of the surrounding hills and lush green valleys. The weather is moderate with lovely sunny mornings and cool evenings.
The scenic Sri Lanka trek to the glorious summit of the Ella Rock is most popular among backpackers for hiking in Sri Lanka. The summit of the rock splendidly holds a solitary tree, which can be viewed from anywhere in Ella. The view from the summit is absolutely spectacular, especially during dawn and dusk.
The approximately 10 kilometre (round trip) hike travels across rubber tea forests, tea plantations and the woodlands of Ella, and would take approximately 4 hours to complete. However, the trek presents magnificent vistas that are undoubtedly worth the effort, such as the Ella gap waterfall and the Ella Gap. The Ella Gap is a space between the mountains that reveal a spectacular view that stretches all the way to the southern coast of the isle.
Here is a little advice for trekking to Ella rock; please try to avoid footwear such as sandals or slippers especially after it has been raining for it can be slippery or unpleasant. This area is well known for many leeches, however they are not dangerous but can be avoided if some lime juice is dropped onto them, therefore it is advisable to carry some lime with you.
The route to begin the hike starts from the Ella railway station. Upon reaching the station, take a left turn and walk right up to the end of the platform, walk down to the railway tracks and walk along the railway lines for roughly 40 minutes. Please be aware that there will be ongoing trains. You will reach Kithalella railway station, continue walking past the station, do not pay any attention to any locals who would try to say that it is a wrong route for they would try to sway you into accepting their offers in giving services as a guide. There will also be some fake signs so please do not take notice.
As you continue walking along the tracks for approximately 5-10 minutes, search for a rock which is marked with a blue arrow and a label of ‘Ella Rock’, make a left turn at this point and continue following the marks and turn left just after the mark saying 166 ½ before 166 ¼ . Proceed along the footpath and cross the bridge, reaching a fork on the road, take the left road and keep walking, ascending up towards a tea plantation. You will continue walking through tall grass and the path may seem unkempt and off but keep going and straight since after the tall grass, the path clears up and bends to the right, leading you to a temporary viewing point. From this point, it is a direct yet steep path to the top of Ella Rock.
As you reach the top, be prepared to be in awe of the stunning views around you, renowned as one of the best in the island. Hiking back from here is easy since all the paths lead back to the same viewing point.
