From Kandy, we decided to take the scenic train ride through the hill country full of tea plantations to the picturesque and sleepy little town of Ella.
We enjoyed a massive breakfast at our guesthouse and made our way to the train station to board our first class rail car for the six hour train journey.
The train journey was absolutely lovely, and I spent most of my time standing out the doorway admiring the scenery and feeling the wind at my face as the train wound through beautiful tea plantations and villages. The most scenic part of the trip was apparently supposed to be once we passed Nanuoya station, but it was at that point that the clouds set in and it began to pour! After getting a bit wet, I made my way back to my seat beside Dave (who didn't like the idea of me hanging out of the carriage on a bumpy train ride anyway) and waited until we were told Ella was coming up.
Getting off at the Ella train station, we knew our guesthouse was close by, but the pouring rain convinced us to overpay for a tuk tuk to bring us down the road. (It was worth it). We were pretty soaked! We seemed to be the only ones at the guesthouse.
We enjoyed a massive breakfast at our guesthouse and made our way to the train station to board our first class rail car for the six hour train journey.
Our enormous breakfast
Our train arriving
First class AC car
The train journey was absolutely lovely, and I spent most of my time standing out the doorway admiring the scenery and feeling the wind at my face as the train wound through beautiful tea plantations and villages. The most scenic part of the trip was apparently supposed to be once we passed Nanuoya station, but it was at that point that the clouds set in and it began to pour! After getting a bit wet, I made my way back to my seat beside Dave (who didn't like the idea of me hanging out of the carriage on a bumpy train ride anyway) and waited until we were told Ella was coming up.
Train signaller with his green flag
Village house
Hills full of tea plantations
Tea pickers
Temple
Our train
Fully plucked for our cups!
Dam along the way
Striking red tree amongst the green
Weeeeeeee!
Spent most of the train ride like this!
A small train station
Spot the scarecrow!
Tea pickers alongside the tracks
Our conductor signalling
Big waterfall
POURING rain
Unloading the train
Our train conductor
Our room at Rock View Guesthouse
Hungry, we grabbed our umbrella and rain jackets and went up the street in search of some food and some hot Ceylon tea. We found refuge under a straw roofed cafe and watched the rain continue to absolutely pour down. With the sideways rain soaking every inch of us, Ella wasn't quite living up to being "the most idyllic little town in Sri Lanka", and we just hoped it would clear the next day so we could do a nice walk among the tea plantations.
"Downtown" Ella
Rainy Ella
Peering out of our dry straw covered refuge at the rain
Our server delivering our food order to the kitchen
Taking refuge from the rain and keeping warm with our Ceylon tea
View of Ella Rock in the rain from our guesthouse
Our Sri Lankan dinner at the guesthouse
The next morning we were ecstatic to wake up to some blue sky and dry ground, so we had breakfast and then ventured off to enjoy the charm of the area and hike up to the top of Little Adam's Peak.
View of Ella Rock from our guesthouse in the morning - blue sky!
Our little room and patio
Came across this cow with a huge growth
Tea pickers
Tea pickers
Tea plantation dog posing for the camera
Ella Rock
Some luxury accommodation and restaurant across the way
Ella Rock and highway below
Walking along Little Adam's Peak
Steep climb down, followed by a steep climb up
Steep climb down
Rawuna Ella Waterfall
Steep climb up
Big drop offs
Little Adam's Peak - Looking back the way we came
Dave and I at Little Adam's Peak with Ella Rock behind us
Tea picker
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