Ella Rock View Point

"Climbing Ella Rock was one of my favourite things I did in Ella. The hike itself starts off as a pretty walk along the train tracks from Ella, the you cross a little bridge and move through tea plantations before beginning to hike up the steep incline of the peak itself. The change in terrain keeps the hike interesting and you get a real sense of achievement once you reach the top- I’ll be real with you -the last 20-30 minutes are sweaty…! It’s not the easiest hike, but with it’s changing terrain and beautiful views from the top it’s absolutely worth it! The best time to hike it is for sunrise or sunset… at these times it’s magical and the temperatures cooler. I do not recommend climbing it any time between 8.30am and 5pm… it’s too hot. - The weather tends to be clearer in the mornings so you’re more likely to see a great sunrise then a great sunset, and there will probably be more people in the evening -so if you can hack it, I’d say it’s 100% worth getting your arse out of bed and doing it for sunrise. Unlike Little Adam’s Peak it’s a bit harder to find the trail and it’s not well marked so you can use AllTrails App (which offers a 7 day free trial if you want to use it for this occasion only or if you are doing it for sunrise I highly recommend getting a guide to show you the way, otherwise it will be very difficult to find the landmarks and you’ll probably miss the sunrise while you’re trying to figure it out! I opted to organise a local guide the day before for 3000LKR (approx $9/£7) through a local operator who also runs a guest house. It was the same price no matter how many people, so it could work out very cheaply if there are more of you. He was around 2000LKR less than the cheapest price I found else where… and although he didn’t speak much English he was super friendly and all we needed him to do was show us the way, so for us, he was perfect. He showed up with a torch at exactly 4.30, and we began to make our way :) There’s something incredibly exciting and magical about walking along train tracks lit by starlight with no one else around, just the peaceful quiet of the night… it’s another thrill to add to the sunrise which is itself stunning! On the way back down you notice all the views and pretty scenery you missed as you were climbing up in the dark- making it feel like a whole new adventure/hike! If you’d like to book through the same tour operator I used, his name is Dhama and you can WhatsApp him on: +94712143443 Or WhatsApp the guide we used (called Umesh) directly on: +94787398384 Hot Tips: 1) Make sure you wear trainers or walking shoes… 2) If you are going for sunrise- make sure you set off on time- even 5 minutes late and your guide will either be hot footing it up the steepest bits to try to get you there in time, or you’ll miss it. 3) Take water and snacks for when you reach the top. "

"Check out this 3.3-mile out-and-back trail near Kithal Ella, Badulla. Generally considered a challenging route, it takes an average of 2 h 9 min to complete. "