Chris and I had been told that the best stretch (for scenery) of railway line in Sri Lanka was between Nuwara Eliya and Ella. We also had prior information, that it would be a good idea to reserve a seat as this journey was highly popular with tourists. Seats can even get booked up weeks in advanced!
We reserved third class tickets as we hoped this would allow us to mingle with the locals and make for a more authentic experience. However, as we entered our carriage we may as well have been in Europe, there was not one local in sight! We laughed it off and began speaking to an older Dutch couple who were sat opposite us. I was pleased to find that we were sat facing the direction the train was heading, this way the breeze flowed in nicely and it was possible to foresee the views.
Having experienced one of the 'must do' train journeys in the world in Myanmar (Pyin Oo Lwin to Hsipaw) we had high expectations. However, I have to say that the views certainly beat Myanmar. The track at some points was precariously balanced along the edge of a sheer cliff edge but the absolutely breathtaking views steered our minds. After each tunnel we passed through we were presented with yet another awe inspiring view and sounds from passengers as though they were watching fireworks - 'ooo', 'ahhh'! It was difficult to stay sat in our seats as the best view continuously changed sides. So Chris and I spent much of the journey standing or sitting by the doors, which are always open in this part of the world. It was exhilarating sat on the edge of the doorway with our legs dangling out. From luscious green forests to enormous flowing waterfalls, it was a 2 hour train journey we won't forget.
We had called and reserved a room at 'Mount Breeze Villa', so as we bundled our way off of the train, along with hundreds of other tourists, we avoided the hawkers and walked straight to our guesthouse. It was a little further than we had anticipated and in the blazing sun we were both hot and sweaty. But eventually after about half an hour we found the guesthouse and were shown to our room. We spent a couple of hours relaxing in the lounge area, speaking with the owner and her twelve year old son. She kindly provided us some local tea and crackers.
Struggling a little with the abundance of rice and curry we thought it was about time we treated ourselves to some western food. We found an extremely busy and popular restaurant and bar named 'Chill' and luckily they managed to find us a seat. We felt instantly chilled as we sunk into the comfy beanbags and sipped away on an ice cold beer. Chris opted for the burger (ticking off our 'burger in every country' criteria) but I couldn't resist the fish and chips. Unfortunately the food was not mind blowing, but our taste buds definitely appreciated the change.

After desperately trying to seek out a reasonably priced laundry service in the town, we ended up having to accept the offer at our guesthouse. This was still incredibly expensive compared to any other country we have travelled so we were a little bitter. During our exploration in town we were delighted to have found a small hotel cooking up egg hoppers for breakfast.
By late morning we had sorted ourselves out and set off to find 'Ella Rock'. I had read that it was a pleasant 2km walk along the railway line, past a waterfall and up to 'Ella Rock'. Taking roughly 1-1.5 hours from town.
Without thinking we had set off as the day was beginning to reach its hottest. Beads of sweat dropped from our foreheads as we climbed a long and steep stairway to reach the railway line. But the surrounding view towards Ella Rock made the climb worth it.
It is always such a novelty to walk along the railway line, but it does require a fair amount of concentration. Some railway sleepers were wooden, some concrete, and some non existent. It was a nice surprise to experience an old train pass us by on the track. We found a perfect rock to stand on and watch as the train chugged by.
The 2km felt a lot further in the scorching heat, but eventually we found the waterfall. We were able to climb onto a ledge and sit at the top of the 100m waterfall, where we took a much needed rest for water and biscuits! The views from the waterfall were astonishing.
The climb up Ella Rock was completely unexpected. It began with climbing up and over hills masked by tea plants, then we entered a wooded area. From here it was a tough ascent; incredibly steep and a difficult rocky terrain. Despite the shade from the trees it was unbearably hot and our water was quickly disappearing. As well as not being particularly prepared with enough water, we were both wearing flip flops, and heading in the opposite direction to all other climbers. Every tourist we passed was in trainers/hiking shoes and was clambering down the rock. Sensibly they had climbed during the morning, avoiding the hottest part of the day. But we powered on, with me moaning and Chris laughing at my annoyance. There were a few natural stop off points with breathtaking views, so I knew the climb was going to be worth it.
As we approached the top of Ella Rock the views became overwhelming. Opposite us was 'Little Adam's Peak', and mesmerising views down into Ella gap across the Southern plains. With no barriers or rails it was possible to stand or sit on the edge of a nerve racking descent. Ella town sits at roughly 1000m above sea level and Ella Rock at 2000m. The sense of risk was thrilling but too much for me when Chris wanted to get a picture of our feet dangling over the edge. Reluctantly I carefully slid to the edge of the rock with him and grasped on tightly. The silence and stillness at the top allowed us to savour the moment as besides a furry friend, we were the only ones there.
The very cute and friendly dog at the top was pining after some food. We rewarded him with plenty of crackers for posing for a few photos. He then continued to guide us back down the rock.
Going down wasn't as exhausting, but required a lot of concentration to not slip. Especially since we were in flip flops and with my inherited clumsiness from my mum! But thankfully we both made it up and down in one piece, just gasping for water.
We managed to rehydrate at a small shop near the waterfall and plodded back along the railway to the town. We were pleased to see another train running along the track. This time however it was the modern, busy train from Colombo and was slightly wider than the previous train. The conductor repeatedly honked his horn as he approached us, which soon became clear why, as both of us had to jump into a hedge as it scraped by! We had not anticipated how close it would get to us!
It was now late afternoon and we were both incredibly hungry, especially after all the exercise. Annoyingly it was an awkward time of day to get food so we had to suffice with sharing a vegetable kotthu. We gladly welcomed the cold shower and lounge area back at the guesthouse after our adventurous day. After a couple hours rest we found the energy to walk into town and visit 'Jade Green Tea Centre and restaurant' for dinner. Fortunately we had read reviews saying about the terribly slow service, but that the food was worth waiting for. Having had a late lunch we were happy to wait and glad we decided to eat dinner there as the curry was the best we had eaten yet. Along with a delicious pumpkin soup, one serving of chicken curry was plenty for the two of us. When I say one serving, the Sri Lankan rice and curry tends to be anywhere between five and ten small curries varying in taste, spice and contents. Which is always served with a huge portion of rice and popadoms. We had deserved the plentiful meal after our climb!

Since our guesthouse owner had been so lovely we decided to try her Sri Lankan breakfast. We were presented with a spread of fresh fruits, string hoppers, Dahl curry, coconut sambal, fresh fish curry (her husband is a fisherman and had arrived back from work with freshly caught fish), and coffee. When I asked if the coffee was also local she said "yes of course" and pointed to her back garden. She had her own coffee tree and made her own coffee!
Ella is renowned for its surrounding hills covered with tea plantations and we had been highly recommended 'AMBA estate'. To avoid paying a considerable amount for a tuk tuk to take us we decided to hire a motorbike for the day. Ella did not have its own fuel station and unfortunately it was about 5km along a bumpy, dusty road and in the wrong direction to find it. To make the situation more frustrating, for once we were on a bit of a time restraint as the tea tour started at 11am. It took about half an hour from Ella town to reach AMBA estate. Taking us down through Ella gap, along the windy mountainous roads, and riding back up to the estate.
Although we arrived nearly an hour late, the manager was very welcoming and had an employee quickly show us out to the plantation where the factory manager was providing the tour. He was a little surprised to see us and explained that we had missed the bulk of the plantation tour but he would try and reiterate the information throughout the tea tasting.
Tea was actually introduced to Sri Lanka by the British back in 1867. Previously Sri Lanka had grown coffee, but a fungal disease completely eradicated all coffee plantations. This year Sri Lanka is the world's fourth largest producer of tea and is one of Sri Lanka's main sources of foreign exchange.
AMBA estate is unique as it is dedicated to to creating quality tea through ethical, sustainable practices. They pride themselves on truly artisanal teas which are made in small batches - all by hand.
After a short walk through the tea trees we were pointed out the finest leaves and buds, used to make the whole leaf tea. From here we were shown around the factory. A small old bricked building with only a few rooms.
In the first room, a couple of ladies sat hand making white tea stars. We were then shown to the drying room where a large wood fuelled oven is used to dry out the tea leaves at a very specific temperature. Finally we were taken to the testing room where the tea is measured for moisture, sampled into small bags and filed for quality check purposes. We smelt all types of tea, from their standard black tea, to infused tea, to green tea. They even had a few samples of coffee which smelt much more appealing.
After the smelling it was onto the tasting. Along with the one other British guy on the tour, we sat in the garden area and a nicely presented tray was placed on the table. Samples of black, green, white and lemongrass tea were sat brewing. Each is brewed with varying water temperatures and for different lengths of time. Interestingly white tea contains the most natural caffeine because it requires the least processing. However most people believe it has the least caffeine which is normally true for your average supermarket white tea as they have been tampered with. Both green and black tea should have less natural caffeine due to the oxidation process which occurs when the tea is being rolled. Both of our favourite was the lemongrass tea then closely followed by the white tea, which we ended up purchasing some from the visitor and staff shop. It also turns out that it is possible to reuse fresh tea up to three times. Once used, it must be drained from water, placed in a sealed bag and then kept refrigerated until the next use. So although Fortnum & Masons sell a bag of AMBA estate tea at nearly £50 for 125g, broken down into price per cup it is actually reasonably priced.
It had been a thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours and such a wonderful, special place to visit. Who knew there was so much to learn about tea and such a complex process!
We admired the views of our surroundings as we rode back down and around the mountains towards Ella town. We made a brief stop at 'Ravana falls', a 25m high waterfall, incredibly impressive but with it being alongside the road it is very popular and busy. It was also popular with macaques seeking out food from the tourists so I was not keen to linger around.
On our way through town we picked up some vegetable rotti for lunch and made a quick pit stop at our guesthouse. Soon enough we were back on the road and went in search of the 'Nine arch bridge'. In Sinhala, the native language, the bridge is known as 'Nine skies bridge'. It required some off-roading but nothing Chris couldn't handle. The locals pointed us in the right direction down a steep, slippery track and onto a ledge with fantastic views of the bridge. The nine arches were clearly visible and it just so happened that we had arrived within minutes of a train passing by. We clambered down a sheer narrow pathway to walk along the bridge once the train had passed. This massive bridge is built entirely of solid rocks, bricks and cement.
Our final stop for the day was at 'Little Adam's Peak'. Having conquered 'Adam's Peak' it was only right we climbed the little version. It wasn't even comparable and I am not entirely sure why it had the name 'Little Adam's Peak'. But the views were great from the top, not as rewarding as the views from Ella Rock but still wonderful. We found a quiet spot along the ridge to sit and watch the sun set behind Ella Rock. Despite thinking we were being prepared with bringing our jumpers, the wind was cold and powerful, so we huddled together and tried to seek shelter. Braving the cold was worth it though, as the sky filled with a dramatic red colour and reflected off of interesting cloud patterns. For a moment it looked as though Ella Rock was a seeping volcano. As the light disappeared so did the people and we were the only crazy ones left at the top. Using our iPhone torches we managed to find our way back to the motorbike and rode straight into town to drop it back.
Having enjoyed the food at 'Jade Green' the previous night we decided to return and tucked into some more great home cooked food.

By the skin of our teeth we managed to jump on the bus as it was pulling away from the town heading south...