Ella, situated at 1,050 metres, is famous for the view from its mountain gap, its towering rock, and mysterious cave. Although Sri Lanka has many scenic delights, there are few places to equal Ella. The view from the front garden of the rest house is particularly awe-inspiring. The terrain falls away precipitously down a ravine and then over miles of jungle to the shimmering expanse of the sea in the far distance, a scene enhanced by the looming Ella Rock on the right and a jungly ridge on the left.

Ella Rock is remarkable for the cave popularly known as the Cave of Ravana, because legend has it that it was here that Ravana, the demon villain of the Ramayana, hid his captive, the beautiful Sita. Properly known as Rattaran Guhava, it was in this cave that the Sri Lankan paleontologist, Dr Paul Deraniyagala, discovered ten skeletons of the cannibalistic Balangoda Man, Homo sapiens balangodensis. A visit to the cave requires a rope or rope ladder for entry as the floor is below the mouth. The cave has not been explored beyond the lake that fills it only a short way from the entrance.

Ravana Ella Falls, about 5 km from Ella, are also associated with the Ramayana. Ravana The stream plunges with a foaming spray

Ella Rock - 04 Km
Another scenic site of Sita’s concealment on the Ella rock near the Rawana Ella falls. 10 minutes from the hotel by surface.

Little Adam's Peak
There is something called Adams peak in Sri Lanka that you climb in the night and which takes 4 hours to ascend. The one we climbed this morning is called little Adams peak. Some very nice views. On the way back we stopped at a charming little café and drank some freshly-made fruit juice. The owner took us round his garden and let us smell all his herbs. He also suggested a walk for the following day. We came back and took a tuk-tuk to the waterfall. The driver swam in the rock pool with us and drove us back. It was quite hazardous because of the slippery slopes on which you had to get changed! The water was lovely though. I expected it to be freezing but it was luke warm by our standards.

Ravana Ella Falls
Although only 9 metres high, the Ravana Ella Falls are nevertheless visually appealing. The stream that feeds it, which is a tributary of the Kirindi Oya, plunges over a series of ledges into the valley close to a bend in the A2 between Ella and Wellawaya. Whereas the rock beds of most waterfalls in Sri Lanka consist of gneiss or granite, here it is khondalite, a kind of limestone, which undergoes erosion faster. As a result there are caves near the fall, in one of which is said to have lived Ravana of the Ramayana.

Dunhinda Water Falls
At 63 metres, the Dunhinda Falls is the highest waterfall on the Badulu Oya, a river that rises in the mountains on the border of the Uva highlands and flows into the Mahaweli Ganga. Some say this is the most awe-inspiring waterfall in Sri Lanka. Certainly it looks impressive, with its water roaring over a rocky ledge and falling with clouds of spray into a large pool in the rocks below. And therein lies the name of these falls, for dunhinda in Sinhala means spraying or vapor waterfall.

Diyaluma Falls
The Diyaluma Falls is a 220-metre high waterfall on the Punagala Oya located very close to the A4 road between Koslanda and Wellawaya. The Punagala Oya rises from the Mahakande pass and flows into he Kuda Oya, a tributary of the Kirindi Ganga, which flows into the sea near Tissamaharama. The Diyaluma Falls, the second highest in Sri Lanka, is the last of a series of waterfalls on this river. It is an impressive sight when you stand almost directly beneath the waterfall on the road. The water appears to be propelled over the cliff face and falls in one long and clear drop to a pool below beside the road. Above this big fall are several smaller waterfalls and rock pools. They can be visited by walking about 500 metres down the road and taking the estate track that turns of sharply to the left. Proceed for 15-20 minutes along this track until you come to a rubber factory, where you turn off left uphill. At the top, where the path forks, take the right branch, which leads to the pools above the main fall.

Ella Railway Station

Demodara Railway Station

Nine Arch Bridge

Bogoda Timber Bridge
Alongside a smaller stream with calmer waters is the historical and breathtaking Bogoda Bridge and the temple known as Bogoda Raja Maha Vihara. They are located about 12km west of Badulla and 3km from Katawela down a winding road, which stretches past beautiful vistas of spiked paddy, some of it lush green, for as far as the eye can see. lso notice tea plantations along the way and see pluckers among the bushes, which cover the sides of the sloping hills that shelter little villages full of colourful flowers.

The bridge and small rock temple are located to the bottom of the valley, down some steps, beside the gently gushing river Gallanda Oya that runs over some rocks, under the bridge. Though the original structure of the bridge - a huge trunk of a kumbuk tree and three jak trees cut to make the platform - dates to the 12th century, the rest of the elaborate wooden structure seen today came into being in the 1700s. The temple alongside it, part of the rocky mountainside, is even more ancient, the oldest part of which dates to the Anuradhapura era of the first century BC.

Rawana Ancient Temple

Dowe Temple
Dowa Cave Temple is located 6km from Bandarawela on Badulla-Bandarawella highway. Nestled amidst the hills, the historic cave temple complex was once the sanctuary for King Walagamba. The temple has a beautiful ornamental gateway that attracts visitors. It has a 38 ft Buddha image sculptured from a rock and some paintings belonging to the Kandyan era, depicting various Jataka stories.

Muthiyangana Temple
Muthiyangana is one of the sixteen most venerated religious places for Buddhists in Sri Lanka. It has a shrine that was built in 4 century AD and houses the jaw-bone of Lord Buddha. It is believed that the Lord Buddha personally blessed this site during one of his three visits to Sri Lanka.

Kinalan Tea Factory

Halpe Tea Factory

Buduruwagala Temple
Buduruwagala is located 5km south of Wellawaya. Literally it means images of Buddha. The complex consists of seven statues and belongs to the Mahayana school of thought. The statues date back to 10 century AD. The gigantic Buddha statue still bears traces of its original stuccoed robe and a long streak of orange suggests it was once brightly painted. The central of the three figures to the Buddha's right is thought to be the Buddhist mythological figure-the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. To the left of this white painted figure is a female figure in the thrice-bent posture, which is thought to be his consort-Tara.

Hamdapahangala

Maligawila Temple
Maligawila-located about 15 km to the south of Monaragala-is famous for the two colossal statues of Buddha dating back to 7th century AD. Both the statues are carved from crystalline limestone. One of the statues is 11m high and is considered to be the world's largest free standing Buddha figure.

About 1km from Maligawila is Dambegoda where another statue of Buddha, which is 10m high and called Avalokitheswara Bodhisattva-a divine being who chooses to reside on the human plane to help ordinary people attain salvation-is located.