Ravana Falls
Wide waterfall beside the main road near Ella, spilling down a rock face. Visitors can take photos from the road and walk to the base in dry weather.
Ella
Tea estates surround this cool village in the hills, where the Nine Arch Bridge, hiking in the mountains and a scenic train ride are the attractions.
Attractive locations
Diyaluma Falls
One of the tallest waterfalls in Sri Lanka, dropping from a cliff near Koslanda. A walk to the top leads to natural rock pools.
Dunhinda Falls
Misty waterfall near Badulla, reached by a forest footpath. The spray gives it its name, which refers to smoke or mist.
Buduruvagala
Ancient rock site with large Buddha and other standing figures carved into a cliff face. It lies in a quiet rural setting south of Wellawaya.
Dhowa Rock Temple
Small Buddhist rock temple near Ella with a large Buddha figure carved into the stone. The setting is quiet, away from the main tourist routes.
Nine Arches Bridge
A curved railway viaduct of nine stone arches built across a green valley in the hills near Ella. Visitors watch trains cross it and walk along the nearby tracks and paths.
Ella Rock
A prominent rock peak above Ella, reached by a hike through tea plantations and forest. The summit looks over the Ella Gap and the valley beyond.
Airports
Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport HRI
It is about 66 km in a straight line from Ella.
Colombo Ratmalana International Airport RML
It is about 130 km in a straight line from Ella.
Batticaloa International Airport BTC
It is about 115 km in a straight line from Ella.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Sri Lanka page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan22.5 °C144 mm
- Feb23.1 °C106 mm
- Mar24.6 °C102 mm
- Apr25.9 °C155 mm
- May26.1 °C128 mm
- Jun25.7 °C62 mm
- Jul25.9 °C50 mm
- Aug26.1 °C64 mm
- Sep26.0 °C112 mm
- Oct25.3 °C221 mm
- Nov23.9 °C289 mm
- Dec23.0 °C262 mm
Driest months: Jun, Jul, Aug. Wettest months: Oct, Nov, Dec.
Costs
Prices here are about 29% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 119. Ambulance 1990. Tourist police hotline 1912.
local government
Sri Lanka Tourist Police
Helps with: Sri Lanka Tourism's emergency page lists a Tourist Police number in Colombo for visitors, alongside the national police emergency hotline 118 / 119.
Who qualifies: Tourists and other visitors in Sri Lanka.
Phone: 011-2421052
local government
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national tourism authority. Its tourism hotline 1912 gives visitor information, and its website links to a tourist complaints page.
Who qualifies: Anyone travelling in Sri Lanka or planning a trip there.
Phone: 1912
Email: [email protected]
Address: No. 80, Galle Road, Colombo 03
local government
Suwasariya ambulance service (1990)
Helps with: A national ambulance service that Sri Lanka's tourism authority lists for tourists. Dial 1990 for an ambulance.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka, including tourists, who needs an ambulance.
Phone: 1990
ngo
Sri Lanka Red Cross Society
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national Red Cross society. Its national headquarters is in Colombo, with contacts for 25 district branches listed on its site.
Who qualifies: People in Sri Lanka who need to reach the Red Cross national headquarters or a district branch.
Phone: +94 11 2694487
Address: 106, Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Sri Lanka
Helps with: The UN migration agency's country office in Colombo. Contact it about migration matters in Sri Lanka.
Who qualifies: Migrants and organisations working on migration. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +94 11 2112 600
Email: [email protected]
Address: 9th Floor, Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka Building, No. 80A, Elvitigala Mawatha, Colombo 08
embassy
Foreign embassies and high commissions in Sri Lanka (official list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy or high commission. The Sri Lankan foreign ministry's Diplomatic Corps page lists missions in Colombo with addresses and phones.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or high commission.
local government
Disaster Management Centre (DMC)
Helps with: Sri Lanka's national disaster management centre. Its call centre 117 is the public line for disasters, and it runs an emergency operation centre.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Sri Lanka affected by a disaster or reporting one.
Phone: 117