Everyone we know who has been to Sri Lanka has told us, "Don't miss Ella!" So, we didn't. We booked three nights in Ella Village and ended our week in Sri Lanka's hill country here. Ella is a beautiful place. The mountains, countryside and waterfalls in the vicinity are phenomenal. Unfortunately, this is also the first place in Sri Lanka where we witnessed full on tourism. Everywhere else until here has been a beautiful spot, an authentic village or town where a handful of foreign tourists pass through and mix with the locals as they go about their daily lives. In Ella, things are different. Everything about this place seems to exist for the sole purpose of tourism. With that come some pros such as more dining options and much better accommodation options at fair prices. There are cons, too. Nothing about this place feels real and the expanded dining options come at exorbitant prices. Still, the view of magnificent Ella Rock from our balcony and the one of a kind sunrise hike to it's peak as well as beautiful hikes to Little Adam's Peak and down to Rawana Falls made up for the inauthenticity of this village. Our first exposure to pure tourism in Sri Lanka was unforgettable in both positive and negative ways. Would we recommend Ella to others? Definitely, but we would make sure to let them know exactly what to expect.
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