Less touristy places to stay near Ella
We find that there are more and more travellers looking for less touristy places to stay near Ella, Sri Lanka.
If you want to get away from the tourist crowd, then GlenMyu Estate Hotel is around 1 hours drive from Ella so ideal for day trips.
Ella is great.
It is a one of the most iconic places to visit in Sri Lanka hosting Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam’s Peak. Ravana Waterfall, Ravana’s Cave, Ella Rock and a Zip Line.
The town’s main street has an array of popular restaurants serving a range of delicacies for hungry visitors. You can have Vegan Food, a good old hamburger, pizza and a range of traditional Sri Lankan food.
There are smaller places to eat, a little more of a Sri Lankan style scattered about the town and on the outskirts.
Those who stay in Ella and venture further afield can visit the wonder of Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Dambetenne Tea Factory, Thangamale Bird Sanctuary, Adisham Bungalow and many more places of interest.
One of the most scenic railway journeys in Sri Lanka …and the world!
Many tourists visiting Sri Lanka travel on the six to seven hour railway journey from Kandy, a former capital of the country, to Ella Railway station. The journey takes you through lush mountainous terrain with manicured tea plantations in the distance.
There are mixed views that the most beautiful part of the journey is from Nanu Oya to Ella or from Haputale to Ella. We, however, have had guests at GlenMyu Estate who enjoyed the journey an hour out from Kandy, so beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder.
Buying tickets for the train can be a challenge. An online service was launched in early 2023 but the tickets are sold out quite early on. You can rock up to the train station and purchase the tickets on the day, if it is not fully sold out. The main issue about not purchasing a ticket in advance is that you may not get a seat and you will probably be in Thirds Class. The Third Class section is considered to be a more authentic experience of a train journey in Sri Lanka as this is where most of the local people travel by train. However, standing for six to seven hours is something that is beyond what I would accept. Unfortunately, we have had guests at GlenMyu Estate who have had to stand for most of the journey. It puts a dent into what should be a memorable experience.
Once you are on the train you can join the sheep and get your, now not so unique, instagram photo of you hanging off the train. The train does move quite slowly at times so there is on a little danger of falling off or being hit by something. Unfortunately, everyone is not so lucky and, there have been accidents and a trip to hospital as a result of trying to get your snap. Please be warned and take care
The History of Ella.
Prior to 1970 Ella was a very small town with little commercial activity. At that time there was no road to Wellawaya and ravens Waterfall was hidden in the jungle. It took a days hike in tough terrain to reach the waterfall.
In the 1970’s the Ella to Wellawaya Road was completed and was able to be navigated by a vehicle. Ella was more popular to get top by vehicle rather than by train for many years.
It was not until around 2008 that Ella became a popular back-packer’s find. This was mainly due to it being highlighted as a place to visit in the Lonely Planet Travel Guide.
In 2004, after the Tsunami, Lonely Planet introduced Ella as a comfortable backpacker location which could be reached from the Capital, Colombo, on a 10 hour train journey
Subsequently, with further improvements in infrastructure and places of interest being more accessible, more tourists started exploring the area.
You can read more about the development of Ella one the following Blog by Forest Bird.
The bars and the nightlife
Being in Sri Lanka for seven years now I do miss the atmosphere in a European bar, spending time with friends, shooting the breeze and listening to some good music. It’s a great place to meet people, share stories of touring around Sri Lanka and getting some recommendations. If I was young and single, I would love it.
I still like to go to Ella occasionally, sample the atmosphere and have something different to eat and drink.
Wanting something a little less busy?
Our experience at GlenMyu Estate is that some guests want to be located within reach of Ella so that they can see the sights there, but don’t want to be in the heart of the town. We have had guests that are young and old, with backpacks and suitcases, single, married and with children. Many of our guests want to be away from places that are too touristy (is that a word?) and experience good bars, restaurants and nightlife back in Europe.
Some of our guests spend two or three nights at GlenMyu Estate and then go to Ella and stay there for a few nights.
At the end of the day I often say “it’s horses for courses”. There is nothing wrong with Ella and thousands of people have a great time there. We actually had a honeymoon couple cancel their booking with us (quite late on) and extend their stay in Ella as they were having such a good time.
We were happy that they made that decision. Both my wife and I just wanted all travellers to Sri Lanka to have a wonderful time on this Paradise Island, return and explore some more.
Stay at GlenMyu Estate to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country
A stay at GlenMyu Estate as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country and visit Ella on a day trip.
We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.
The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more,
GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.
