2025 – Sri Lanka Trip – Day 2.

Yoni
January 8, 2025
Sri Lanka

Day Two of Our Sri Lankan Adventure.

She Said:

We waved goodbye to our charming lodge bright and early, heading towards Ella, the picturesque little town nestled in Sri Lanka’s iconic tea country.

If the landscape so far had been all about vibrant green rice paddies, we were now entering the kingdom of world-famous Sri Lankan tea. Bring on the caffeine vibes!

A Local Market Detour.

On our way, we stumbled upon a bustling weekly market. Of course, we had to stop and check it out—it was a slice of life we couldn’t resist!

The market was buzzing with farmers selling their goods in neat little bunches. Everything was counted meticulously—how many beans in a bundle, how many chillies in a handful.

There was everything under the sun: vibrant veggies, fragrant spices, dried and salted fish (a necessity here where refrigerators aren’t common), clothes, and all the essentials for the week. It was a feast for the senses and an unforgettable glimpse into local life.

Climbing to Ella.

As we wound our way up the lush green hills toward Ella, we made a pit stop at the

breathtaking Ravana Falls.

Now, the trip notes had promised we could bathe there, but let me tell you—nope. That’s not happening. The slippery rocks screamed “danger zone,” a giant sign forbade swimming, and, oh yeah, the 36 recorded deaths at this spot sealed the deal. Not adding my name to that list, thank you very much! Instead, we took some photos, scrambled around the safer rocks, and soaked in the beauty of the waterfall from a safe distance.

Ella and a Famous Restaurant with a Big Heart.

Once we arrived in Ella, we checked into our hotel and then made a beeline for the Chill restaurant. This place has a heartwarming backstory: During the 2020 lockdown, the owner provided free meals to 35 stranded tourists, some of them journalists. They couldn’t fly home, so he fed them until they could. In return, they made his restaurant world-famous. Karma, people—it works! Oh, and the food? Absolutely delicious. If you’re ever in Ella, don’t miss it.

Riding the Rails.

After lunch, it was time for a train adventure. Back in the 19th century, the British built these tracks to transport tea from the mountains to the coast. The trains are charmingly old-school, and the ride took us through jaw-dropping mountain landscapes, tea plantations, and misty ridges.

We hopped at Banderwela, intending to catch a train back to Ella in 20 minutes. Ha! Sri Lankan trains run on their own magical timeline, and we soon learned our return train was delayed by an hour . So, we decided to explore.

Right outside the station, I spotted a beautiful Buddhist temple. We started walking toward it, only to be ambushed by a torrential downpour . Now, if this is “dry season,” I don’t want to know what monsoon season looks like! At first, we huddled under a tree, hoping it would soon stop.

After 15 minutes, thoroughly drenched and realizing we couldn’t get any wetter, we had a “Four Weddings and a Funeral” moment. Laughing like kids, we stomped back to the station, soaked to the bone.

The Nine Arch Bridge and Tea 101.

After waiting for what felt like forever (over 1.5 hours, but who’s counting?), our train finally arrived, and we made it back to Ella. From there, we visited the iconic Nine Arch Bridge, hidden among lush green tea fields—a truly magical sight.

Roshan, our trusty driver, picked us up and whisked us off to a nearby tea plantation. Here, we got a crash course in tea production: which leaves are picked, how they’re processed, and what makes black, green, and white tea different.

A full tea education in record time!

By the time we returned to our hotel, we were happily exhausted and ready to call it a day.

He Said:

The day kicked off with some yoga at the hotel—gotta keep the zen going! After a disappointing breakfast (although Vered claimed she had the best tea ever), we hit the road towards Ella, a place everyone had been hyping up for its stunning views and laid-back vibe.

First stop: a local market. What a riot of colors, smells, and noise! Fruits, veggies, heaps of salted fish, vendors yelling over each other—it was chaotic and wonderful all at once. I could’ve spent more time just soaking up the energy of the place, but we had more on the agenda.

Next, we swung by Ravana Ella Falls. It’s beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but oh man, everyone was there. Tourists, locals, even the monkeys seemed to be running some kind of hustle. We hiked around a bit, took some photos, and then bailed—too crowded for me to enjoy.

By lunchtime, we made it to Ella and headed straight for Café Chill, which definitely lived up to the name. Turns out, this place became famous during COVID when the owner, Darshana, offered free food and shelter to stranded travelers. How amazing is that? The food was good, but finding something authentically Sri Lankan on the menu wasn’t easy—it’s got a more Western-leaning vibe now. Still, a cool spot.

After lunch, we dropped our bags at the hotel and went straight to the train station for the famous jungle train ride. The views were gorgeous—green hills, tea plantations, the works. There was even a live band playing in the open-air carriage. Yeah, it was a bit of a tourist trap, but honestly, it didn’t matter. It was fun.

When the train ride ended, though, it started pouring, and we ended up stuck in the station for almost two hours. Not ideal. But eventually, we got to see the Nine Arch Bridge, and it was worth the wait. That bridge is something else—a postcard come to life. Of course, I couldn’t resist testing how slippery the rain made the trail and, surprise, I wiped out and banged my knee. Not my smoothest moment.

Dinner was back at Café Chill because, well, why not? It was packed, the atmosphere was buzzing, and we got to try some different dishes (still not very local, but tasty).

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were completely wiped but happy. It felt like we’d squeezed every bit out of the day—and my knee was already reminding me of it.

Tomorrow’s another adventure!