The area has a rich bio-diversity, dense with numerous varieties of flora and fauna.
Located on the southern edge of the hill country, the area of Bandarawela is popular with both Sri Lankans and foreign visitors who seek peace and quiet, beautiful scenery and a more refreshing climate than the heat in the low country. Whilst the sun is usually hot around midday, the air temperature is moderate and a sweatshirt/light jacket will be needed at night – it will often rain in the afternoon too, but only for an hour or so!
With a rich biodiversity, dense with a wide variety of flora and fauna, tea plantations interspersed by fruit gardens and vegetable plots and home to one of the oldest tea planters’ resting place, Bandarawela is a great base for those wishing to explore the hill country’s scenic and less visited attractions. Bandarawela Town, tinted with a colonial past, is a bustling market town, especially on a Sunday when the fair attracts the throng of farmers and consumers from the surrounding areas.
Nearby Ella situated at an elevation of 1,041 metres (3,415 ft) above sea level is a small laid-back town surrounded by the hills covered with cloud forests and tea plantations. From Ella Gap you can enjoy views across the southern plains of Sri Lanka and on a sunny morning, you might even see the glow from the light houses on the southern coast. Ella itself only has a handful of small shops and bars/restaurants but it’s a perfect location from which to visit Little Adams Peak, Nine Arches Bridge, Ella Rock, Ella Spice Garden, Ravana Ella Falls, Ravana’s Cave, Kinellan Tea Factory and much more!
By rail, the quant station of Ella is a few stops from Badulla at the end of the railway line that snakes up through the Hill Country. From here, you can transfer to Colombo and Kandy. The fares are incredibly cheap and the scenic views extremely stunning, although it can get quite busy. Travelling by road, the buses go through Ella Gap to Wellawaya where to can change for many different locations across the island.