Ella

The next stop on our Sri Lankan hill country tour was Ella, a spot so chill, its most popular restaurant is called Chill Café.  The chill vibe in Ella is no secret though. To get the best snapshot at the viewpoints and a coveted table at Chill Café for lunch, you may need to sharpen your elbows bit and wear the grossest, pitted out travel shirt you’ve air dried “clean”. Loads of Eastern European, Russian, and German backpackers, and from what we could tell, only three Americans, flock to this town to hike and relax.  In 2011, there were four hotels and two home stays in town.  Now, there are over 1,000 hotels and home stays.  Despite the crowds, Ella sports amazing views, wonderful hikes, and friendly home stay hosts—the kind who pick you up on the side of the road when your car finally gives up.  We spent our days in Ella hiking to Ella Rock, Little Adams Peak, nine arches bridge and a tea plantation to learn more about tea production. Gary and Channing even took to the high wire for a zip down the mountain.  To keep reality in sharp focus and kill the chill, we also had to get our lemon of a rental car repaired. Despite our blossoming hatred for all things Europcar Sri Lanka, our deep inner chill persevered. We all definitely could have stayed longer soaking in Ella’s sweet vibe.