Wellawaya

Wellawaya is a town in Monaragala District, with access roads to Arugam Bay, Thissamaharama, Haputhale and Ella. A2 main road, which starts from Colombo, ends at Wellawaya, after passing the entire southern coastal belt. A4 road to Batticaloa also goes pass Wellawaya.

It is a beautiful place as you can see the mountains of Haputhale and Ella from there. I posted about scenic Ella and Beragala roads sometime back.

This stretch of paddyfields were seen about 5 km from the town, on the way to Buduruwagala.

Ella

Ella is one of my favorite areas in Sri Lanka.

It is situated in Uva Province quite close to Haputhale. Ella literally means waterfall. Infact, Ravana Falls is not so faraway from Ella. Ella pass is another entry point to central highlands and within two hour drive you can reach Thissamaharama via Wellawaya.

This picture was taken from the famous Ella Rest house.

Ravana

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that Sri Lanka is well-known for waterfalls. The water fall shown here, known as Ravana Ella (fall) is quite popular due to many reasons. Firstly it is easily accessible and can be reached via Ella - Wellawaya Road. The secondly as you can see it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Sri Lanka. The flow of the falls is reduced during the dry season but when it is in full flow it is arguably one of the most picturesque sights in the hill country. The rocky outcrop let the water to cascade in multiple steps to form a gorgeous vista.

Thirdly, the legend behind this area makes this waterfall more popular. Usually most of the Sri Lankan waterfalls have some story or folklore behind them. The legend behind this falls is unmatched and easily the greatest of all the legends. According to the great epic ‘Ramayana’ the mythical King Ravana of Lanka kidnapped Princess Sitha of India and kept her hidden somewhere close to this waterfall. The waterfall and a cave nearby called Ravana Cave earned the same name due to this myth. Also a lot of people believe that there are many other hidden caves and tunnels in this area used by the King Ravana to hide Sitha from her lover, King Rama.

Catching Clouds at Haputhale

Haputhale is a unique place in the central highlands. It is a town with many access roads, including railway services. It is a central place to many fascinating hiking destinations. Above all it is a place where you can view atleast a quarter of the entire country. The view from the town is simply amazing!

Haputhale cool climate is one of the best in the country, hence it is a popular holiday place for both local and foreign travellers. The main access road from Colombo is very beautiful throughout and the trains arrive this town, after passing some of the most beautiful sceneries in the country. Haputhale is also quite misty, and it adds a mystic beauty to the surroundings.

A few of the good destinations from Haputhale are given below.

1. Adisham Bungalow - An old bungalow in beautiful surroundings
2. Lipton's Seat - A place where you can see 5 provinces
3. Idalgashinna - Railway station situated at a unique place: From both sides you can see panaromic views.

Lush Green Hills of Bandarawela

Sri lanka is famous for tea and the hill country is full of tea estates since colonial era. Lush green tea estates covering a mountain range is a glamorous sight.

Most of the hiking routes of the hill country go through these tea estates. The hike from Horton to Belihul Oya over the world's end and one from Ohiya to Bambarakanda falls are some examples. Most hikers will find shorter paths to their destination by cutting across a huge tea estate.

The Road to Diyaluma

The road from Beragala to Wellawaya via Koslanda is a fascinating road for any nature lover. To reach Diyaluma Falls you need to travel 22 km from Beragala junction.

There are some exciting hiking routes from Diayaluma Falls. A hiker can start the journey from the foot of the fall or end his journey there.