We stayed in Ella for a few nights. The hills are simply stunning – amazing stunning – but Ella itself is a bit of a hole. The family woke up at 5:30 am and we trekked up to Mini Adam’s Peak through the tea plantations. Totally recommend it.
As well as the views it also turned into a lesson on tea – we saw how the “Plantation Tamils” lived in their tiny villages, the women picking the tea and the men doing not a lot! A great little lesson for the boys on where all our tea comes from and the labour that goes into it – hopefully they’ll remember this every time they have a cuppa.
We also visited Finlay’s Green Tea factory to see how they dry and process tea. Recommend it if you visit Ella as its not too long or too short and gives a basic insight into green tea production. We didn’t visit a black tea factory as they were a bit out of town and the closest one didnt have decent reviews.
If you stay in Ella go to Nine Arches Bridge – incredible views and try to visit the tiny weeny tea shop up the hill on the other side of the bridge. A young man and his Dad are trying to build a little business there and are saving money through selling tea and biscuits. They were the most charming people – such warm beautiful souls. So if you see this lad below down by the tracks, shaking his head every two mins and saying “good, no?”, follow him and enjoy a lovely brew with breathtaking views.
No Payne No Gain 