Six days for two, split between a cabin above the Ella gap and a villa on the sand at Mirissa.
Six nights for couples, with the hill country first and the coast second so the trip finishes slowly. The first three nights are in a cabin above Ella, where the cloud usually lifts off the gap between 6am and 8am. The drive down to Mirissa takes about four hours and loses close to a thousand metres, so pack for both climates. The villa is let on a two guest basis and the kitchen will lay on a private dinner on the sand with a day of notice.
A stone and brick viaduct built during the First World War, spanning the gorge between Ella and Demodara with no steel in its construction. Trains cross roughly six times a day and the 6.20am is the one photographers wait for. The walk in from Ella town takes about twenty five minutes along the track.
Three nights above Ella, with the Nine Arch walk on the second morning.
A guided walk from Ella town down the track to the viaduct, timed for the 6.20am crossing. The path is uneven and usually wet before sunrise, so proper shoes matter. Tea and short eats are served at the viewpoint afterwards.
A curved bay on the south coast in Matara District, with a working fishing harbour at the western end where the whale boats leave from. Swimming is safest between the headland and Parrot Rock. From November to April the harbour runs daily trips out to the shelf where blue whales feed.
Ella down to Mirissa is about four hours and loses close to a thousand metres.
The 6.30am boat from Mirissa harbour out to the continental shelf, roughly an hour offshore. Blue and sperm whales are the usual sightings, with spinner dolphins on most runs. Operates November to April only, and the crew turns back if the swell runs above two metres.
Guesthouse
LKR 11,000.00 / night
Villa
LKR 38,500.00 / night
Car · 3 seats
LKR 18,500.00