Ella

Ella is a small hill-country town built around a single ridge, but it punches well above its size for scenery. The Nine Arches Bridge — a stone viaduct completed during the British colonial railway expansion in the early 20th century, built without steel due to wartime shortages — is one of the most photographed spots on the island, especially when a train crosses it.

That railway line is part of Ella's appeal in its own right: the hill-country train journey between Kandy and Badulla passes through tea estates, tunnels and misty ridgelines, and the stretch through Ella is often considered its most scenic section.

For walkers, Little Adam's Peak is a manageable climb with panoramic views over the valley, while Ella Rock is a longer, steeper hike for those wanting more of a workout. Ravana Falls, just outside town, is an easy stop on the way in or out.

The Nine Arches Bridge has an unusual origin story: built during the First World War, when steel was in short supply and reportedly diverted for the war effort, it's said to have been completed using only rock, brick and cement — no steel reinforcement at all — and it has carried trains since 1921.