R.M.S. Antiques & Brassware is a remarkable souvenir store located in the heart of Ella. The shop offers an impressive collection of authentic and handmade items that perfectly capture the essence of Sri Lanka. Visitors can admire beautiful crafts and unique gifts for their families, all crafted with great attention to detail. The store's owner is known for his friendliness, honesty, and helpfulness towards customers, offering great guidance on the products' history and origin. Additionally, R.M.
The place to buy your presents and souvenirs!
Best shop in town!
Ana Campos — Google review
Friendly owner! Amazing shop, you can find all the souvenirs you could ask for (from postcards, magnets, Buddhas, tote bags, typical masks, bracelets…)
Prices are not abusive at all. Highly recommendable before you leave!
alfonso de puig — Google review
Fantastic store with a great range of antiques and souvenirs. Perfect place if you like some 'hassle' free shopping - definitely worth popping in and meeting the owner
Andrew Mac — Google review
A true gem in the city of Ella. Beautiful things, gifts for Your family. We really like it and had a great time withe the owner. And Yes, the shop owner is really helpfull, friendly and we spent a great time in just talking, he offered us help and guidance. A must see if Your in Ella, and it's in the city center, near the train station!
Martin Rickman Rickman — Google review
Wonderful experience at RMS antiques, all the items are so authentic and beautiful. Madu was so helpful aswell, talking us through what each piece means and helping us find the perfect gifts for our family. It was closed for nearly three years and now back up and running so please stop by for a visit. The best shop to get gifts in Ella 100%. Couldn’t recommend more highly :)
Menah El Sharkawy — Google review
Great experience, we bought a painting and a mask for the wall. The store owner was lovely, gave us a good discount and was great to work with. Very excited to see our new painting in our house!
Simone Mustac — Google review
Beautiful shop, truly friendly and honest owner. If You have the chance to visit Ella, then You need to see it. Everything is hand made, and the smiling owner will great You and tell stories about the items. Me and my husband enjoyed it very much.
Elina Alka — Google review
Best Souvenir Shop we have been to. Everything is handmade from Sri Lanka and Madu the owner could tell us a story to each piece :) We are very glad we found it by coincidence and can highly recommend to go there.
Cecille Stein — Google review
We met the owner of the shop when we were a but lost in Ella's street, he was very helpfull, honest and kind. We visited his shop who was about to open again, looks like he has beautiful souvenirs, hand made from sri lanka. Look like a great place to buy your souvenirs. Thanks to you again :) angelique and Karine
Charlie Teen — Google review
Wandered in here and bought so many souvenirs! Very well made brass items and extremely affordable prices especially when compared to Colombo/Kandy prices. Wish we'd bought more! Highly recommend if you're looking for handmade gifts. Also has art work too along the same street. Store owner was quite kind and informative.
Sonali W — Google review
Fantastic shop for any kind of Sri Lankan artefact you can imagine. The owner, Manu, is great; kind, knowledgeable, and friendly. The shop is tucked down the end of the arcade opposite Magnet.
L — Google review
Madu who owns the shop was lovely and great to talk to. He has an amazing collection of items that are very affordable.
The antiques are wonderful and there is a great collection of hand painted wooden elephants. I highly recommend going out you way and visit the shop!
Eleanor True — Google review
Best souvenir shop in Ella! All products are locally sourced and there's so many to choose from. Thank you Madu for welcoming us!
Pauline Bernardo — Google review
Such a lovely man! Enjoyed chatting to him he gave us lots of information about all the different objects in his store with interesting meanings behind each one we also bought 2 items and they were very reasonably priced - we'll be back :)
Catherine S — Google review
A must visit in Ella, good selection of antiques, and souvenirs, ideal for gifts to take back home Madu the owner is very helpful.please note that this is the shop next to the salon. Not the one right in front.
Sherry Asmone — Google review
Best souvenir shop in Ella. Prices are much cheaper than other shops in all locations we have been. It is just a one minute walk off the main street. Manu is great and he tells you the history behind every item. Highly recommend going here.
Ella Spice Garden Cooking Lessons offer a chance to explore a garden that cultivates various spices, including cloves and chili. In addition, visitors can take cooking classes to learn how to prepare local curries. The tour involves an educational experience about different types of spices grown in the garden, followed by lessons on cooking traditional cuisine. Overall, the program provides an opportunity to gain knowledge about locally sourced ingredients and enhance culinary skills through hands-on practice.
We did some cooking classes before but this was by far the nicest cooking class experience we’ve had. The cook is very sympathetic, explains everything very well and has a very good vibe in generally.
The dishes we made were very tasty. You make a lot of food and we learnt a lot about how to prepare Sri Lankan food.
Before cooking we got a tour through the spice garden which was very cute and interesting.
Thanks so much for the nice morning!
Ferre Windey — Google review
This was our highlight in Sri Lanka so far! We really enjoyed our traditional and vegan cooking classes. The class is very well organised and informative, I particularly enjoyed the tour of the spice garden. If you come here, be sure to buy some of the home-grown spices to make the recipes at home.
Julia Hiebeler — Google review
Loveliest host, delicious recipes, joyful teaching and very welcoming atmosphere. Wonderful walk through the spice & herb garden and amazing cooking class overall. You shouldn’t miss this when you’re in Ella and you love the Sri Lankan food. Thank you Theeka for the lovely evening!
Lisa Groothuijzen — Google review
I highly recommend this experience while you stay in Ella. Theeka is amazing person and very good teacher. The food we cooked was the best Sri Lankan food we ate during our four weeks trip around Sri Lanka. Price is really resonable and you can also buy spices made by them to cook at home. Thank you Theeka and your team! 😊
Nuppu Korhonen — Google review
Simply the best cooking class I’ve been to, and I have done many across the world. Our history was wonderful. Super friendly, knowledgeable and funny. His staff are all wonderful. A gorgeous little oasis with a beautiful spice garden and absolutely DELICIOUS food. Highly recommended to all.
Margarita Grigorian — Google review
We had a brilliant evening learning authentic Sri Lankan cooking here. The main chef is amazing and clearly so passionate! And his assistants so lovely. It was so well organised and set up, but also you properly get to be involved. Every person is invited to be part of cooking something and the fact you get a full recipe book and other videos / pdf to take home is amazing! We met some lovely people too and sharing our food together at the end was perfect. Delicious and fun night!
Grace Coffey — Google review
I can not recommend this place enough! On our travels through Ella, friends and I really wanted to part take in a cooking class. This experience was more than I bargained for. Fresh produce, in depth information about indigenous spices and a lovely walk through the spice garden. The body is the loveliest, warmest, most patient and funny man I’ve met in Sri Lanka! Will definitely come back again!!
Marjory Jubitana — Google review
We had an amazing experience cooking with Theeka, he's a great chef and an equally great entertainer! He is super passionate about the ingredients and teaching well. This was one of our favorite experiences in Sri Lanka. His team of assistants were also incredibly friendly and charming.
Will Marshall — Google review
Wow! What a cooking class. A must do when being in Ella! We had such a great group (fully international) and cooked different dishes all fresh and super tasty. The entire cooking class is made with so much love and entertainment, time flew by. Before starting to cook, we even had the chance to see all the spices and ingredients in the garden. Highly recommend!!
Verena Fisel — Google review
Like many have already said, this experience was a definite highlight of our trip.
It's very well run by Theeka who is clearly a great chef, very friendly and funny guy, and makes sure everyone has opportunity to participate. The guys assisting did a great job too, working hard to ensure the evening ran smoothly and ingredients were prepped properly.
All dishes were super easy to follow and you get a recipe book to take home. I'm looking forward to replicating (especially the 100 bulb garlic curry)!
We met lots of other travelers from all over the world, mingling over some unbelievable food that we'd all helped to cook - what's not to love!
Jack Matjasz — Google review
The chef is very good in explaining and engaging participants. His English is also very good. Quality if the ingredients is high and there are many materials shared after the class to cook it at home. Actually, it was probably the best curry I had since arriving in Sei Lanka which was 7 days ago. Highly recommended.
Danail Petrov — Google review
The best (vegan) Sri Lankan cooking class with the friendliest of hosts, Tikka. After walking through his spice garden, learning about how each is grown and harvested, we started cooking our 7 dishes. Every step was explained well, with an interactive book for note taking, as well as plenty of opportunity to get involved in the cooking process. Lots of tips were shared too (like how to easily peel garlic). The food itself was delicious. By far one of the best cooking classes I have been to. Thank you Tikka and team!
Bek Telford — Google review
Tucked away down a secluded driveway near Ella's center, Ella Spice Garden Cooking Lessons offers a captivating culinary adventure. Led by the talented Theeka, head chef and master storyteller, this experience begins with a fascinating exploration of Sri Lankan cuisine and its cultural significance.
Gathered in a small, diverse group of twelve, we immersed ourselves in hands-on cooking, guided by Theeka and his capable assistants. Laughter filled the air as we prepared an array of dishes together, culminating in a delicious shared meal—a true testament to our newfound skills and the joy of collaborative cooking.
This evening was not only informative but also infused with warmth and camaraderie, making it a standout highlight of our trip. For those eager to delve into Sri Lanka's culinary treasures, I highly recommend this immersive and memorable experience.
Nathan Telford — Google review
Just an amazing experience! Theeka is a lovely chef with amazing staff. First you visit his spice garden, then you’ll start cooking probably the best Sri Lankan food you’ll have! Definitely a must for your stay in Ella!
Max Nowak — Google review
Really great class, lovely set up being able to look through the garden and see all the herbs and spices. Very interactive and the food we made was amazing. Class of 10 which is the perfect size.
Definitely recommend!
The Nine Arches Bridge is a renowned arch-shaped railway bridge constructed out of stone, brick, and cement. It is enclosed by abundant greenery and foliage, enhancing its natural beauty. This iconic structure has been an essential part of Sri Lanka's transportation infrastructure for nearly a century. The bridge serves as a crucial link between the hill country towns of Ella and Demodara, providing safe passage for trains carrying passengers and goods across the picturesque valley beneath it.
Rawana Falls is a well-known waterfall in the country and boasts of its impressive width. It is also recognized for having a cave that was mentioned in an Indian epic poem. The site attracts many tourists every year, who come to marvel at the stunning natural beauty of the falls and explore the historic cave.
At Ella Rock Trailhead, visitors can enjoy various hiking options such as climbing Mini Adams Peak or Ellas Rock and exploring the tea plantation. The area also offers attractions like Ravana Ella waterfalls and the nine arch bridge. However, it is important to be cautious of local signage as it may lead one astray. A guide is recommended for a better experience. After crossing the bridge, visitors can take a dip in the river to cool off.
A nice nature trail. Fantastic view to the top of the rock. Bit of hard track to walk but really interesting.
A juice stall and Rotti stall on the top of the cliff was a great help to climbers which were functioning by few villagers.
Dharshana Ekanayake — Google review
So about this hike. It is quite nice and the landscape and view is amazing.
The thing is it's not so easy to find it by yourself as there are no signs and locals try to get you to choose them as guides. Also it's very steep and can be quite slippery, especially when going down. Wear good shoes!!
But even when it's cloudy (like it was when we were there at 6:30) it's still beautiful. I really recommend to go there at sunrise though so you don't have any clouds. Just start really early so you are up at 5:30/06:00 latest.
Katja Kvasny — Google review
Great hike this! Super scenic and not too challenging. The hardest part is probably the last 30 minutes as it starts to get pretty steep. I highly recommend downloading a trails app to show you the routes you can take as it can become very unclear at times where you should be walking. You can find the start to this trail by walking along the track from Ella train station for about an hour or so and you will find the start on your left.
You will then walk over a tiny bridge that is over a small waterfall, which then leads through a tea plantation where you will find the workers picking. Really quite beautiful!
Make sure you bring enough water to last you 3/4 hours total, or bring cash as there are locals selling drinks. There is a fee at the top of 930 rupees to see the view, however we just sat around on the benches up there for around 30 minutes and the guard just let us through for free after trying your best haggle is to come in.
Highly recommend this hike!!
Oliver Taylor — Google review
If you love living green, then Ella is obviously a place to visit. Ella Rock is one of the place which proves it.
Trekkers would love the place. It’s bit tiring to do the hiking. But it is definitely worth it. Once you got to the summit you will realize why we said so. The panoramic views it provides with mist and cloud covering the area, especially in the early mornings and the late evenings are something you should witness and that would suffice enough to say that you visited Ella.
Total time for climbing up and down is 4 hours. Yes, sounds like a long journey. But the way up there is with full of diversity. If you are starting form Ella train station, you would enjoy the rail walk, and soon as you started climbing up, you will be passing a waterfall, the rubber tree forest and tea plantations.
On a rainy day, it can be slippery, so better be cautious with what you wear for the journey. Wear something suitable for a hiking and towards the end of the hike, route will get bit harder with the steep, still manageable.
Kind request for all the trekkers,
Ella is popular among many people for its echo-liveliness and the calm-countryside atmosphere. So help us protect the area by being responsible on your visit.
Please make sure you don’t throw all those plastic bottles, food wrappers here and there. Bring trash bags and pack out everything you bring in so it can be disposed in an appropriate place. And don’t just stop with your own trash.
We all can be happy when we visit the place next time, if we can see the place looking better than when we got there.
Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Footprints - Happy Traveling!- copied...
Pasan Sithija — Google review
This is what the turn-off point looks like. Accurate location but can be difficult to locate while it's still dark if you're doing the sunrise hike.
Taylor Farnham — Google review
Download a map before you go, I also posted one on Strava. It’s easy to get lost but you really don’t need a guide to go. Entrance is not free, 900lkr.
Or just follow the train tracks to the entrance and there you can follow dogs to the top :). Get some crackers to thank them and they will make sure you go up and down easily like they did for me. I had a full dog guide service until train station.
Kseniya Maksimava — Google review
Ella Rock stands out as one of Sri Lanka's top tourist destinations, especially during the early morning for a breathtaking sunrise. Be cautious of locals attempting scams by misleading you on paths or overcharging for guides. Optimal access is possible by using trains to reach near the trailhead, getting off at Kithal Ella station. Walk 300-500 meters towards Heel Oya direction, turn sharp left at the narrow bridge, proceed through the tea plantation area, and ascend easily without the need for guides. Leeches are minimal, and watch out for high prices at snack shops along the trail.
Romein Nimantha — Google review
A must-walk trail. Diverse views and surroundings. Walking on railway, seeing tea plantations, rice fields, waterfall and finally breathtaking views on valley, hills, village and Rawana waterfall is absolute essence of this area.
Tips. Download a OSM map based app and follow directions to Ella rock. Google maps won’t be helpful (sorry Google!) and will get you lost cause trail in lower parts goes through rice fields and tea plantations. And ways to reach final climb are plenty.
Reaching the Ella Rock is 3-part journey. First, starting from Ella you must walk along railway, then find your path though village with little help of locals, then reach the final climb and you’re done. ☑️
Reaching the top. Ella rock view is good but don’t finish there because on south part of mountain there another second view point- even better in my opinion.
Don’t bother if you forget something to eat or drink - local booths on the way won’t leave you hungry or thirsty.
Łukasz Kanownik — Google review
This is the start but take local signage with pinch salt as it gets you lost, which is supposed to, so you need to pay for local guide, who soon pick up on you. After the bridge If your walking across an open padi field you've gone wrong, go back and take the left fork past several any hills up a clearly walked path. When you come back over the bridge take a dip in the river
Don Davis — Google review
The full experience is when you get to the trailhead by train track( from Ella train station)
And also don't forget there are 2 viewpoints on top of the hill ( the one further is much nicer)
Dar — Google review
I give it one star because after doing the whole excursion, they make you pay an entrance fee to do only 40 metres and see the view. It would be understandable if the path was well signposted and well maintained but this is not the case. It seems ridiculous to me that they make you pay just to see the view at the end. It really isn't worth paying the entrance fee. The path can be easily followed with a geolocation app, I used Wikilok, and it is not necessary to hire a guide.
Antoni Galbany — Google review
This is a great sign to turn left towards the trail leading up, i would recommend using a flashlight during the night and search for the turn, you know you got it right when you go over a bridge over a waterfall.
When passing the bridge i recommend using the trail on the left going up towards the fields and not turn right towards the jungle.
Use some apps for trails that can help a lot!
Ofek Shaked — Google review
One of the best things to do in Ella.Views are best at the sunrise.Can be managed without a guide.30-40 min hike to the top and better to go prepared.If you go by train from Kandy,get off at kithal ella station and it is not uneasy to find the way from there.
there are little snack shops on the way to the top as well.Should not be missed if you are travelling to Ella and ready to experience a bit of hiking.
dulana maddumage — Google review
This trail is just an absolute gem while staying in Ella. It's a must for all hikers/nature lovers who do enjoy hiking. I'd classify it moderate to challenging trail and definitely not suitable for beginners. It starts off easy while walking on the train tracks from Ella town. Takes you through the tea plantations which are absolutely gorgeous until you start some light ascending through the forest. The most challenging and difficult part is the last push through the forest to the summit as it's very gravely with water flowing down through the narrow path where you definitely need to use a lot of balancing, good footwork and scrambling. It's also quite steep so better watch out for your knees.
Sports shoes/trainers are totally ok!
Just to know, at the top, there's a charge of 900LKR per person (foreigners) to go further to see the view and more walking to the other part of the forest.
Best time to set off is super early so you can catch the sunrise on the top.
Overall, it took us around 5hrs with breaks on the top.
Simona Sevcikova — Google review
Very cool short hike (but not super easy, steep can get slippery also)
Great view
Move to second view point after sunrise it’s not as crowded and also beautiful
Dani Machado — Google review
A really great place to watch the sunrise. The hike is a little bit hard but shouldn't take more than 1 hour. We used the Google map to find the route for walking from Ella to the trailhead, but the thing is that you can take a shortcut by walking beside the train track from Ella to kitalElla.
SsajadHH — Google review
If you’re looking for a breathtaking hiking experience, I highly recommend the Ella Rock trail. This trail offers a stunning landscape, brimming with natural beauty, making it a perfect choice for nature lovers. The difficulty level is low, making it accessible for most hikers. As a tip, remember to bring cash, as there’s a fee of 900 rupees at the top.
Henry Rosas — Google review
Simple hike with amazing views! I took off one star for 2 reasons:
1) there is a 921 Rs ticket charge for the final viewpoint, which is ridiculous and absolutely not worth it, as the best views are on the trail;
2) some locals near the blue house right after the rail track bridge purportedly lead people on the wrong path to scam them into hiring a guide. You do NOT need a guide to do that hike, it is a very simple hike and you cannot get lost!!! Just start the trail at “Ella’s Rock Trailhead” as shown on Google Map!!
Google Map gives the right directions; DO NOT follow the directions given in the Lonely Planet Guide, and DO NOT listen to the locals who will lie to you and tell you that the way to Ella’s Rock starts at the blue house, right after the rail track bridge. It is a scam, they want you to hire a guide because you will have a very hard time finding the way and get lost if you try to use that route, because the path splits into numerous paths and the vegetation is so dense you cannot see where you’re going. Besides, it is a lot more dangerous as it is at the edge of the cliff, you need to climb a lot on that route, and the views are not as beautiful as on the other trail. Some people have fallen to their death on this route, with the latest fatal accident in March 2024.
After the rail track bridge, go past the blue house until you reach Kithal Railway Station, then keep going straight and then take the turn on the left, where Google Map sets the trailhead, where you’ll see a river and rice paddies, then tea plantations. Then all you have to do is keep going straight the whole way (first climb up the tea plantations, then straight ahead). It absolutely does not require a guide, there is only one path and you meet other hikers going up or down every 5 minutes so you can’t get lost. That path is flat for most of the way and super easy, that’s why the locals try to send you to the hard trail instead to force you into getting a guide. Take the Google Map trail, not only it is a lot easier/safer, but the views are also nicer!
Clothilde Bonnal — Google review
Beautiful views (you can see Little Adam's peak and so on) but you have to pay 930rupis to be able to watch it. From the railway station around 2hours up and down