Ella gap is a truly spectacular place - it marks the spot where the highlands in central Sri Lanka end and from the top of the gap, in clear weather you can see all the way down to the ocean, sixty miles away. It is a tea-growing area and very lush. The railway line runs through Ella but only carries four trains a day so is used as the main thoroughfare by the locals who prefer to walk on the tracks than in the long grasses. We were lucky enough to see the fabulous view down the gap on our first evening, with spectacular panoramic views from our hotel balcony (the aptly named Mountain Heavens Guest House) but the mists arrived the next day and pretty much totally obscured the view for the rest of our stay. It was closely followed by the rains so our stay was somewhat damp but even so, this is an amazing place.
