Ella & Yalla Weekend: Touchdown in Yala

After a long drive we finally made it to Yala! On the south-east coast of Sri Lanka and is regarded as the best safari in Sri Lanka. Many websites say that although it's not Kenya, Yala National Park is well worth visiting.
We stayed in another stunning hotel, which cost us each just £10 for the night! When we arrived at the hotel some of the group went to the beach for an hour or so before dinner however I was one of the people who just stayed at the hotel; my dodgy joints were feeling a little worse-for-wear after World's End!


We ate dinner in the hotel and headed to bed reasonably early as we were all absolutely shattered after the early mornings and then the hike. We were advised that the best time to go on safari was in the afternoon since it would be the hottest part of the day thus resulting in the animals all congregating near water holes. That then left us with the morning to fill. The prospect of getting to sleeping in, in a comfortable hotel room with AC was very tempting however Ashika, one of the PMGY the co-ordinators, phoned to tell us about another hotel nearby which had a swimming pool that we could use. So we got up the next morning early, albeit much later than the previous two mornings, and walked to the other hotel. The swimming pool was gorgeous so we relaxed in the sun and then ate lunch at that hotel before heading on our safari.

The hotel. The reception/dining area didn't have proper walls so spilled into the garden!

Hotel bedroom, I shared with Jenn and Hana again

Ella & Yala Weekend: Baker's Fall

Also on the trek was a stop by Baker's Falls. A waterfall with a height of 20 metres. Named after Sir Samuel Baker who lived in Sri Lanka from 1847 to 1855, back when Sri Lanka was called Ceylon.

Group selfie at Baker's Falls. Our lovely faces. 

Ella & Yala Weekend: Worlds End cont. (again)

Worlds End! Altogether its a 9.5km trek, 2200 metres above sea level. Worlds End itself is where the mountain comes to a sudden stop with an almost sheer drop of 880 metres, giving a pretty spectacular view. (It reminded me of Hanging Rock in North Carolina from last summer)

Its a long drop! Mum you will be pleased to hear that my shoe in this photo is as near to the edge as I went. 

Hanging Rock in North Carolina near the end of summer 2013 working at Camp Chestnut Ridge

Ella & Yala Weekend: Worlds End Cont.

A lot of the trek was up steep slopes or down rocky and slippy pathways but a large segment was also through the plains themselves. I found the plains to be easily likened to hills at home in Scotland! Apart from the odd bush with brightly coloured flowers that would look out of place at home. Some of the pathway was through dense jungle-like woods where leapords and shaggy-bear monkeys live. The shaggy-bear monkey, also known as purple-faced langur, is described to make a wheezy grunt. Although we didn't see any at one point I am very certain that I heard such a noise coming from above us! 

I think this could easily pass as being in Scotland

No leapords or monkeys on our trek!

up so high the clouds were there!

Ella & Yala Weekend: World's End

We had to leave the lovely hotel and our wonderful blanket-clad beds ridiculously early to head to Worlds End. In order to reach Worlds End before clouds or mist has obscured the view it is advised to start trekking reasonably early. Ella is about 2 hours drive away from Worlds End so we left the hotel at 4.30am!

Worlds End is found on a plateau high in the mountains called Horton Plains. (click the link for more info)

The first part of the trek, taking us to Mini Worlds End, was reasonably flat with some rocky terrain. It felt as though we were trekking through a dried up river bed. Due to being up high it was 'cold' so some people had come prepared with long trousers and warm jackets, as the tourist guidbooks suggest. My Scottish blood actually rather enjoyed the cooler weather for a change! I wore my shorts, a thin tshirt with a second tshirt on top although I soon got warm and took the second one off when we reached Mini Worlds End.

looking like a dried up river bed

At Mini Worlds End, NOT standing too near the edge mother :P

Jenn, ON the edge of Mini Worlds End

Ella & Yala Weekend: A Night in Ella

After the tea plantation we headed into the small mountain village of Ella where we were staying the night. Our hotel was up a VERY steep hill, it was quite a challenge getting the mini van up it! Once we got there we discovered a lovely wee hotel, which worked out as about £8 each for the night! I shared a room with Jenn and Hana. Each 'room' was a wee distance apart so it didnt feel like a regular hotel, it was most definitely good value for money! Due to being higher up in the mountains the temperature was amazingly cool. We had an amazing view of the mountains and plantations too.

Our hotel room, complete with creepy statues above the bathroom! Hana and Jenn were posing here...

View from outside our hotel room

Out for dinner in a nice wee place called Chilli 

Group selfie at the hotel

Ella & Yala Weekend: Tea Plantation

On Friday evening, before heading into Ella and to our hotel we stopped at a tea plantation. Sri Lanka is full of tea plantations and there were several in the mountains surrounding Ella but we specifically chose to visit Kinellan plantation due to Georgina having family ties there. Her grandfather was born on the plantation and lived there for a number of years as a child, and his parents had started the plantation. We paid for a ticket and got of inside the factory, where unfortunately we were not permitted to take photographs. I have never put much thought into how tea was made so it was very interesting to see the process from start to finish. The machines involved were all very old, most of them had dates of when they were installed and the majority of them dated back to the 6o's. I did wonder how it was done before the machines, like when Georgina's grandfather was a boy there. The factory was working and so it was full of local workers as we got shown round. It reminded me somewhat of photos from Tearfund or Fairtrade publications. We got a complimentary cup of tea and then headed back onto the road and onwards to our hotel for the night.

workers in the feilds

walking through the plantation