By rail. Ella's a few stops from Badulla at the end of the railway line that snakes through the Hill Country. Trains go to Colombo and Kandy from here. The fares are ludicrously cheap in 2nd and 3rd class, 2nd class fare, December 2007, Colombo to Ella was R200/- or about USD 2.00 and the views spectacular. It's usually no problem getting a seat in 2nd/3rd class going to Colombo or Kandy, as the trains from Badulla are quite empty until reaching Nanu Oya. However the reverse is true going up to Ella and it can be quite crowded until the last 2 or 3 hours of the journey. Ella's railway station itself is prettily quaint.
By Road. Buses go south through Ella Gap to Wellawaya where you can change for a number of destinations in the south of the island. There is also a recently introduced direct bus service to Galle which stops at various locations along the south coast including Mirissa and Unawatuna.
