Our second hike in Ella was to Little Adam`s Peak, which we did in between the two longer ones. We did this trip without a guide. It is a fairly easy hike and the path is marked by signs so it`s easy to find, and very popular among tourists! So expect to meet many other people from all over the world on this trip! On the two other more remote trips we did in Ella, we hardly met anybody, just some locals now and then.
The Little Adam`s Peak got it`s named after it`s big brother, the holy mountain Adam`s Peak, because of the similar shape. Adam`s Peak is further west in Sri Lanka, close to Nuwara Eliya, and is 2243 m high and a much more exhausting and more challenging climb! The mountain has however three names; Adam`s Peak (this is where Adam first set foot on earth after being cast out of heaven), Sri Pada (Buddha`s footprint left by the Buddha as he headed towards paradise) and Samanalakande (Butterfly mountain, where butterflies go to die). We had plans of climbing Big Adam`s Peak, but Espen hurt his knee so we settled for the “little brother” instead.
The path up the hill to Little Adam`s Peak is easy to find and is marked by signs showing the way next to the 98 Acres Resort, to the right of this white Buddha.
The beginning of the path goes through beautiful lush green tea plantations full of tea picking ladies.
If you want to know more about Sri Lankan tea and the tea industry, read: Would You Like A Cup of Sri Lankan Tea?
The Little Adam`s Peak, 1141 m high, is fairly easy to climb, with a good path all the way up.
The trip took us about 2-3 hours in total (including picture taking). We also met some Norwegians on our way up, which we stopped and talked to for a while.
On our way down we stopped at 98 Acres Resort, and had delicious lunch with spectacular views!
We had a great walk up to Little Adam`s Peak. It is not a challenging hike and it`s quite short, but gives you a good impression of the landscape around Ella and the view is fantastic! So absolutely worth the climb! If you don`t have that much time in Ella, I highly recommend taking the hike up to Little Adam`s Peak.
If you want to do some more hiking in Ella, and some longer ones, here are the two other we went on with a guide.
Where To Stay In Ella
Ella has mostly small family-run guesthouses but also a few higher-end boutique hotels. The recent popularity surge means that there is no shortage of accommodation options for any budget. Below are some of the best accommodation options in Ella, including their address and price, starting with the place we called home for 7 nights.
We stayed at Ravana Heights
By chance, we ended up at Ravana Heights and while we had originally intended to stay two nights we ended up staying for a full week. We especially enjoyed the new big and comfortable superior rooms with stunning views from the balcony. The location is excellent, you're just a short walk away from the main street of Ella with shops and restaurants.
The food at this hotel is fantastic! The breakfast is served on the terrace, with spectacular views over the Ella valley, mountains, and tea plantations. You are served pancakes, eggs, bread, jams, tea/coffee, juice, fruits, basically everything a good breakfast should have.
And the dinner, oh the dinner is delicious! The best food we have had in Sri Lanka, maybe the whole of Asia! It cost $15 and consists of several different tasty dishes including dessert. The dinner varies from day to day and is a fusion of Thai and Sri Lankan.
The owner Senadhi speaks perfect English (he studied at the London School of Economics). He is a great character and really makes you feel at home at Ravana Heights. He can also organize walks for you, with or without a guide, and will draw maps of hiking routes for you. We did two walks with a guide, and one without a guide. The other staff are also very sweet and couldn't do enough for us.
Click here to check the latest prices
Boutique hotels
Planters Bungalow Ella
An old converted tea planters bungalow located in a very peaceful and relaxing setting away from town. It's also one of the very few places around Ella that have a swimming pool to enjoy after a day of hiking. They have rooms set in the newly refurbished colonial bungalow as well as apartment-style rooms in a new building. Rooms are very comfortable and no two are alike. The staff is super friendly and the Sri Lankan style breakfast is very tasty. There is a $15 set dinner menu that changes every evening. It’s a great choice if you like a place to relax and enjoy the scenery and don’t mind being 20 minutes' drive away from the touristy and busy Ella town.
Click here to check the latest prices
Zion View Ella
The rooms here have floor to ceiling windows that truly let you admire the awe-inspiring view in all its's majesty. The rooms are cozy, well maintained and clean, with comfortable beds and hot water showers. Every room has a balcony with chairs for relaxing as well as a hammock. Wi-Fi is free and surprisingly fast. Despite being just a six-minute walk from Ella center, it's a quiet and relaxing place. Breakfast is plentiful and very tasty. It's a popular choice with families and there is a children's play area with toys.
Click here to check the latest prices
Guesthouses
La Montagna Resort
This is a new small hotel located a ten-minute tuk-tuk ride away from the city center. It has 3 large and spotlessly clean rooms with hot water showers and spectacular views overlooking the Ella gap. The service can rival any five-star hotel and the excellent breakfast is served on your balcony. It is free in-room Wi-Fi.
Click here to check the latest prices
Ella Guest Inn
If you want a place centrally located and close to the train station then this is an excellent alternative. It’s just a five-minute walk away from the station and two minutes from Ella center with its shops and restaurants. Standard rooms are in the old section and are a little small and worn down but the newly built rooms (2017) are very nice and spacious so it is definitely worth upgrading to a new superior room. It’s family-run and the owners are very friendly and helpful.
Click here to check the latest prices
Leisure Dream Inn
This family-run place is very popular so reserve your room early! The view is spectacular and the rooms are well furnished, clean and comfortable with hot water showers, fridge, cable TV and free Wi-Fi. The three brothers that run it are super friendly, and the mother cooks a delicious breakfast served on the terrace. It’s located on a quiet hill about 10 minutes walk from Ella Town. All in all, its fantastic value for money!
Click here to check the latest prices
Chamodya Home Stay
Basic but large and clean rooms with amazing views make this a popular budget homestay option. Breakfast is good and they serve delicious rice & curry dinner. Location is a 15-minute walk away from the city center.
Click here to check the latest prices
PIN IT FOR LATER!
Hover over the picture below, and press the green PIN IT button that pops up:
Can you see yourself climb Little Adam`s Peak? Please leave a comment in the comment area below! If you liked this blog post or found it useful, please share and like on social media! Thank you! 🙂
Woah … talk about an atmospheric place for a hike … climbing high things is fun enough, but among tea plantations and having a wicked restaurant/resort to stop at on the way back? Awesome!
Hi Jeremy! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Ella is truly a special place. We came to Sri Lanka expecting to love the beaches, and we did, but we ended up staying longer in the hill country inlands than on the beach! Quite amazing walking in this green paradise. Ofcourse it doesn’t hurt that you can stop and get a drink at a pool bar on the way back 😉
Thanks María. Sitting in the wonderful Café at 98 acres right now – just climbed to the peak and waked down to the 98 acres resort – loved the walk and thank you for the post – so informative!
Hi John,
Woooow, I can’t believe that you are sitting at the 98 acres cafe right now! Ahhhh, lucky you, I love that cafe! I miss Sri Lanka so much. So happy to hear that you enjoyed the climb to Little Adam’s Peak – my favorite hike!
Thank you so much for commenting, you made my day! 🙂
Cheers,
Maria
Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka looks so green and peaceful! I love the facts and the map you have in the sidebar – it’s always nice to have quick access to that stuff.
Thanks Katie! It sure was a really nice walk, with tea bushes everywhere! 🙂 It was not that challenging or long, but still amazing views.
Wow! These superb photos really make me feel like I’m almost there! I don’t know what kind of cameras you two are using, but these photos really pop! Not just how vivid the imagery is, but the skillful framing behind the lens. Keep the photos coming Espen and Maria, they are a delight to look at and coupled with your pithy captions and text, very informative. Very nice to see other parts of the world as someone is living it..
Hi James!
Thank you so much! You really made our day with your super nice comment! 🙂
We have to give most of the credit to Ella, it is such a beautiful place that it is hard to take bad photos 🙂
I’m actually a little embarrassed to tell you what camera we are using :). We had our camera bag stolen in Bangkok a couple of years back, and in it was most of our camera gear.
We haven’t been able to replace it yet, so all the photos on this website are taken with an old camera, a Nikon D90 Dslr from 2008. It is actually a pretty good camera, but it is getting a bit old. Works fine in daylight, but struggles a little when it gets darker.
The lens is a 18-200mm that we bought used a few months back.
Have to say that we love your enthusiasm, and feel really lucky that you are following along with us!
Thanks again Maria, it’s a pleasure to follow your blog. Not only is it well written and loaded with cool photos, but it’s also very informative. Growing up here in Southern California, I never would have thought that places like Bangkok, Vietnam and Sri Lanka were so cool. One of my friends, a nice gal from Japan named Aska just got back from about two months of travel in Korea, Hawaii, Japan and Alaska and has tons of cool facebook pics. I’m hoping she’ll write a few travel articles for my blog. But anyway, between her pics and yours, it sure makes me want to travel! Got an entry level Nikon DSLR but don’t know how to use it yet. Here’s to great travel pics!
Wow, your friend Aska sure seems to have been on a great trip! Have never been to either Korea, Hawaii, Japan or Alaska. Looking forward to reading her articles on your blog! Japan is on our bucketlist, hope to get there soon.
I might have to show up to her condo with a bottle of wine and help her get something posted. She has tons of photos but no desire to write. Before long she will forget the details.
That’s what makes your blog so cool. The pictures are awesome, of course, but its the timely content and trip descriptions that really make the photos come to life. Rock on Maria and Espen!
A million thanks James for those nice words! 🙂
Hehe, sounds like a great idea to give Aska a bottle of wine, hopefully that will motivate her into writing some blogposts on http://lazy-ass-hiking.com. Would love to see her photos and get some travel tips on places to go! We plan to visit Japan during this summer/ autumn. Have heard that Japan is expensive though, so we`ll see how long we can afford being there.
Thank you for this. We were wondering if it is safe to do Little Adam Peak on our own. Our hotel staff said it is very easy and will not get lost. We are going to do it today.
Hi Kit!
So nice to hear from you, and so cool that you are in Ella right now! Yes, Little Adams Peaks is a very easy hike to do solo, you really do not need a guide.
How was your trip to Little Adam’s Peak today? Did you enjoy it? 🙂
Hello thank you for this great blog. Im going to be in sri lanka next month and im trying to plan a bit of an itinerary. Did you just book your accom and then sort out the guides for your hike when you arrived? Id also like to know whether you recomend getting proper hiking shoes or if normal trainers are ok? Im also wondering if the weather in april will be good for hiking. Finally did you take malaria tablets as I have heard the mosquitos can be quite bad. I think I had better book a docs appt to discusd travel vaccinations and potentially malaria meds next week.
thanks candice
Hi Candice,
We are bad pre-planners, hehe, so we just booked the accommodations along the way on our Sri Lanka trip, usually only a few days ahead. As for the guide for our hikes in Ella, we booked him when we arrived in Ella. So we did not pre-book anything. You can book guides, tours and drivers at the accommodation you are staying at, that`s how we did it.
We did not have hiking boots, only normal trainers and good walking sandals (Teva), and it worked fine for us. Our guide even walked barefoot! 😀
We went on our hiking trip in Ella in March, and we had a few days with rain, mostly in the morning. I think the same goes for April, it can be a little rain so bring a raincoat.
We did not take any malaria tablets, but used mosquito repellent with DEET (spray and cram) both on our skin and clothes. We did not get any mosquito bites. I just googled it and the inland area of Sri Lanka has no to low risk of malaria. It seems like the risk of malaria is greatest in the north and east of Sri Lanka. But to be sure you should check with your doctor.
Have an awesome trip to Sri Lanka! I`m sure you will love it!
Love your blog! We’re off to Sri Lanka later this year. We’re travelling with a 5 years old. We would like to do the Little Adam’s Peak, but not sure about how suitable it is for the little one when it comes to security…Are there any parts of the climb/hike which are so steep that it’s not advisable to do it with small children?
Hi Trine!
Thanks for commenting, so glad you like our blog! 🙂
The climb to Little Adam`s Peak is more like a walk/hike than a climb, as you walk on a nice and steady path and steps. It is a very easy and accessible hike. So I would say it is safe for a five year old, and nothing to worry about. As long as the weather is ok as rain might make the path slippery. Especially Norwegian kids, who are used to walking and hiking in mountains, will have no problem walking Little Adam`s Peak. 😀
Ha en fantastisk tur til Sri Lanka og Little Adam`s Peak! Gled dere, Sri Lanka er et utrolig fint land, som jeg er sikker på at dere også vil elske!
Thanks for your great information on Sri Lanka. I’ve really enjoyed reading it and have found it very useful. I’m planning a holiday there in December so will definitely use some of your info and look into the accommodation.
Thanks 🙂
Hi Julia,
Ah, lucky you who are going to Sri Lanka in December. So happy to hear that you have found our information useful. We have also written a travel guide to Sri Lanka: https://nerdnomads.com/guide-to-sri-lanka.
Have an awesome trip to Sri Lanka! I`m sure you will love it just as much as we!
Cheers,
Maria
Smart move skipping “big adam’s peak” on account of Adam’s knee pain. I started “big adam’s peak” without any knee pain but ended up limping my way down! Next time we’ll have to check out little adams peak!
Hi Brandon,
Oh no, sounds terrible and painful limping down Big Adam`s Peak! Hope you are feeling better!
Yeah, I think it was a good decision opting for Little instead of Big Adam`s Peak, even though it felt like a let down at the time. Just another reason to head back to Sri Lanka then! 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Cheers,
Maria
Great Post! I followed your recommendations and booked a room at the Country Homes. We will go there next march so we have to be a bit patient 🙂
Aurelie | http://www.surface85.com
Hello i am going to be in Ella in December and we were thinking of climbing Little Adams Peak with our 2 children who will be 5 and 8. Do you think this is feasible and safe? 3 hours sounds like quite a long trek for small kids. Any advice would be welcome, thanks!!
Hi Gaby,
We spent 2-3 hours in total on this trip to Little Adams Peak. This included the walk up and down, stops along the way to drink some water and talk to people that we met, and a long break at the top where we sat down and had some water and snacks, enjoyed the amazing view and took a ton of photos. We took it easy on this trip, no stress. 🙂 The actual walk up took us about 20 minutes.
I would say it is more like a walk and not a climb. The very last bit towards the actual top is a bit steep, but nothing scary, and it is a very short part with stairs. If you wear the right shoes (not flip flops, but sneakers or good and steady sandals with straps), I think it will be doable for your children being 5 and 8 years old. The most challenging on this walk is the heat and sun, so bring plenty of water and some snacks, take breaks along the way, and wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, and you will be fine. But of course, if your children are not used to walking, it might be too challenging.
The view from the top is amazing, your kids will love it. It is a very nice walk through green and lush tea plantations where you will meet friendly and smiling tea pickers.
Have a great trip to Ella and Little Adams Peak!
-Maria-
Hi Gaby..it’s not hard to climb with 2 kids. According to my view it takes only 1h & 30min to climb the Mini Adam’s Peak. Other time is to take photographs. One client who came with me climbed the mountain with 2 years kid. Hope this will helpful. Thank You. have a wonderful journey & Welcome to Sri Lanka.
Loved it!! Very usefull tips and amazing photos 🙂 will be landing tomorrow in Sri Lanka. And btw; what a great looking website! Safe travels, Lars
Hi Lars,
Thank you so much for you nice comment!! You are awesome! 🙂
Checked out your webpage too, and I love it! You have done so much adventurous and exciting stuff! You will love Sri Lanka – the surfing, diving and kiting is amazing.
If you want to do some kiting, you should head up to Kalpitiya and visit our friends Johanna and Mondi at the Rascals Kite Resort: https://nerdnomads.com/kitesurfing-sri-lanka
The next time we go to Australia, I will contact you for some surfing lessons, hehe. 😉 We would love to learn how to surf, it would be a dream come true. Have an awesome trip to Sri Lanka! 🙂
-Maria-
Hi Maria!
Was lucky to come across your experience at the Mini Adams Peak. Was supposed to hike the Adam’s peak next week but recently been in/out of xrays and physiotherapy for a knee displacement. Do you reckon skipping the normal one and opt for Mini one instead? Ofcourse, will have to seprate with 2 other friens and hike this solo. Do you think it is safe? It is still a lovely view so i dont mind going alone!
Hi Nura,
The big Adam`s Peak is a pretty long and steep climb. It is a serious climb even for those in good shape, with 5500 steps. Altogether it is a 9 km round trip with 1km vertical ascent. So I do not recommend climbing it with a bad knee.
Espen aslo had a hurting knee when we visited Sri Lanka, therefore we skipped the big Adam`s Peak and climbed the little one instead.
Have a great climb! You will have a great view nomatter which one you choose, the big or the little one. 🙂
-Maria-
Hi Maria,
Thanks for all the tips! We’re going to be hiking Little Adam’s peak this December. What time would you recommend we start?
Hi,
Little Adam`s Peaks is more like a small hill than a mountain. I would say it takes about 1-2 hours to walk up and down. I would recommend that you do the hike in the morning or afternoon, then the sun is not that strong and the temperatures are more pleasant.
Have a great hike to Little Adam`s Peak! I´m sure you will love it, the view is awesome.
Cheers,
Maria
Thanks for the info. I’m going to climb it tomorrow.
Have a great time hiking the Little Adam`s Peak, David! Hope the weather is good.
-Maria-
Can you recall the path to little Adam’s Peak from 9-arch bridge?
Hi Ishthi,
We took a tuk-tuk to 98 Acres Resort and walked up to Little Adam`s Peak from there. It is a very nice and steady path which is easy to find. We have not been to the 9 Arches Bridge, unfortunately.
Have a great walk to Little Adams Peak!
-Maria-
Thanks, Maria,
I am bringing my Singapore friend to that spot, so our first activity will be the 9-arch bridge, then I assume that I take a tuk-tuk and reach to the doorstep of the 98-acre resort and then I believe that it is easier to find the Buddha statue and continue…
Approximately how long it would take to climb up and climb down from there if you can remember?
Sounds like a good idea, take a tuk-tuk from the 9 Arches Bridge to 98 Acre Resort. Just find the white Buddha statue and you`ll be fine, just follow the path.
We spent about two hours on the hike altogether, but we had a long break at the top enjoying the view and taking a lot of pictures. I`m sure you can do this hike in about one hour too, depending on how fit you are.
Have a great hike!
-Maria-
Really nice! We loved Little Adams Peak, especially that forest!
You have written this article with great admiration, keep it up and come again
Amazing! Thanks for the tips, me and my boyfriend Alex will be heading up Adams Peak early doors tomorrow before we leave Ella.
We just walked Ella Rock and saw the 9 arch bridge today. I’m not surprised you stayed a week, the area is so beautiful.
We are staying at Onestar Homestay, not far from the hotel you stayed at. The views from our balcony are amazing and at only £15 a night!
Jess
Hi Jess,
Thank you so much! Wooooow, so cool that you are in Ella right now and plan to do Little Adams Peak tomorrow morning! We really enjoyed the hike up to Little Adams Peak, the view is fantastic! We did not do the walk to Ella Rock and 9 Arch Bridge, unfortunately, as there was too much rain. But then we have a good reason to head back to Ella soon 🙂
Have a great time in Sri Lanka and enjoy your hike to Little Adams Peak!
-Maria-
I just wanted to say the info on your blogs are amazing! I’ve never been so impressed. And the pictures are amazing too. I just quickly skimmed 3 of them but I cant wait to take the time and have a chance to read all of it. I just wanted to say thank you so much for putting all of this up. I’m sure it took alot of work and I truly appreciate it.I usually have to look at 10 different blogs and still feel frustrated and unsatisfied when Im trying to research a place but this is amazing. I had no real interest on visiting Sri Lanka at all but a friend suggested it to me and Im so glad to stumble on this. You have definitely made me want to visit Sri Lanka and not just that.its now on my top five list. I cant wait to see this place. 🙂
Hi Lanie,
Wow, thank you soooo much for your awesome comment! You made my day! 🙂 I really appreciate it, it is super motivating for me to write more posts when I know they get appreciated by people like you.
Sri Lanka is an amazing country and I`m so glad that it`s now on your top five list. You have something to look forward to!
Happy travels! And again, thanks a million for commenting! You are awesome!
-Maria-
I have become addicted to reading your blog – just love it – thank you for taking the time and sharing your passion.
We are planning a 12 day trip to Sri Lanka in July and it is quite a tight schedule. At the moment we have 2 nights in Nuwara Eliya and 1 in Ella but I’m contemplating switching this around. We will definitely do Little Adams Peak but do you know if you can walk the 9 Arch bridge? Perhaps we should train across it instead?
Thanks
Belinda
Hi Belinda,
Thank you so much! So happy to hear that you find our blog useful when planning your trip to Sri Lanka!
The 9 Arch Bridge is actually quite easily accessible as it is quite close to the main street in Ella town. You can either take a tuk-tuk to the bridge (there is a tuk-tuk parking area just next to the bridge) or walk through the jungle for 20 min or so. The bridge is still operative so you can also take a train that crosses the bridge, we did that, but you don`t really see the bridge since you are right on it. So I think it`s best to take a tuk-tuk or walk there.
Have a great trip to Sri Lanka! I`m sure you will love this beautiful country!
-Maria-
Hi Maria,
Would you recommend this itinerary also in reverse order?
To start from Negombo and end in Colombo?
Thank you for feedback!
This website is amazing. I like it a lot. Good job.
Hi Marius,
Thank you so much!! Yes, this is a great itinerary to do in reverse as well. Then you save the beach time to the end which is a good idea. 🙂
Cheers,
Maria
Hi Maria
Thanks for your all tips. I’m planning to hike Little Adams Peak on coming weekend with my friends. Please let me know what time is a perfect time to start climbing in early morning??
Hi,
Thank you! You should start around 8:00/ 9:00 in the morning, then the temperatures are lower and you will have a more pleasant walk to the top.
Have a great hiking trip to Little Adams Peak!
-Maria-
Nice article. But it’s not 68 acres. It’s 98 acres resort
Thanks for catching that little typo Thara! 🙂
May I please know how many hours it takes both ways and when is the best time to climb. Hoping to be there in January 2019
Hi Camilla,
We spent 2-3 hours on the walk to Little Adam´s Peak (both ways). But we took it slow, and stopped along the way and at the top to admire the view. You might be able to do this walk in 1-2 hours.
-Maria-
We literally just completed the hike up to Little Adam’s Peak and are enjoying a beer at 98 acres. The climb to the top is 95% steps and is quite steep. I found myself out of breath a few times but people my parents age (60+) were decending which just means I’m out of shape. ????
The hike is absolutely worth it as the views are incredible.
Hi Steve,
Wow, awesome that you have just hiked Little Adams’s Peak and that you enjoyed the views! Hehe, I know exactly how you feel when older people are walking past you and are in better shape. ????
Have a fantastic time in Sri Lanka!
-Maria-