After having lived some really interesting adventures while touring in the Sri Lankan hinterland, it was time to head back to the coast, from Ella to Arugam Bay, where I intended to settle for the few last weeks of my overwintering in Sri Lanka.
In order to get from Ella to Arugam Bay, one needs to drive via A23 road to the town of Wellawaya and follow the A3 road directly to Arugam Bay thereafter. The total distance is 133 km and should take roughly 3-4 hours by car.
From Ella to Arugam Bay by taxi or tuk-tuk
To get from Ella to Arugam Bay as quickly and comfortably as possible, one may want to hire a taxi or a tuk-tuk. There are a few taxi providers advertising themselves online but, just like anywhere, they tend to be way more expensive than if you deal with an independent driver on the spot. Just asking around, you shouldn’t have a problem finding a driver. Prices may vary greatly, and they always are subject to bargaining, but if you negotiate right, you should expect to pay between LKR 6,000 and 8,000 for a car, and 5,000 or less for a tuk-tuk.
From Ella to Arugam Bay by public transport
In my case, of course, I chose to get from Ella to Arugam Bay by public transport. I think it would be pretty pointless to pay 10-20 times more just to get there a couple of hours faster. Buses are the only mode of public transport between the two localities. The ticket cost should be around LKR 300-400 and no more than 500. The trip should last a minimum of 5 hours if you are lucky enough with the connections’ timing, but you should expect up to 7-8 hours as a more likely scenario.
There are no direct buses running between Ella and Arugam Bay. You must first catch one bus to Wellawaya from the bus stop by the main junction in Ella downtown. If you are lucky enough, you may then catch a direct bus from Wellawaya to Arugam Bay. Otherwise, you’ll need to change one more bus in Monoragala.
In my case, I was lucky and caught a direct bus from Wellawaya. I had to wait for the connection for about two hours. That was fine as I got the opportunity to have a look around Wellawaya (well, nothing too interesting around there, but alright for a short stroll) and have my lunch at one of the local places around the station. Furthermore, I was also lucky to find a seat on both the buses. The first one, quite surprisingly, was rather empty. The second one was rather crowded but I was fast enough to dart on it and secure myself a seat. The whole trip in my case took around 6-7 hours, starting at midday and arriving right by sunset.
A pretty frustrating, though funny, thing I had to deal with throughout the day was that dude from the guesthouse in Arugam Bay where I had booked my stay. Perhaps because he was anxious that I might in the end find some other room, he kept calling me the whole day; he literally might have called me 100 times. I only answered a few of his calls, of course. He would then ask me stressedly whether I’m getting close and inform me that he’d come to pick me up as soon as I get off the bus… And when I finally arrived, he didn’t show up but asked me to come walking! WTF!
Accommodation and Activities in Sri Lanka
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