Ella to Weligama taxi: private transfer at a fixed price

From Ella the driver takes the road down through the Ella Gap, past Ravana Falls right beside the road, to Wellawaya at the foot of the hills. From Wellawaya the route runs south through Thanamalwila across dry country of scrub and teak. From there the driver either continues towards Hambantota and joins the Southern Expressway, which runs west to an exit near Weligama, or cuts west past the Udawalawe reservoir and Embilipitiya and comes down to the coast towards Matara. Both take about the same time, and the driver picks the better one on the day. Without stops, allow about 4 hours 30 minutes. With a stop at the Buduruwagala rock carvings near Wellawaya or the Udawalawe elephant transit home, plan on six.

The first half hour is the most dramatic: a steep, winding descent of several hundred metres through the Ella Gap, with Ravana Falls on a bend and long views south over the plains. Take it slowly if anyone is prone to carsickness. Below Wellawaya the road straightens and the heat rises quickly. The Thanamalwila and Udawalawe stretch runs along the edge of Udawalawe National Park, behind an electric fence, and wild elephants are often seen standing at the fence by the road; drivers slow down but do not stop next to them. If you take the expressway from Hambantota, the rest is fast and quiet. Weligama itself sits on the busy A2 coast road, and many hotels and surf camps are on the beach side, reached by short lanes.

The economy sedan works for up to three passengers with three bags, and the comfort sedan for a couple with large cases and a bit more legroom on the descent. Families should book the Comfort van (6 seats), and groups of seven or eight the 8-seat van. Surfers, take note: if you are bringing your own board, tell us when you book and give its length, so we send a vehicle it fits inside. Many people arrive in Weligama planning to rent boards there, which avoids the problem. Child seats are free on request, and it is worth having a sun hat to hand for any stop on the hot plains.

There is no direct train: the hill-country line from Ella runs north to Kandy and Colombo, not south, so going by rail means a huge detour. Buses run from Ella down to Wellawaya and on to Matara or Tissamaharama, with a change, and then you need another bus or a tuk-tuk to Weligama; it is cheap but takes most of a day. Some travellers combine the drive with a safari, breaking the trip at Udawalawe or Tissamaharama for a night. If you want that, two separate transfers or car hire with driver by the day may suit you better than one transfer.

Leave Ella around 08:00 or 09:00 and you reach Weligama in the early afternoon, in time for a late lunch and an evening surf. The south coast season, with calm, clean waves for beginners, runs from about November to April. From May to September the south-west monsoon brings bigger, messier sea and more rain, while the Ella side is usually drier then. The Ella side gets its heaviest rain from about October to January, which can make the Ella Gap slippery. Morning is also the best time to see elephants along the Udawalawe fence. Pickups or arrivals between 22:00 and 05:00 add 15%, and the 15 December to 15 January period adds 10%.