Sigiriya to Ella taxi: private transfer at a fixed price

The western route goes south from Sigiriya through Dambulla and Matale to Kandy on the A9, then climbs the A5 through Gampola, Pussellawa and Ramboda to Nuwara Eliya, and continues past Hakgala and down through Welimada and Bandarawela to Ella. It passes the most famous scenery in the country, the Ramboda tea estates, the waterfalls and Nuwara Eliya itself, but much of its length is on slow mountain road. The eastern route leaves the hills aside: it drops from the Kandy area to Mahiyangana on the hot Mahaweli plain and climbs back up through Badulla to Ella. It is less scenic in the middle, with fewer towns, and on many days it is the quicker of the two. Your driver will suggest the better one for the day; if you want the tea country, ask for the Nuwara Eliya road when booking. Allow about 6 hours 20 minutes driving, and eight to nine hours with lunch and a couple of stops.

Whichever route you take, the stretch from Sigiriya to Kandy is the easy part, on the straight A9 south of Dambulla. Kandy itself is slow to get through. On the Nuwara Eliya road, the A5 above Gampola is narrow and full of hairpins, with lorries and buses using the whole road on the bends; past Nuwara Eliya, the descent through Welimada is gentler, and the last climb through Bandarawela into Ella is busy with tuk-tuks. On the Mahiyangana road, the descent from the hills is a long series of tight hairpins, then a hot, straight run across the plain, followed by the climb from Badulla towards Ella, which is steep and winding. Both roads are slow after dark, and the eastern one passes areas where elephants cross.

For a day this long, comfort is not a luxury. Two people will be much happier in the comfort sedan than the economy sedan: more legroom, a softer ride and room for four bags. Families of four to six should take the Comfort van (6 seats), which gives everyone a window and helps with carsickness on the hairpins. Groups of seven or eight need the 8-seat van. Ella guesthouses are often up steep, narrow lanes off the main road, where a sedan can get closer than a van; send us the name of yours and we will tell you. Keep a jacket in the cabin for the tea country, and ask for child seats when booking, free of charge.

There is no railway at Sigiriya, but the hill-country line from Kandy to Ella is one of the great train rides of the world, and it suggests the best alternative: a car from Sigiriya to Kandy, a night in Kandy, and the train the next morning with your luggage sent on by road. The train from Kandy to Ella takes most of a day, and reserved seats sell out weeks ahead in season. Another way to soften the trip is two transfers, Sigiriya to Kandy or Nuwara Eliya, then on to Ella the next day. Buses would mean three or four changes. If you want the flexibility of stopping where you like over two or three days, car hire with driver by the day may suit you better than one long transfer.

Leave Sigiriya by 06:30 or 07:00. That gets you through Kandy before the mid-morning traffic and over the high ground before the afternoon mist and rain, which build on most days in the hills. You should reach Ella in mid to late afternoon. The Nuwara Eliya side is wettest from May to September; the Ella and Badulla side gets more rain from about October to January. February to April is usually the most settled period for the whole crossing. An arrival after 22:00 adds the 15% night surcharge, and in any case the mountain roads are best driven in daylight. Booking more than 14 days ahead takes 5% off.