This Hike Made Me Fall in Love with Sri Lanka Again
it's not about the destination it's about the journey although the view from the top is a great reward so maybe it's a little bit about the destination for this hike oh yeah look at this nobody comes down here because no one else is crazy like me wow what an amazing view over here the first viewpoint is great but this second viewpoint is better I think most people don't even know about this he carries all the stuff up here by himself every single day okay yeah eat I know you said 350 but how about 5,000 all right found a parking space for the tuk hello right now I am just outside of the popular tourist town called Ella here in the beautiful country of Sri Lanka and today I'm going to hike up to a very popular viewpoint that I actually have a view of this place from where I'm staying it's called Ella Rock and there's a hike to get up there super popular thing for people to do when you visit this area and I want to take you along for this journey to see what it's like to hike up to the top of Ella Rock and this is where we start I am driving a tuk tuk around I just parked right up there and here is the train station you route directions to this train station and you start walking along the train tracks this way there's also some places apparently along this trail that you can get some snacks and drinks just like this cool over here they have rice and curry kottu fried rice noodles pasta bunch of food and drinks anyway I was talking about Ella and why this place is so popular it's also because of where it's located so this is we are in the mountains but we're not too far north of the south coast and the south coast is extremely popular for tourists again for good reason because it is gorgeous some of the most beautiful beaches in this country I love it so much I'm going to be going there after this but we're pretty close to there so that's why it's really easy to get here there are so many amazing places around this country and actually the reason I'm here right now it's not my first time in Sri Lanka I think this might be my fifth or maybe my sixth time honestly I've lost count at this point hold on let me check my app I think I'm going to have to go this way yeah okay this is the first turn up here little farm over here more people hiking so the reason I'm here in Sri Lanka right now one because I just love it so much and any opportunity I get to come here I will take um but the main focus is to plan a group trip and there are so many so many places I love around Sri Lanka it's like it's such an incredible destination for a traveler because for a few different reasons one because it's an island so it's like one Island it's really easy to travel the roads are really easy to navigate also just diversity in the Landscapes and nature like in the center of the country we have these lush green mountains with rivers like this and when you have rivers and mountains you get waterfalls there are waterfalls everywhere just look how beautiful this is so we have these the center like the South Center of the country is filled with just incredibly astonishing Landscapes um and then again we're on an island so naturally there's going to be beaches and specifically in the South and on the East Coast are some of the best beaches in this country world famous surfing as well they have surfing competitions here and the really cool thing is they alternate Seasons so there is like a dry and rainy season here so in the South when it is the on season it's the off seon in the East and then the opposite so when when it's the off season in the South it's then the good season in the East so no matter what time of year you come here there's always beautiful beaches with amazing surf if you're into surfing even if you're not into surfing still just lovely beaches Tropical Paradise another reason I love this country so much is the people such friendly kind welcoming lovely people and a lot of people speak English too so it's nice to be able to connect with others just look at this like such a great environment to grow just to grow plants so all over there are just so much so much life everywhere so much growing right now I'm actually walking through tea this is a little Tea Plantation and there's a woman up here trying to call me over showing me tea she wants to show okay I'll go over here she's she wants to show us how she picks tea okay okay I come here let's go whoa so I'm recording videos with my phone right now and I was walking up to these ladies who were picking tea and my phone store was just full so I just talked to them for a while but none of that recorded anyway uh I'm glad I stopped over here because I just looked at the map and I I'm walking the wrong way so that's the benefit of having all Trails I have to go back here and find the right way let's see where we're going I need to look at this app ah this is the right way I was distracted talking to you I didn't realize this path right here when I walked over this bridge I just continued walking this way cuz that looks like a clear path but this is actually the correct way to go up here apparently but yeah this is all tea look how beautiful this is sorry I'm getting distracted a lot out here but like I was saying I'm hosting a group trip so if you are interested in traveling with me and coming to see the beauty of this country well I didn't mean to make a rhyme like that but I'm planning on hosting a group trip in 2025 so there will be some information in the description of this video or or you can just message me on Instagram @steveyalo even if you don't want to come on a group trip just go follow me on Instagram anyway love to connect with people oh boy yeah gorgeous what a beautiful place okay let's continue walking check this out I've seen a couple can't even talk I've seen a couple of these so far they look like rocks just upon initial glance but I'm pretty sure if I'm not mistaken that this is a termite hill this is actually built by termites there's a few others if you look around you could see more there's one right here there's another one up there another one small one right here but yeah this is all made by termites I think there a bunch of ants in this one those are not termites but if uh if I'm wrong about that somebody please correct me in the comments and if I am correct about that please verify in the comments I'm pretty sure that's what that is got another little hello how are you another little stand over here selling fruits and snacks we're going to continue though we don't need a break yet so we're not there yet we're only about halfway but already starting to get some epic views look at that wow so green we are going to continue going up and over there somewhere and but already like look at this so beautiful but let's continue let's keep making our way up to the top got one pit stop over here this guy is selling some things over there what do you have over here some fruits nice some juice okay niceSri Lankan flag cool pit stop and get a coconut I'm not quite ready for a break yet I'm going to continue on but good to know that there are multiple places along this trail to get a little snack juice fuel up some energy some little benches over here you can sit down admire this view but we are going to continue on this trail all right the first part of the trail it's pretty easy not going to lie now the elevation is increasing getting a little bit more challenging but it's good exercise check this out we're hiking up a little stream water's flowing down here that's pretty cool it sounds so nice so peaceful yeah baby this is great definitely getting steeper and steeper as we get higher but it's still manageable and uh for anyone who's not very experienced with hiking don't let this intimidate you you can do it take as many breaks as you need stop enjoy the view there's no rush it's not about the destination it's about the journey although the view from the top is a great reward so maybe it's a little bit about the destination for this hike but still take your time enjoy go slow and uh feel alive for me that's what hiking does it really gets my blood flowing m movement is just so good for your body and your brain so it's my biggest recommendation like find a trail just go walk doesn't even have to be up doesn't have to be here if you're watching this right now wherever you are in the world I encourage you to find a hike it can be one kilometer it could be 10 it could be five miles it could be one it doesn't matter just get outside go breathe in nature surround by trees and natural beauty it's lovely I didn't record that interaction but I was just hiking up and I heard two people speaking and they sounded American I heard their accents and I looked at them I said hey Americans and they were they were pretty young a couple I believe a guy and a girl and uh I asked them where they were from they said New York no way that's where I'm from I said Long Island they live in Manhattan they're from original originally like Los Angeles and Pennsylvania but it's kind of rare to meet American Travelers out here a lot of people from all over the world Europe Australia but not many Americans if anyone from America is watching this you got to get out here explore Sri Lanka this place is amazing or just come with me on my group trip let's get some more Americans out here but you don't have to be from America to join me on my group trip by the way we're going to be driving tuk tuks around it's going to be a great experience and even if even if you don't want to drive the tuk tuk we can match you with someone who will drive you I encourage solo Travelers or anyone if you're a couple or you have some friends but I feel like holy moly I'm out of breath but I feel like sometimes if you have a friend to travel you'll just go but the benefit of coming in a group like this is sometimes your friends are you may not have friends who are willing interested or able to travel but if you happen to stumble across my videos and you don't have someone who's willing to travel with you I am so come join me and make some friends some lifelong friends that's what uh that's what these trips are all about okay we're almost there I think all right so now there is a fee to pay we're almost there almost there we have made it to the top looks like maybe this is where you have to pay ticket counter nobody's here right now this guy's here hello how are you good I heard it's a special discount day today what today father mother it's my birthday it's my day it's your day what's your name yes thanks to meet you how much is the ticket 930 930 okay all right got my ticket 930 rupees here's the price for others locals much cheaper and children half the price istuthi thank you thank you I was actually here about five years ago and there was no fee to pay this is all new I don't know how new it's been 5 years since I've been here but let's go take a peek at this view we're here oh yeah yes yes yes so much yes oh I got dogs up here too what's up puppies hello you want some love yeah you're good boy or girl a chill dog wow amazing right wow check this out that's a view yes please thank you very much it's one of those things that the camera will just never do it justice let me hop down here how much further can I go oh look this little trail that goes down there I'm going down he just looked at me and said you're crazy I am crazy let's see the biggest reward for hiking up this a beautiful view oh yeah look at this nobody comes down here this one just stops at the top because no one else is crazy like me oh yeah just a shear cliff look at it look at it look at it love it oh boy yeah it's one of those things that seeing it in this video hopefully it looks cool but it never compares to actually being here in person wow so over here let me zoom in this is the town of Ella there's like one main road that has a bunch of restaurants and shops and bars um and then it's just spread out with tons of accommodations like small boutique hotels and guest houses and hostels just all through these mountains and even like over here too on the other side and a all these have a view of where we are right now and actually the place I'm staying it's like you can probably see it from here yeah it's uh oh I think that's it right there with the green roof that's where I'm staying huh cool so there's a bunch of people at the Viewpoint now but there's a second Viewpoint if you continue this way which I feel like some people might not even know about people just come up here chill on that rock for a little bit and then just go back down but you can continue going this way and we will go see what that looks like Viewpoint is that is that the logo for Viewpoint right up this way we're almost there walking through this Tall Grass still the trail there we go you can see the view over here but we can continue to down there so there's a view oh look at this it's a shrine right here huh Buddha and looks like an elephant tusk wow oh my goodness look at that wow that view is crazy just a cliff just so green too there's a waterfall over there look at the waterfall wow I think that might be raavana Falls I could be wrong but this is beautiful wow wow wow let's continue down here this is the edge oh yeah wow the view over there was really nice but there's a lot of people starting to gather there look at this oh there's one person thought nobody was here wow wow this is amazing yeah okay if you come to Ella rock you definitely don't want to miss this second Viewpoint cuz this is wow look at that wow what an amazing view over here this like wall of green there's a waterfall over there so beautiful this second Viewpoint is like the first view Viewpoint is great but this second Viewpoint is better and I think I think most people don't even know about this a few other people came over here while I was flying my drone but wow wow wow I'm going to say wow 100 more times so walking back down the mountain right now stopped to get myself coconut with this beautiful view here in Sri Lanka they call this tambili it's a king coconut it is the best oh my goodness so good when you're done drinking it it's not over cut it in half and you eat the inside there it is get a little handle for you to scoop out the good stuff second try there we go okay yeah eat you come here every day yes wow how many years you come here two two this my home that's 10 km 10 km yes and how do you get here yes this the carrying the ra and the scooter yeah this carry and then you carry so you take a scooter to the bottom and then you carry yeah where you bring the Coconuts coconuts and what else what else do you have water bottle water and fruits yeah this the Box this the carry you carry this yeah can I see what's in here one second what do you have oh just all your supplies this down the my home yeah wow no people this the yeah so you come up here two three the uh down yeah yeah Google Google Google Map yeah Instagram Google Map P this the Press juice the clean view point this the bottle Lo fresh juice oh fresh juice yes and where is that here yeah here so you're on Google Maps here yeah oh wow okay a I leave you a good review on Google Map can I see that again so you have Google Maps yeah yes boom Ajit fresh juice bar that's you yeah all right got 33 good reviews five stars very nice I will uh take a photo and I will leave you a review on Google Maps very nice I love it it's smart good job take okay I'm going to eat my coconut just like this you scoop it out boom it's hard to do with one hand and then you eat it it's not just a drink which is also a very hydrating drink but it's also a great snack too and how much 350 350 okay I know you said 350 but how about 5,000 okay thank you for you okay thank you thank you my friend thank you you're welcome okay thank you good luck I hope everybody comes here and buys some things from you okay thank you sir and I'll leave you a good review on Google I'll see you next year I'll be back he carries all the stuff up here by himself every single day and uh I've seen so many people just walk by without buying anything the coconut was supposed to be 350 it's just over a dollar and up here I feel like he could probably charge a lot more just because of supply and demand you can't really get a drink anywhere else he also makes fresh juice I didn't get that cuz I didn't I just really wanted a coconut I love those but if you come to Ella Rock stop at either Ajit or there's a few more uh people along this Trail toward the bottom who have little shops set up too so I encourage you just try and support local business as you travel like I said it was 350 I wanted to give him a little bit of a tip so I give him 5,000 and um you don't have to do that but just buy one coconut help support the guy get some juice like one of the reasons I feel so motivated a few reasons I feel so motivated to try and give back to the people of Sri Lanka and just everywhere I travel wherever I meet nice people like I I I I've had such amazing experiences here in this country and mostly because of how welcoming friendly and nice these people are it's just so special so this is kind of just my way of trying to give back and pay it forward to more people of Sri Lanka all right right now I'm very hungry and I have a local friend who I actually haven't met yet I'm going to meet him tomorrow and he recommended a place to get food here his friend his family has a restaurant and I'm going to go dry it out apparently it is the best food in Ella so we're going to go put that to the test and that's going to be in the next video I think this video is long enough so I'm also tomorrow I'm going to meet up with that local friend I was just talking about his name is Janik and he his family has a lovely guest house that I've heard so many great things about and I'm really excited to go there it's it's not here it's a couple hours away from here and I'm excited to take you there tomorrow he he said he's planning some unique local experiences for me so I'm very excited to see what we're going to get ourselves into I invite you to subscribe and please like this video it really helps I'm getting lost right now I need to take out my phone and look for directions I'll see you in the next video peace
2025-02-28 00:31
