Tour of Sri Lanka 2025 | Day 11 | Ella – Colombo | 199.9 kms

I wake around 5am to prepare for my long journey. By 6am, I’m packed and loading my bike from the parking lot near the entrance. I hit the road around 7am, the weather cold and misty, and thankfully I have my gloves. Leaving Ella, the serpentine roads become less crowded, revealing tea plantations, jackfruit trees, and Eucalyptus trees. I stop to photograph one such location.

Along the way, I stop at various locations where the backdrops are really nice. I also start to notice many Hindu temples. Around 1hr of riding and the mist clears up as I slowly make my way down to the plains. Paddy cultivation can be seen everywhere. I encounter various towns along the way and at one of them, I stop to have my breakfast around 10am.

I try the local snacks and wash it down with tea. There after the traffic increases slightly as people start to move out. I battle the city traffic at 2-3 such instances. Without the bike moving, I start to sweat. The roads continue to be a single carriage way for 75% of the duration and mostly serpentine. Overtaking requires skill. After crossing Horana city, the roads get wider and become dual carriageway. I increase my speed as the last 30kms are a pure pleasure to ride.

The last 10kms to my hostel which I booked during one of the pitstops, I ride along the coast with sea and railway line to my left. The traffic is intense and the weather is clear and sunny as I weave past the vehicles to reach my hostel. I park in the basement, check-in is smooth. The hostel is grand and so are the rooms. I freshen up and then head to the Pettah market for some shopping. I roam endlessly for 3 hrs around the market looking for the things to buy. The crowd is intense and gives me feeling of similar market in my city. The market is crowded to the max and moving around requires some effort.

Vehicles coming from behind create nuisance. I finally settle for one tshirt and as I leave the market, near Khan clock tower, I buy some souvenir items at a cheap price. The sunset is just round the corner. I have marked a place on my maps from where I want to witness it. Booking a taxi/2 wheeler is a hassle as many of them reject it. Finally, I get one without the app. A tuk tuk but it’s not allowed on the last stretch of the road from where I would witness the sunset. It’s only 1km to drop location .

As I walk towards the Colombo Port city beach, I witness the magnificent sunset, my first time in Sri Lanka. Upon reaching the final spot, the sun has already gone below the horizon.

I roam the area around clicking pictures and spend my remainder of the day trying out street food and relaxing at the Galle Face beach till midnight. The tall buildings lining up the Galle Face roads are a sight to see. They really shine like a star in the cold windy evening. I don’t miss a chance to photograph them. I think, I must have broken my ‘walking steps’ record today. I have walked a lot. Finally, feeling tires in my legs, I book a taxi back to my hostel and crash on my bed.