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The Nine Arch Bridge In Ella, Sri Lanka: Ultimate Guide

The Nine Arch Bridge In Ella, Sri Lanka: Ultimate Guide

Ella is has become one of the major tourist hotspots of Sri Lanka and it is largely due to the epic scenery and hikes in the region such as Ella Rock and Little Adam’s Peak. However, it’s the smaller attractions, hidden gems, and laid-back vibes of the town that keep people in Ella for up to a week at a time. One of those unique attractions is the Nine Arch Bridge in between Ella station and Demodara station. In this blog post, I will share with you everything you need to know about visiting the Nine Arch Bridge in Sri Lanka.

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NINE ARCH BRIDGE IN ELLA

The Nine Arch Bridge in Ella is on the Demodara loop and spans 91 meters at a height of 24m. The beautiful nine arches make it a very picturesque spot especially as it is located in a dense jungle and agricultural setting. Behind the railway, a forest is booming, and below, tea leaves are being cultivated. It’s truly one of the most amazing places to visit in Sri Lanka.

If you’re interested in the trains and railways of Sri Lanka, you’ll my article about the iconic Sri Lanka train experience from Kandy to Ella.

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Best Nine Arch Bridge Guided Tours

If you are in Ella and looking to visit Little Adam’s Peak but also want to see Ella Rock and the Famous Nine Arch Bridge, there is a great day-tour that packs it all in. It’s extremely good value considering you can tick off all three attractions in just one day for about $70. It is called the Ella Three Icons Day Tour. It’s highly reviewed with hundreds opting to tick off these three bucket list items in Sri Lanka with one well-organized tour.

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Nine Arch Bridge History

The bridge was built at Gotuwala between the Ella and Demodara stations during the British Colonial period. Locally it is known as ‘Ahas Namaye Palama’ meaning nine skies bridge in Sinhala. The name derives from the visual experience. When you stand below the bridge and look up you can see the sky through the nine arches.

The unique part about this bridge is that it is built entirely from rocks, bricks, and cement with no use of steel or metals throughout the structure. The bridge was commissioned in 1941 and the story goes that as the bridge was being planned World War I broke out. The steel and metal materials destined to be used in the bridge were reassigned to be used for military purposes. The materials were then gathered in the form of rocks, bricks, and cement to make sure the bridge construction still went ahead.

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The Nine Arch Bridge Experience

Many foreign and domestic tourists gather around and on the bridge in the hour before one of the trains is scheduled to pass over the bridge. On the day I visited the train was scheduled for 1230 pm but it was an hour late. Better early than late in these situations

There are a number of cafes in the hills with vantage points of the bridge but down at the bridge is where you want to be. The Nine Arch Bridge has a huge bend in it so in my opinion standing on the side the bridge bends away from makes for the best photos and accentuates the arch.

It’s a great spot for drone photography and videography and my friend Martin was filming while I took photos. Here is the video he shot:

If you want to get photos and videos with no people on the bridge (there’s quite a crowd during train time), be sure to arrive around sunrise or sunset for the best lighting and to avoid the crowds.

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THREE TOURS I RECOMMEND IN SRI LANKA

Before we get into the list of the top things to do in Sri Lanka, I wanted to share with you three of my favorite tours in Sri Lanka.

Golden Hour Safari: The most popular safari tour is the Golden Hour Safari Experience in Yala National Park

Whale Watching: The Morning Whale Watching Tour from Mirissa Beach is one of the most popular activities in the entire country. See a variety of animals including blue whales, sperm whales, and dolphins from the observation deck.

Sigiriya Rock Tour: Discover the Sigirya rock fortress on a 2-3-hour walking trip which will provide an insight into the art, tradition, and history of Sri Lanka. Book your tour: Sigiriya Rock Climb Guided Tour

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MY TOP PLACES TO STAY IN SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka is a huge region so it depends on where you are and which of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka are on your list as to which accommodation will be the best. For example, when you are visiting Sigiriya Rock, Hotel Sigiriya is clearly the best choice!

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READ MORE SRI LANKA BLOG POSTS

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Tuesday 18th of February 2020

[…] Leia o post completo do blog aqui: Nine Arch Bridge, em Ella […]

Oscar

Tuesday 14th of January 2020

I was right. Demodara Bridge is in Ella

Travel Sri Lanka in style with comfort and enjoy an unforgettable tour experience – Starron Tours

Monday 7th of October 2019

[…] Read the full blog post here: Nine Arch Bridge in Ella […]

Monday 9th of September 2019

You write that : The bridge was commissioned in 1941 and the story goes that as the bridge was being planned World War I broke out. Possibly worth looking up a little bit of history........

Neil Wheadon

Sunday 13th of March 2022

Suspect it's a typo, date is 1921

Mani

Sunday 14th of July 2019

The Nine Arch Bridge Ella is one of the most iconic spots in the whole of Sri Lanka and rightly so. I am wondering how did you take jump pic? You have to be so accurate to take such pic.