Wellawaya is a junction town in the dry south-east of Sri Lanka, and its main claim to fame is that the road to the coast and the road to the hills part company here. Around ten thousand people live in the town, which sits on flat, scrubby land at the foot of the escarpment, with the Uva highlands rising behind. Ella and Haputale, both in the hills, are a short climb away, and the contrast is sharp: from cool tea terraces you drop through bends and waterfalls to a hot, flat plain dotted with palms, paddy and thorn scrub.
The descent from Ella to Wellawaya is a fine ride in its own right. The road drops steeply through a series of hairpins, passing the Rawana Falls, with a view over the plain that stretches to the horizon on clear days. The surface is usually fair, but buses and trucks take the bends wide, and monkeys and stray dogs wander onto the tarmac. Rain can arrive suddenly, and the monsoon months bring heavy downpours and some landslide risk on the upper section. In the early morning, mist often fills the valleys.
Just outside Wellawaya, at Buduruwagala, stand seven rock-cut figures of the Buddha and attendant bodhisattvas, carved into a cliff face, with the tallest around fifteen metres. They date back many centuries and are still in good shape, with traces of white, red and orange paint. The site is quiet, set among trees, and a nice place to stop. Further south lies Yala, one of the best parks for leopards, and Udawalawe, known for elephants, so the area is a gateway to wildlife as well as to the hills.
Wellawaya has fuel stations, banks, small restaurants and shops, and it is the largest settlement for some distance, so it is wise to fill up. Food is simple: rice and curry, kottu roti chopped on a hot griddle, and sweet tea. Heat is the main issue, since the plain is far hotter than Kandy, so drink plenty of water. The best months are January to March and July to September, which are drier, and the ride is rewarded by the long, cooling descent.