Ella is a small village in the hill country of Badulla District, one of Sri Lanka's most popular destinations for its spectacular mountain scenery, misty tea estates, and dramatic viewpoints. The Nine Arch Bridge — a colonial-era stone viaduct surrounded by green tea bushes — is one of the most photographed sights in the country, especially when a blue train passes over it. The train journey to Ella from Kandy or Nuwara Eliya through rolling tea country is widely considered one of the world's most scenic rail routes.