Fake shortcut guides on the Ella Rock hiking trail

Asked about 2 months agoSeen by 3,038 travellers21 found this helpful
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Chloe F.6160 rep2
asked about 2 months ago

A farmer on the railway tracks told us the main bridge was broken and we had to pay him to show us a secret shortcut to Ella Rock. Scam.

21
asked about 2 months ago
C
Chloe F.6160 rep2

4 Answers from travellers

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is the classic Ella Rock scam. The bridge is never broken. Locals will intentionally misdirect tourists onto difficult, overgrown paths, get them completely lost, and then demand 3000 LKR to "rescue" them and guide them to the top. Just ignore them, keep walking straight on the tracks until you reach the Kithalella station turn-off, and use Maps.me.

23
answered about 2 months ago
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Suresh D.5700 rep1

If you do want a guide, hire one through your guesthouse, not a random guy on the tracks.

48
answered about 2 months ago
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Amali S.4040 rep1

They even paint fake arrows on the rocks to confuse you. Trust your GPS app over the hand-painted signs.

43
answered about 2 months ago
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Liam K.2785 rep2

We ignored him and found the path easily. So frustrating they do this.

10
answered about 2 months ago
C
Chloe F.6160 rep2

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