Sri Lanka's hill country is one of the most beautiful mountain regions in Asia. The land rises steeply from the island's tropical lowlands into a cool, misty world of tea estates, waterfalls, forests and mountain villages, where the tea that made the island famous as Ceylon still grows on terraced slopes, and the colonial planters' bungalows, factories and railway of the nineteenth century are still part of the landscape.
The hill country's hotels range from restored planters' bungalows with a butler and a chef to luxury tents on a working tea estate and a hotel inside a tea factory. These are the 7 hill country hotels in our collection, from Kandy in the north to Ella and Haputale in the south.
The best hill country hotels in Sri Lanka at a glance
- Best for the classic planter's bungalow: Ceylon Tea Trails
- Best for an intimate all-inclusive stay: Camellia Hills
- Best for history and views: Thotalagala
- Best for Ella and its hikes: 98 Acres Resort & Spa
- Best for something unusual: Heritance Tea Factory
- Best for wellness: Santani Wellness Resort & Spa
- Best for glamping: Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge
Hatton and Castlereagh Lake
1. Ceylon Tea Trails, Hatton
Best for: couples, families and anyone who loves tea and history
Sri Lanka's first Relais & Châteaux property is five restored colonial planters' bungalows spread across the hills around Castlereagh Lake. Each bungalow has its own butler and chef and a swimming pool, and stays are all-inclusive, with high tea on the lawn, walks between the bungalows through the tea gardens and visits to a working tea factory. Read our review of Ceylon Tea Trails.
2. Camellia Hills, Castlereagh Lake
Best for: couples, honeymooners and small groups
With just five rooms and suites, Camellia Hills is a contemporary take on a planter's house on a hillside of tea above Castlereagh Lake. Butler service, an infinity pool facing the water and an all-inclusive stay, with rice and curry, afternoon tea and dinners by the wood fire, make it feel like borrowing a friend's beautiful country home. Read our review of Camellia Hills.
Nuwara Eliya, Haputale and Ella
3. Heritance Tea Factory, Kandapola, near Nuwara Eliya
Best for: history lovers, couples, families and travellers on a budget
Heritance Tea Factory is one of the most unusual hotels in Asia: a tea factory on the Hethersett estate, converted into a hotel while keeping its iron frame and factory windows. At about 2,000 metres, among the highest tea gardens in Sri Lanka, its rooms look out over endless terraces of tea, and one of its restaurants is set in a restored railway carriage. Read our review of Heritance Tea Factory.
4. Thotalagala, Haputale
Best for: couples, history lovers and walkers
A beautifully restored 19th-century planter's bungalow on the edge of the Haputale escarpment, Thotalagala has just seven suites, an infinity pool and some 4,000 acres of tea around it, on the estate where Sir Thomas Lipton built his tea empire. Lipton's Seat, one of the great viewpoints of the hill country, is close by. Read our review of Thotalagala.
5. 98 Acres Resort & Spa, Ella
Best for: couples and hikers
The most famous place to stay in Ella, the laid-back town at the heart of the hill country, 98 Acres is built on a tea estate, with chalets made partly from old railway sleepers looking across the valley to Little Adam's Peak. There is a pool, a spa and a hilltop restaurant, and the walk up Little Adam's Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge are on the doorstep. Read our review of 98 Acres Resort & Spa.
The hills around Kandy
6. Santani Wellness Resort & Spa, near Kandy
Best for: couples, wellness seekers and design lovers
Sri Lanka's most striking wellness retreat is a cluster of minimalist chalets on a former tea estate in the hills above Kandy, each framing a single view of the valley. It holds one Michelin Key, and its three-level spa, with a sauna, steam room and thermal salt pool, Ayurvedic consultations, yoga and food built around the six tastes of Ayurveda are all part of the stay. Read our review of Santani.
7. Madulkelle Tea and Eco Lodge, Knuckles Range
Best for: couples, families and walkers
On a ridge above a working tea estate, about an hour from Kandy, Madulkelle's luxury tents look out at sunrise across the valleys to the Knuckles Range, a wild, misty massif within the Central Highlands World Heritage Site. There is an infinity pool facing the mountains, an aromatherapy spa and yoga in a thatched pavilion, and guided treks lead into the Knuckles. Read our review of Madulkelle.
When to go to Sri Lanka's hill country
The hill country is pleasant all year, with warm days and cool nights; at the highest altitudes, around Nuwara Eliya, nights can be cold, so pack warm layers. The driest months are usually from January to April, the best time for clear views from Lipton's Seat and Horton Plains, for trekking in the Knuckles and for climbing Adam's Peak, whose pilgrimage season runs from around December to May. The south-west monsoon, from around May to September, brings rain and mist to the western slopes, but also lush green landscapes and fewer visitors.
How to plan a trip to the hill country
The classic way to travel through the hill country is by train, on one of the most scenic railway journeys in the world, from Kandy through Hatton and Nanu Oya, for Nuwara Eliya, to Ella. A good route is two nights near Kandy, two in the tea country around Hatton or Nuwara Eliya, and two in Ella or Haputale, before heading down to the south coast or a safari in Yala or Udawalawe. Roads in the hills are slow and winding, so allow plenty of time between hotels.
For more ideas, see our guides to affordable mountain hotels and infinity pools with mountain views, or explore all our hotels in South Asia.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best hotels in Sri Lanka's hill country?
Our favourites include Ceylon Tea Trails and Camellia Hills near Hatton, Thotalagala in Haputale, 98 Acres Resort & Spa in Ella, Heritance Tea Factory near Nuwara Eliya, and Santani and Madulkelle near Kandy.
Where can I stay on a tea estate in Sri Lanka?
Ceylon Tea Trails, Camellia Hills, Thotalagala, 98 Acres, Heritance Tea Factory and Madulkelle are all on or among tea estates.
Is there an affordable hotel in Sri Lanka's tea country?
Heritance Tea Factory, a converted tea factory near Nuwara Eliya, is one of the best-value stays in the high tea country.
When is the best time to visit Sri Lanka's hill country?
January to April is usually the driest period, with the clearest views.
