98 Acres Resort & Spa, Ella, Sri Lanka

Where it is

The resort lies just out of town on the road to Passara, below Little Adam's Peak. The classic way to arrive is on the hill-country train from Kandy or Nuwara Eliya, a famously beautiful ride, then a short tuk-tuk hop to the hotel.

Within easy reach are the Nine Arch Bridge, the hike up Ella Rock and Ravana Falls, and day trips run out to Horton Plains and the tea estates around Haputale.

Chalets

Reclaimed materials are the theme: old railway timbers form decks and walls, and floors are of rough granite. Every chalet has a balcony over the tea and the valley, and some suites have private pools. The paths between them thread through the tea bushes, so you feel part of the estate.

Spa, food and the rest

There is a pool looking over the plantation, and a spa where Ayurvedic treatments are the speciality. Restaurant 98 sits on its own small rise, serving Sri Lankan dishes alongside Western and Asian plates, and a pool club comes into its own at sunset.

Staff can organise estate walks, a visit to a tea factory, an early climb of Little Adam's Peak and a trip to see a train cross the Nine Arch Bridge. The paths are steep, so bring sturdy shoes.

The moment

An easy climb up Little Adam's Peak before breakfast, straight from the resort through the tea, timed for the moment the sun breaks through and the mist spills out of Ella Gap towards the plains. Later, wait at the Nine Arch Bridge for the blue train to snake across the viaduct.

Why we chose it

98 Acres offers a memorable setting, real character and good value. It is popular and can feel busy, so it suits travellers who enjoy a little life around them, but the views and design make it the most rewarding base in Ella.

For a quieter, more exclusive tea-country stay, continue to Thotalagala; for a wellness reset, begin at Santani.

When to go

The resort is open all year. The hill country is driest from around December to April, Sri Lanka's busiest season, and October and November tend to be the wettest months.

For quieter weeks, aim for late January to March, after the Christmas peak, or the shoulder months of May and September, when visitor numbers drop and rates usually ease; expect mist and the odd shower, though the eastern hills around Ella are often drier than the western slopes in the southwest monsoon.

The longer stay

Two or three nights is ideal for the hikes, the train and the views. Ella is a natural midpoint on a three-week Sri Lankan journey: Kandy and Santani, the railway through the tea country, Haputale and Thotalagala, then down to the safari parks of Yala or Udawalawe and the south coast.