Ella & the hills Star rating [to confirm]
98 Acres Resort & Spa
Chalets built on a working tea estate, looking straight across at Little Adam's Peak.
Partner rate on request
Ask for our rate
Where to stay
Where to stay in Ella and the hills
A gap in the hills with a view straight through it, a famous railway bridge, and more banana pancakes per square metre than anywhere else in Sri Lanka.
About 6 hrs from the airport
Two nights
4 experiences nearby
Everything for Ella in one quoteHotel, driver and experiences together
Is Ella right for you?
Ella is small, steep and busy. The town is one road of cafes and guesthouses; what people actually come for is around it, on the tea slopes: Little Adam’s Peak, the Nine Arch Bridge, and the view down through the Ella Gap.
Where you sleep decides your trip here. In town you can walk out to dinner. On an estate above it you get the view and the quiet, and you drive down for anything else.
Good for
Walking, tea country views, and the train in from Kandy or Nanu Oya.
Not ideal for
Anyone who wants a quiet, undiscovered hill town. Ella is neither.
Worth knowing
The Nine Arch Bridge is busiest when a train is due. Go early or go between trains, and ask your driver which.
Which part of the area to stay in
| Base | Best for | To Little Adam's Peak |
|---|---|---|
| Ella town | Walking out to eat, and being on the doorstep of Little Adam’s Peak. | Walking distance |
| The tea estates above | The valley view and quiet nights, with a short drive into town. | [Drive time] |
| Towards Bandarawela | A larger choice of hotels and a cooler night. Further from the sights. | [Drive time] |
Hotels in Ella
Partner hotels our team has stayed in. Rates are quoted for your dates, never published.
Getting here, and getting around
Drive times are approximate and depend on the road and the hour. Every one of them is included when you travel with us.
From The airportIncludedabout 6 hrs
From KandyIncluded[Drive time]
From The south coastIncluded[Drive time]
Your driver brings you here from your last hotel and takes you on to the next one. Stops along the way, for lunch or a temple, are fine. Just ask. How the driver works.
Map: Ella & the hills with partner hotels and sights pinned
Partner hotels
Sights and experiences
Things to do near Ella
Private experiences run by our own team, added to the same quote as your hotel.
Photo needed: the hill country train crossing the tea estates between Nanu Oya and Ella
Kandy to Ella by train
- Duration
- Half day
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Tea factory and plantation visit
- Duration
- 2 hours
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Little Adam's Peak
- Duration
- 2 hours
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Nine Arch Bridge
- Duration
- 2 hours
- When
- All year
- Run by
- Genuine Sri Lankans
Routes that stop in Ella
Prefer a whole trip? These routes include nights here, with the driving included throughout.
Suggested route 10 nights
Sri Lankan Essential
Sigiriya, Kandy, Ella, Yala and the south coast
sigiriyakandyEllayalaweligama
Planning Ella? Tell us your dates.
We will check our partner rates for the hotels here and build the rest of the trip around them.
WhatsApp us
Send your dates and who's travelling. We'll reply with a plan and real prices.
Start a chatUsually within the hour, 7am to 10pm
Email us
Prefer email? Tell us what you have in mind and we'll write back with a full plan.
travel@genuinesrilankans.comReplied to the same day
Book a video call
Plan it face to face with a planner, and see the hotels and routes on screen together.
Choose a timeNext-day slots usually available
The planning team at Genuine Sri Lankans, answering from Sri Lanka