Where to go in Hill Country

We know, we know, we shouldn’t have favourites, but once you’ve clapped eyes on enchanting Ella, we think you’ll agree with us. At 1000-metres above sea level, surrounded by quivering peaks and mist-wrapped landscapes carpeted with tea, the scenery around this little mountain village is beautiful. Add the iconic Nine Arch Bridge and the trundling toy train (make sure you hop in a carriage for at least part of your journey down) and the stupendous views through the Ella Gap, all the way to the lighthouses of the southern coast, and we’d go as far to say it’s some of the island’s best. So, what to do when you’re not ogling the scenery? Ella is famous for its walking trails and routes range from gentle strolls to temples and tea plantations, to hardy hikes up Ella’s Peak and to some of the region’s most astonishing waterfalls.

There’s more than a subtle dose of the genteel about Sri Lanka’s Hill Country, but Hatton really does take the (cream-filled) biscuit. It’s the first stop on the train journey from Kandy and arrivals at the platform are greeted simultaneously by honking goats and chickens and the station manager, resplendent in cap and gold frills. Drive out of the town centre and you’ll pass colourful Hindu temples and row after row of lush tea plantations. The world’s favourite hot drink is really the focus of a stay here and you’ll have the pick of the factories to learn everything there is to know about the leaf-to-cup process. Hatton is also the closest point from which to hike Adam’s Peak, a 2,243-metre-high conical mountain with a sacred footprint rock formation thought to belong to Buddha.

Around 30 miles south of Nuwara Eliya is the Tamil town of Haputale. Clinging to a steep ridge with extraordinary views over the mountains, sometimes mist-laden, sometimes not, it’s the kind of place where time stands still and nature reigns supreme. One draw of the sparkling air will revive even the most travel weary, as will the crop of chic hotels that have sprung up in recent years. Close-by is Horton Plains National Park, a Narnia-esque grassy highland of ancient trees and swirling fog that is magical, mystical and a delight to explore. It’s the only park in Sri Lanka that allows hiking and the circular trail will take you on a wander through cloud forests home to monkeys, deer, mongoose and giant squirrels. Then, you’ll arrive at World’s End, a stunning escarpment that plunges 1000 metres into the seemingly infinite valley below – and that’s certainly worth the 8-mile round hike.

The entire Hill Country scores pretty highly in the photogenic stakes, but stealing the top rank is probably the ‘capital’ Nuwara Eliya. Translated as ‘city on the plain’, the hill station was once the favourite spot for imperial Brits to holiday (perhaps it was that familiar climate?!) and today, there’s still a strange sense of home around. On a wander, you’ll spot crimson letterboxes and croquet lawns next to estates of sari-clad tea pickers, and many of the mansions and mock-Tudor houses have been turned into fabulous boutique hotels, ideal for a G&T or three. Pottering and tea-drinking aside, Victoria Park offers excellent sightings of numerous, multi-coloured birds and the crystal waters of the dramatic Aberdeen Falls are worth a visit too. And how about rounding things off with a different type of ‘tee for two’ and a spot of golf on one of Asia’s oldest courses?