Hill Country

Sri Lanka’s Hill Country is a beguiling blend of mist-draped mountains, emerald tea estates and colonial charm. Here, cool air meets warm hospitality in a landscape shaped by nature and history – ideal for those seeking serenity, adventure and understated luxury.

The Hill Country is Sri Lanka at its most refined and romantic. From the rose-tinted lanes of Nuwara Eliya – once a favourite retreat of British planters – to the spectacular setting of Ella, the region offers a compelling mix of heritage, scenery and highland charm. A journey by train through this lush interior is a quintessential Sri Lankan experience: terraced tea fields, waterfalls and cloud forests unfold in slow, dreamlike succession, with iconic landmarks along the way like Nine Arches Bridge near Ella, a masterpiece of colonial engineering.

Luxury travellers can unwind in historic bungalows or elegant boutique resorts tucked within working tea estates, sip single-estate Ceylon teas at source or hike across Horton Plains to the dramatic precipice of World’s End. Nature, wellness and adventure go hand in hand here, from spa treatments infused with local botanicals and invigorating walks in the Knuckles Mountain Range to break-of-dawn climbs up sacred Adam’s Peak and white-water rafting on the rivers of Kitulgala.