98 Acres Resort, Ella, Sri Lanka

The restaurant and bar area is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the menu boasts an array of local and international delicacies from fresh juices and string hoppers to banana lassies and of course – rice and curry!

Adjacent to the restaurant is the hotel’s swimming pool by which to spend a lazy day or two, or take a refreshing dip after a morning walk through the tea plantations to the top of Little Adam’s peak (about 25 mins – uphill – from the resort). If you still have energy to burn, 98 Acres has recently opened a gym, games room and (most importantly!) Spa 98, offering a dangerously enticing array of treatments, all using herbal lotions and potions grown and brewed on the surrounding estate.  

With Finlay’s Green Tea factory a ten minute walk from your room and the town of Ella just a short drive away, it is the location of 98 Acres, which makes it truly unique. The hotel is part of the Halpe Tea Estate and tours can be arranged for you to visit the factory (one hour away), although for those short on time, Finlay’s is a lot closer. Pop down to Ella for the afternoon or evening and sample a street side vegetable Roti or  join one of the daily cookery classes, where you will learn the tricks of the trade on how to whip up your very own rice and (9!) curries. Ella Rock is another sight not to be missed, accessible by foot (4 hour round trip from Ella) or for those on a whistle-stop tour, by tuk tuk or taxi (30 mins from Ella).