Brilliant View Home Stay

The road up is in very poor shape, so with heavy bags I'd take a tuk tuk to reach the homestay. Once there, though, it was quiet at night, and we had our best night's sleep so far travelling through Sri Lanka. The beds were comfortable and smelled fresh. At breakfast, there was a wonderful view of the waterfall and Ella rock. The house is about 1 km from the city centre, and you can walk along the train track to Ella Rock and the small waterfall.

It's a good deal, with a rooftop and lovely views over lush green surroundings. It really feels like you're in the jungle, and the hosts are friendly. Everything was clean. It's about 1 km from the main street, up very steep hills, so a tuk tuk is a good idea. We walked each time to help digest all the great food we ate. A really nice place.

The setting is beautiful, with a scenic balcony where you can have breakfast and look out at the mountains. The accommodation also seems to have a shared kitchen. The room itself was very nice. But there was no hot water, even though I was told there would be. They said it might have been caused by a power outage, but I didn't feel they made much effort to tell me or help. Ella can get cool, and I chose this place expecting a hot shower. The hosts were friendly, but communication before arrival was difficult. I called several times over a few hours on the afternoon I was due to arrive, and nobody answered. When I asked, they said they'd gone into town and didn't have a mobile phone. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't arrived late.

The balcony and rooftop have great views of Ella Rock and the valley. It's also a great base for walking to Ella Rock. The family running the place were nice, did our laundry for a reasonable price, and made breakfast early when we asked. There's a communal kitchen and a computer that seemed to be available. Showers were hot with decent pressure. The rooms are basic, and the beds were okay. The walk into town is hilly. We did it several times, though the heat or carrying bags made it harder. Tuk tuks wanted a lot of money, so we walked instead. We stayed two nights and had breakfast both mornings. Highly recommend.