Ella Forest Eco View

The courtyard was a lovely place to sit with morning coffee, and there are beautiful mountain views. The space was clean and roomy, with helpful staff and everything we needed. It’s near the forest trail to Nine Arch Bridge, and Ella town is a short walk away.

We could have breakfast on our terrace whenever suited us, with a mountain view, and the host was happy to drive us to different places. He also gave us loads of useful tips to make the stay better. The breakfast was local, and the price felt very fair. It’s a peaceful place to unwind and sleep well, while the main road is only a five-minute walk away. We really enjoyed our stay in Ella and would recommend it for a few days.

I’d booked a room ahead for one night so it would be ready when we arrived from Kandy. After struggling up the hill, we were told it wasn’t available. The woman was very rude and even argued with our driver. Apparently, our reserved room had been given to someone who turned up without a booking. That was extremely unprofessional. If the place was full, why accept walk-ins? We were furious, but fortunately found a better hotel nearby, Luna Ella. Its receptionist was kind and helpful, and they took us in straight away.

We spent four nights here. The double room we were meant to get had a broken toilet, so we were moved upstairs. We still had a lovely stay, and the upper room gave us a beautiful view and lots of privacy from the hosts. It was large, with a balcony, comfortable bed, strong ceiling fan and a spacious bathroom with hot water. There was also a fridge, hairdryer, kettle and glasses. The price was reasonable, and the quiet location worked for us: about a 20-minute walk from the main street, near a cheaper restaurant street, with stars visible at night. The room was dark, the Wi-Fi was poor, and the water pressure in the bathroom was weak. It wasn’t very clean, and there were plenty of ants and bugs, though we understood that it was near a forest in Sri Lanka.