Romance in Ella

The property is quaint and rustic, thoughtfully put together and run by caring people. It's a little hidden inside Ella; call ahead with your arrival time and they'll come get you. Sanjeeva himself picked us up at the station. Nearby restaurants and cafes can take some effort to reach, with uphill or downhill climbs depending where you're headed, but the property is beautiful. We woke to the sun rising over the hills and peacocks calling from the jungle. The fresh, appetising breakfast spread leaves you satisfied both physically and mentally. We'd absolutely recommend this place and love to come back. Getting here turned out to be one of the best decisions of our Sri Lanka trip, after the worst one: we arrived via the Ella Odyssey, a full 12hrs journey that cut almost 4-5 hours from our time at this lovely property. The one drawback is the number of bugs, ants, millipedes and lizards. They don't bother you, and killing them isn't the custom in Sri Lanka, so if you're okay with peacefully sharing the place with them, do stay here.

You can reach town with a short, pretty walk along the train tracks, which is part of what makes this place so charming. Romance in Ella really lives up to its name: it’s a lovely spot for couples, with gorgeous views and welcoming owners.

The balcony view was lovely, and I especially appreciated the privacy. A great place to stay.

The views are probably the best I’ve ever had from a guest house or hotel. With the glass front opening onto nature, you can watch birds from the balcony or hammock area. The place has a distinctive style, the bed’s mosquito net is great, and breakfast brings something different each day. A few things need attention. The bathroom looks beautiful but doesn’t ventilate well, so it stays hot. The curtains dividing the bedroom from the living room don’t work properly, and some living room lights were out. The bedroom also gets stuffy, so we needed the balcony door open with the fan on to get cool air in. If you don’t like animals indoors, be aware there may be geckos, ants, snails, and perhaps a mouse. They didn’t bother me, just a heads-up.