Camellia Hills
Tea room
Top of the lake
Camellia Hills – in the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country – may have heaps of history on its doorstep, but this hotel is a thoroughly modern affair. The island’s Central Highlands are laid out before you: for the uninitiated, that’s a whole lot of plantation green (with Castlereagh Lake making a splash in the landscape). Non-tea-drinkers need not apply – this is a land where days are spent rolling from one tea estate to the next, with a backdrop of some seriously lush countryside that the British, back in the day, just couldn’t get enough of.
Facilities
Rooms
Five.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible for a fee, subject to availability. Earliest check-in: 2pm, also flexible.
More Details
Rates are usually full board.
Also
The hotel isn’t easily navigable for wheelchair users.
Free Internet Access
Laundry
Pool
On-Site Restaurant
At the Hotel
Free WiFi throughout, car park, bicycles to borrow, board games. In rooms: tea and coffee kit, free bottled water.
Our Favourite Rooms
There are only five and each has reason to be given props: whether it’s the terrace and French doors in Warleigh, the lake and hill views (plus bath tub) in Osbourne, or the connecting opportunities and extra bed for families in Dickoya.
Poolside
The plantation-flanked infinity pool overlooks the lake, for an entirely blue and green vista. There are a handful of loungers and a shaded ambalama (a place constructed for pilgrims and travellers to rest).
Packing Tips
The British imperialists just loved the cooler climes of the Hill Country, but make sure you’re braced for a breeze with some warm clothing.
Also
You won’t find a TV in your bedroom, but if you really can’t forgo the rolling news, there’s a communal one for guests to watch in the lounge.
Children
All ages are welcome. An extra bed (US$30 a night) and cot (free) can be added to all rooms if booked in advance. A food supplement applies daily for each child (US$60 for three to 15 year olds; US$95 for over-16s). The restaurant has a dedicated menu.
Gallery
Food & Drink
Top Table
Out on one of the wicker chairs, taking in the view while the fire warms you up.
Dress Code
Don something evening-breeze-proof.
Hotel Restaurant
The wooden-floored and -beamed dining room is a cosy space with just a handful of tables – there’s also an open-air terrace with a wall of windows for maximum lake views. The food keeps on coming around here – the rates include breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, not to mention a series of drinks whenever you want them. European options are available, but you’d be a fool to miss out on the Sri Lankan classics; the lentil dhal and roti is simple but superb.
Hotel Bar
There’s no formal bar, but drinks are available in the dining room and on the terrace all day.
Last Orders
The dining room is open from 7am until 10.30pm. Complimentary tea and coffee is served between 3.30pm and 4.30pm.
Room Service
Peckish but can't leave the pillow? Order nibbles to your room – problem solved.
Planes
Colombo’s international airport is only be 130 kilometres away but the drive will take around five hours. (Hotel transfers can be arranged.)
Trains
The closest rail station is in Hatton, with services from Kandy, Nanuoya and Bandarawela, among others. It’s an hour away by car.
Automobiles
The easiest way to get around Sri Lanka is to hire a local driver, who’ll be less alarmed when a cow, rickshaw and moped all appear in your lane at the same time. The final stretch of the road is the sort of condition that makes driving particularly adventurous – arrange in advance for the hotel to pick you up (free) if your driver doesn't have a vehicle hardy enough to tackle it. (There’s a car park at Camellia Hills for the brave.)
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
You’re in the heart of Sri Lanka’s tea country, where lush green tea plantations give way to colonial churches, island-dotted lakes, waterfalls and forests. The hotel can lay on a lesson in the art of Sri Lankan cooking, as well as excursions to explore the spectacular local scenery. Active sorts should take on the trek up Adam’s Peak, a 2,243-metre-high conical mountain which has a sacred footprint rock formation thought to belong to Buddha. The islands of the Castlereagh Lake can be hopped between on a hotel-arranged boat trip. Natural wonders in the neighbourhood include the cloud forests of the Horton Plains national park, and the St Clair waterfalls. There are various tea plantations around, but Dunkeld Estate is probably the prettiest thanks to its elevation pushing 5,000 feet. Also winning photogenic prizes is Nuwara Eliya, which translates as ‘city on the plain’ – the landscape is one of the Central Highlands’ most spectacular. The colonial-era Warleigh Church was built in 1878 and wouldn’t look out of place in a quintessential English village.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
