Hill Safari - Tea Estate Villa

Our stay here was the perfect end to a month's backpacking round Sri Lanka. Eomal, owner of Hill Safari, has been here 40 years, and was kind to recommend lots of walks, and tell us lots about the area. He kindly picked us up from Ohiya station, and also drove us to Horton Plains. Hill Safari is perfectly placed for beautiful hikes through stunning scenery. Nice places to sit out in a beautifully-tended garden. Breathtaking views. Lovely staff and great food. We were very sad to go! Thank you, Eomal.

About 10 KM to Horton Plains NP, exceptionally lovely scenery. Proximity to the NP is marred by the abysmal road conditions, driving on which can be bone crushing- even though this is not the fault of the owner. The manager and the staff are excellent, they try to serve you with full attention and to the best of available resources. Description on the website is accurate and the owner writes promptly and clearly without fanfare or lies. Food is excellent, although they tend to limit the portions- say one small piece of chicken per dinner plate!! Even so, food is excellent and they make what you order. Rooms are well appointed. Bathrooms are not very clean. Again, this is not due to lack of staff or resources but carelessness, which is a shame. Rooms are otherwise well appointed. Overall though one should expect more for the price you pay for the room and board. By local standards this place is expensive. Given the poor road condition, proximity to the park is not that meaningful and staying in other places may be better. Make sure that you take cash, because CC don't work neither here and certainly not at the main gate of the Horton Plains NP which attracts many tourists but has no facilities for the money you pay as a foreigner, which is also a shame for a country struggling with financial hardships.

Our stay was quite magical, especially due to the exquisite setting and excellent service. The views of the forest on the way were incredible. We saw fantastic sunsets, and sun and moon rises. We were fortunate to have a solid driver-an essential for navigating the hairpin turns. The staff were attentive and kind and proud of their service legacy. The food and tea were stellar. My main suggestion would be for better care in making sure the bathrooms and bedsheets were better cleaned. Those aspects were a bit rough-luckily there was hot water. Finally, Horton Plains is an amazing place. Just be sure to bring local cash since they don’t take credit cards and you don’t want to miss the phenomenal sights and moderate hike!

Local, reasonable and beautifully situated as a pivotal part of our daily hikes and exploring the mountains and tea plantations of Sri Lanka. Claude and Raseka looked after us so well, they were attentive and friendly and provided us with endless cups of tea. The rooms were simple but clean, the shower pressure is low but the water is hot and the local food was delicious. A lovely spot to recover after a long day of walking.

We had a lovley stay at hill safari. Claude took good care of us. Although it was rainy we enjoyed it! Amazing view and great food. Also the the room was very clean and nice with the glas front! Thanks again to Claude and the staff! We will come back any time