Bandarawela Hotel

The Hill Country

LoginSave

Around 90 years ago, they wisely stopped updating the furniture at this venerable tea planters’ club. Now, in the 21st century, this hotel is a jolly fine show. So don your pith helmet, walk shorts and long socks, settle into one of the easy chairs, and enjoy the classy bar. Rooms are small, but have original features and en suites with bath-tubs.

This genuine time capsule is high on atmosphere but low on modern amenities. Do check the website for online deals which can drop as low as US$50 a night. For colonial buffs this is worth the trip to Bandarawela alone.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • x-default

    Uda Walawe National Park

    26.45 MILES

    With herds of elephants, wild buffalos, sambars and spotted deer, and giant squirrels, this Sri Lankan national park is one of the nation's finest. In…

  • View from World's End within the Horton Plains National Park in Sri Lanka.

    World’s End

    13.8 MILES

    The Horton Plains plateau comes to a sudden end at World’s End, a stunning escarpment that plunges 880m. The walk here is 4km, but the trail then loops…

  • buduruvagala buddhist temple sri lanka

    Buduruwagala

    11.82 MILES

    The beautiful, 1000-year-old, rock-cut Buddha figures of Buduruwagala are the region's biggest attraction. The gigantic standing Buddha (at 15m, it is the…

  • Adisham monastery near Haputale, Sri Lanka.

    Adisham Monastery

    5.61 MILES

    This beautiful Benedictine monastery once belonged to tea planter Sir Thomas Lester Villiers. To recreate his English lifestyle, he developed some English…

  • View from World's End within the Horton Plains National Park in Sri Lanka.

    Horton Plains National Park

    12.85 MILES

    Horton Plains is a beautiful, stark world with excellent hikes in the shadows of Sri Lanka’s second- and third-highest mountains, Kirigalpotta (2395m) and…

  • Dambatenne tea factory that was built in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton, in Haputale, Sri Lanka.

    Dambatenne Tea Factory

    3.47 MILES

    This popular tea factory was built in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton, one of the most famous figures in tea history. The tour through the works is an education…

  • Uva Halpewaththa Tea Factory

    Uva Halpewaththa Tea Factory

    5.07 MILES

    The Uva Halpewaththa Tea Factory, 5km north of Ella, runs some of the better tea plantation tours in Sri Lanka. After you've enriched yourself with…

  • Yudaganawa Dagoba

    Yudaganawa Dagoba

    17.28 MILES

    Only the bottom third remains of this ruined dagoba, but the setting is evocative and your imagination can run riot with thoughts of how amazing it must…

View more attractions

Nearby The Hill Country attractions

1. Mosque

0.05 MILES

Smack in the centre of town on a busy junction.

3. Church of the Ascension

0.34 MILES

On the northwest side of town, this attractive stone church dates back to 1908, and was later extended in 1936 and 1938. Its tower was added in 1952.

4. Dowa Temple

2.8 MILES

The highlight of the charming Dowa Temple, 6km east of Bandarawela, is a 4m-high standing Buddha cut into the rock face. The walls of the adjacent cave…

5. Dambatenne Tea Factory

3.47 MILES

This popular tea factory was built in 1890 by Sir Thomas Lipton, one of the most famous figures in tea history. The tour through the works is an education…

6. Lipton’s Seat

3.9 MILES

The Lipton’s Seat lookout is one of Sri Lanka's most impressive viewpoints (unless it's misty and cloudy of course, which is why early morning is the best…

7. Ella Rock

4.51 MILES

This huge rocky outcrop looms over Ella. It's a popular hiking destination.

8. Rawana Ella Falls

4.51 MILES

The 19m-high Rawana Ella Falls are about 6km down Ella Gap towards Wellawaya. During rainy months, the water comes leaping down the mountainside in what…