Hatton and the countryside surrounding it lies to the west of Nuwara Eliya, in Sri Lanka’s glorious hill country. It’s an area of outstanding beauty; undulating hills draped in verdant tea estates are dotted with lakes, pine forests, twee churches, peeling colonial bungalows and ancient tea factories. The town itself is nothing to write home about, but it does lie close to Adam’s Peak; a conical mountain and focal point for pilgrims.

Little has changed in this area since the British started growing tea in the late 1800’s; tea is still the major employer in the area so it’s common to see women out picking during the day.  It’s worth staying in Hatton’s countryside to appreciate the luscious views and clean air.

Ceylon Tea Trails run four wonderful bungalows here, which are scattered in the tea plantations surrounding Hatton. These are some of the most opulent converted tea bungalows in Sri Lanka, and they offer the chance to stay in glorious colonial style comfort in the hill country. There are other incredible options though if you don’t quite have that budget, and they all have walking trails from them and incredible locations.

Hatton can be accessed directly from Colombo, which takes around four hours by car, but we recommend taking the scenic train to or from Kandy. This journey offers the most incredible views and is a charming experience.