Goatfell
Nuwara Eliya

Goatfell is a luxurious tea bungalow hotel on the Concordia Estate within the heart of Sri Lanka’s Hill Country. In its recently renovated rooms you can embrace the warmth of a bygone era. Goatfell’s restaurant provides a great dining experience, focusing on gourmet food and placing a concerted effort on locally-sourced ingredients. You can be a part of their curated experiences of things to do in Nuwara Eliya region or simply enjoy the staggering views of the colonial-era hill station from the comfort of Goatfell.

If you are after a small guesthouse then this is the place for you as there are only 4 bedrooms here – 3 spacious Concordia Double Bedrooms (Kandapola, Ragala, and Summerhill) and 1 charming Concordia Twin Bedroom. Each room gets its name from the local tea estate, Concordia, and comes complete with comfortable, colonial-style furniture, en-suites and private verandas with garden views. As the nights tend to be a little cool up here in the hills, each room at Goatfell is equipped with heaters, rugs, and hot water bottles and there are also traditional log-burning fireplaces, so you are bound to have a warm, restful stay. The kitchen at Goatfell promises food that is locally sourced with an all inclusive  breakfast followed by a ‘Planter’s Lunch’, before moving onto afternoon tea and later, an a la carte dinner. Our favourite spot to enjoy an evening drink is by the infinity pool that offer fantastic views, especially as you can also be spoiled by butler service here, too - bliss!

Located in Kandapola, this hotel is just a 30-minute drive from Nuwara Eliya and relatively close to Nanu Oya train station (20km away). We highly recommend exploring the bungalow’s own working tea estate as well as visiting Finlay’s Tea Factory nearby for authentic glimpses into local life here. For activities further afield, hike to Horton Plains, peer down the dramatic ‘World’s End’ and stroll through the reserve’s high-altitude cloud forest. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, we advise climbing Tothupola Kanda - Sri Lanka’s third-highest mountain - to be greeted by views over the rugged surroundings, which stretch out as far as Adam’s Peak in clear conditions.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson