A hillside guest house on Passara Road in Ella, with mountain-view rooms, a garden terrace, a restaurant, varied breakfasts and free private parking on site.
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Ella Mount Relax Cottage is a small guest house on the hillside of Sapumaltenna, along Passara Road, about ten minutes on foot from the centre of Ella. Most rooms face the mountains, several of them through floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the valley and Ella Rock, and the Nine Arch Bridge and Little Adam's Peak are close enough to reach on foot before breakfast.
Five room types suit couples, groups of three and families of up to five. Every room has a private bathroom, and most open onto a balcony or terrace with mountain views; the two Mountain View rooms are air-conditioned, while the larger family and deluxe triple rooms are cooled by a fan.
Mornings start with breakfast on the terrace: continental, American or Asian, with vegetarian, gluten-free and kosher options, local specialities, pancakes and fresh fruit, plus a breakfast to go for early hikes. The restaurant, garden and lounge area make it easy to unwind after a day on the trails, the tour desk helps plan outings, bicycle rental, car hire and an airport shuttle can be arranged, and parking on site is free.
Ella Mount Relax Cottage has five room types, from a double for two to a family room that sleeps five. Every room has a private bathroom, and the first four also come with a private entrance, a minibar, a kettle for tea and coffee and a balcony or terrace facing the mountains.
The differences are about space and cooling. The Double and Triple Rooms with Mountain View, at 12.1 and 13.9 m², are air-conditioned; the Standard Family Room and the Deluxe Triple Room, both around 20 m², are larger and cooled by a fan. The Deluxe Double Room with Balcony, with its king-size bed, is a simple choice for couples.
Life at Ella Mount Relax Cottage moves between the garden, the terrace and the restaurant, where breakfast comes with a view and a breakfast to go can be packed for early hikes. Kids' meals are available too.
The tour desk helps plan hikes and day trips, and bicycle rental, car hire and an airport shuttle can be arranged. Laundry and ironing services, free Wi-Fi, free private parking on site, key access and 24-hour security complete the picture. Rooms are non-smoking, and pets are allowed.
Ella Mount Relax Cottage sits on the hillside at Sapumaltenna, along Passara Road on the eastern side of Ella. The village centre, with its cafés, restaurants and shops, is around ten minutes away on foot, and the Nine Arch Bridge, Little Adam's Peak and the Ella Spice Garden are all within walking distance.
Ella Railway Station is less than a kilometre away, about two minutes by car. After cyclone damage, the most scenic stretch of the hill-country line, from Nanu Oya to Ella, is running again, while the section towards Kandy and Colombo is still being repaired, so check the current timetable before planning. By road, Ella is roughly four to five hours from Colombo and three and a half to four from Kandy by private car, longer by bus. The nearest airport is Mattala Rajapaksa International, around an hour and a half away by road, and an airport shuttle can be arranged. The last stretch up to the guest house follows narrow, steep lanes, so a tuk-tuk is handy if you have luggage.
The Nine Arch Bridge is at its best before eight in the morning, while the tea gardens around it are still quiet; trains cross it only a few times a day. Little Adam's Peak is an easy walk of 15 to 25 minutes each way from the trailhead and lovely at sunrise, while Ella Rock is a longer two- to three-hour hike best started at dawn. Ravana Falls is about 15 minutes by tuk-tuk, and Lipton's Seat, near Haputale, makes a rewarding day trip. December to April is the driest, clearest time for hiking; June to September brings fuller waterfalls and fewer visitors, and around the New Year holidays in mid-April public transport is limited.
