Ashburnham Estate

Gorgeous grand bungalow on a working tea estate. This boutique stay is a little out of Matale and so worth the drive. It has only 6 double/triple rooms, which are beautifully furnished. They offer bed and breakfast, with the breakfast of toast, jam, fruit and eggs is simple but does the job. You can purchase both lunch and dinner with a choice of set menu (some sri lankan but also European dishes). The acreage is just stunning, worth doing the tea tour as it was very interesting. There is also a waterfall on the property and a pool, however the days we stayed it was rather cool. The house is a little run down, but still beautiful and ALL the staff are just wonderful. A big shout out to the Manager, who helped me sort out some train ticket issues and coordinated a driver for us at the last minute. The hotel is very relaxing, lots of spots to sit and read or enjoy the board games and outdoor activities in much cooler weather. It provides beautiful views of the mountain ranges. We would not hesitate to stay again (just make sure your driver checks the Google maps location before coming, we got a lost).

My daughter & I spent three delightful days at this unique hotel. Ashburnham offers a rare combination of attentive service combined with homely charm. Vish and the team could not have been more friendly, we look forward to visiting again.

Excellent! Lovely place to spend a few nights, the private waterfall/plunge pool on the estate was wonderful, the staff were very helpful and friendly, sitting out on the verandah at sunset (or any time really) was just heavenly. The only negative for me was that meals were a bit pricey

Relaxing time at Ashburnham We had always wanted to stay on a Tea Estate in the hills and this did not disappoint. A great tour of the estate was arranged either the Tea Estate Manager and was an excellent insight into how tea is grown and picked. Great views from the veranda. Staff most helpful.

Ashburnham is a really special place and feels like stepping back in time. It is still a small working tea estate and all of the accommodation are rooms in what was the estate owners house and that added a really authentic feel to our stay. The communal lounge was really nice, though we were never in there, all of our free time was spent at the lovely pool or, for meals and early evening drinks, out on the front terrace with beautiful views out over the hills. The bedrooms and bathrooms were very nicely furnished and comfortable. Something to be aware of is that there is no air conditioning and, although it is much cooler than down in Kandy town, we needed all of the windows open at night and, with no screens on the windows this resulted in some quite large spiders visiting. The tea tour with the estate manager was really interesting and the waterfall is a beautiful place for a dip before the arduous trek back up to the house. We were the only guests whilst we were there and it felt, at times, like they were not really fully open. There was only really one member of staff evident who filled the role of front of house, waiter, barman and fixer. He was great but, if he had gone off elsewhere, then we felt like we were living in a big house where we didn’t know where anything was or how it worked. It didn’t feel quite right to go into a “hotel” kitchen in search of milk for a cup of tea. With a little more attention to detail and customer service, this place could be a really unforgettable stay.

Don't miss the informative and entertaining Tea Plantation tour. The 400 vertical foot Hike to waterfall is rewarded with an impressive 50 foot high waterfall and is a refreshing swim in the pool below. 

No air conditioning in the historic 1930s plantation house. Meals are simple but you traveled the long winding road to experience life on a tea plantation a century ago. Well worth it. Such friendly welcoming staff make you feel like you're staying at relatives home.