Hatton

Once an iconic British hill station, the Hatton of today is a charming old town surrounded by undulating green slopes carpeted with tea bushes as far as the eye can see. The air up here is pleasantly cool, with misty mornings giving way to sunny afternoons and stunning panoramas out towards Adam's Peak, the Matterhorn of Sri Lanka.

Arrive in style by train from Colombo or Kandy, winding your way through hillsides, past plantations and over bridges, on a journey that is just as much fun as the destination. We recommend you head out of town and stay in one of the stunning converted tea planter bungalows run by Ceylon Tea Trails. It's a luxurious yet authentic experience of life on a tea plantation, complete with tea picking, factory visits and of course tasting. A more modern option is the newly constructed Camellia Hills, an upmarket boutique bungalow which makes a great base for enjoying the countryside around Hatton.

Hatton is also the launching spot for the popular hike up Adam's Peak, Sri Lanka's most dramatic mountain. It's been a site of pilgrimage for over a thousand years thanks to a footprint-shaped depression at the summit attributed to the Buddha himself. Pilgrims and tourists begin the ascent in the early hours in order to reach the pinnacle for sunrise, a magical moment and worthy reward for all that hard work.