Quick answer
Choose Nuwara Eliya and the high tea country for a honeymoon if you want colonial planter's bungalows, log fires, cool air and estate scenery, and choose Ella if you want mountain views from your room, easy walks and a small village with cafes. Nuwara Eliya is best from January to April and is wet from May to September, when Ella is drier. Ella is also roughly two to two and a half hours closer to Yala and the south coast. With four hill nights, do two in each.
Key takeaways
- Nuwara Eliya sits at roughly 1,900 metres and Ella at roughly 1,000, so Ella is noticeably warmer.
- The train between Nanu Oya, for Nuwara Eliya, and Ella takes about three hours.
- Ella lies in the rain shadow during the south-west monsoon and is drier from May to September.
- Planter's bungalows with butlers are found mainly in the high tea country, not in Ella.
- Ella is roughly two to two and a half hours from Yala; Nuwara Eliya is four to five.
Two very different hill stays
Ella and Nuwara Eliya offer different versions of the hills. Nuwara Eliya is a town of red-roofed bungalows, a racecourse, a golf course and market gardens, surrounded by the highest tea estates. Its charm is nostalgic and its weather is bracing.
Ella is a single street of cafes and guesthouses at the head of a dramatic gap in the mountains, through which you can see the southern plains on a clear day. Its charm is in the views and the walking. It attracts a younger crowd and stays up a little later.
- →Nuwara Eliya: heritage, tea estates, cool and misty.
- →Ella: views, walks, cafes, milder.
- →Both: on the scenic railway.
Where you would sleep
Accommodation is the clearest difference for a honeymoon. The high tea country around Nuwara Eliya, Hatton and Dickoya has restored planter's bungalows with a few rooms, gardens, fires and staff who serve every meal. It is a house-party style of stay, quiet and enveloping.
Ella has small hotels and lodges built along the ridges, many with balconies or glass walls facing Ella Gap, and some with pools. They are less formal and usually cheaper. The best are a few kilometres outside the village, away from the music on the main street.
What you would do
Activities differ in energy. Around Nuwara Eliya, days are gentle: a tea factory, a stroll by Gregory Lake, high tea, and for the keen, the dawn walk to World's End on Horton Plains. The weather often suggests staying in.
Ella encourages you outdoors. Little Adam's Peak takes 45 to 90 minutes return, Nine Arch Bridge is a short walk through tea, Ella Rock is a half-day hike and Ravana Falls is ten minutes down the road. Cooking classes and massages fill the afternoons.
- →Nuwara Eliya: Horton Plains, tea factories, gardens.
- →Ella: Little Adam's Peak, Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Rock.
- →Either: the train ride between them.
Season and route
Season can settle the question. From January to April both are good, and Nuwara Eliya is at its clearest. April is its crowded holiday month. From May to September the south-west monsoon brings wind and rain to the western hills, while Ella, on the eastern side, stays largely dry.
Route position matters as well. Nuwara Eliya is closer to Kandy, about four hours by train. Ella is closer to what usually comes next, with Yala two to two and a half hours away. Staying only in Nuwara Eliya makes the onward drive to Yala four to five hours.
The verdict for honeymooners
The verdict for most honeymooners is to match the hill stay to the mood wanted. For a romantic retreat with service and firelight, choose a tea bungalow in the high country. For views, fresh air and a little independence, choose Ella.
With four nights to spare, two in each is ideal, linked by the best three hours of the railway. Lankan Stays & Trails suggests the tea bungalow first, so that the journey flows downhill towards Ella, Yala and the coast.
- →Two hill nights, January to April: tea bungalow.
- →Two hill nights, May to September: Ella.
- →Four hill nights: two and two.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ella or Nuwara Eliya better for a honeymoon?
Nuwara Eliya and the surrounding tea estates are better for a classic romantic retreat in a planter's bungalow. Ella is better for views, walks and a relaxed village feel. Many honeymooners prefer the tea country for atmosphere and Ella for things to do.
Can we visit both Ella and Nuwara Eliya?
Yes, with four nights in the hills. Spend two near Nuwara Eliya and two in Ella, and travel between them by train from Nanu Oya, which takes about three hours through the most scenic part of the line. With fewer nights, choose one.
Which is colder, Ella or Nuwara Eliya?
Nuwara Eliya is considerably colder. At roughly 1,900 metres it has days of about 20°C and nights that can drop below 10°C. Ella, at about 1,000 metres, has days in the mid-20s and mild nights. A light jumper is enough in Ella.
Is Ella too touristy for a honeymoon?
Ella's main street is busy and can be noisy in the evenings. The surrounding ridges are peaceful, and hotels a few kilometres out have the same views with none of the bustle. Staying outside the village solves the problem for most couples.
Are there tea bungalows near Ella?
A few estate bungalows and plantation hotels lie within an hour of Ella, around Haputale, Bandarawela and Demodara. They are less numerous than in the Hatton and Nuwara Eliya area. They suit couples who want bungalow character with Ella's drier summer weather.
Which is closer to Yala and the beach?
Ella is closer. It is roughly two to two and a half hours from Yala and three and a half to five from the south coast beaches. Nuwara Eliya adds about two hours to each journey, since the road passes through or near Ella.