Ashburnham Estate

Ashburnham Estate is everything you dream of when imagining a peaceful, boutique escape in Sri Lanka – and more. From the moment we arrived, we were struck by the breathtaking setting, nestled amidst rolling hills and lush tea plantations. It has a wonderfully intimate, homely feel, with just the right touch of rustic luxury. We stayed in the family room which was beautifully decorated and incredibly comfortable. The staff were outstanding – warm, friendly, and genuinely couldn’t do enough to make our stay special. The food was delicious – make sure you try the Sri Lankan curry, it was a highlight! We loved sipping drinks by the private waterfall – a magical experience we won’t forget. The tea plantation tour was both educational and fascinating, and added a lovely touch of local culture to our stay. Although we weren’t there for the pool, it’s worth noting that the pool area could benefit from a little maintenance – though this didn’t detract from the overall experience. Our only regret? We only stayed one night. We’d absolutely recommend staying at least two nights to truly soak in everything Ashburnham has to offer. A hidden gem – we can’t wait to return.

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).

This is a great place to recharge if you’ve been on the go for a while. It’s secluded and very quiet. I think there’s only 6 guest rooms so you’ll have all the peace you need. The rooms are probably a bit ….rustic, and conveniences like fridge, A/C, tea and coffee facilities aren’t provided. That said the staff are fantastic and will bend over backwards for you. Are special shout out to Vish. He goes above and beyond to please. Oh, and the food was exceptional.

The service here was nothing short of incredible. The service from Vish especially was fantastic, he was always smiling and very fast with the food. Really enjoyed my stay here and Vish made sure to make us feel 100% comfortable and happy there. Highly recommend coming here. Additionally the waterfall nearby is a must to go.

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.

We had an enjoyable time at Ashburnham but the hotel is in need of some TLC to keep it looking like the photos on the website. Our first night was in the smallest room (The Bay Room) which looks out at a wall. The room just needed some money spending as the sofa had water stains on it, the paint was peeling and the white wall and floor outside was grey and unattractive to look out on - not helped that dogs had done their business out there! We were moved after one night to a much nicer room - although still the windows did not shut properly and you could not lock the door (not that this was a problem for us in such a small hotel but still I mention as it may be for some). The food is ok but the Western dishes are priced very highly. The first night's dinner was not very nice (perhaps we just ate after other guests and our fish had been left for a long time as it was very dry and came in a pineapple sauce which seemed odd.) After the first night we asked for Sri Lankan food and the staff were super accommodating (especially lovely Vish) and the food we ate after that was very good and was offered to us at half the price of the Western food. The staff are lovely and we greatly appreciated their efforts taking a picnic down to the lovely waterfall for us. We also did a nice guided walk up One Tree Hill and saw much more tea than is visible around the hotel. (I mention this as the tea was a big thing for me. My husband was born on a tea estate in India and I have always wanted to go and see a tea estate, but now there is very little actually around the hotel at Asburnham and the trees have been allowed to grow so tall that the views from the hotel are limited.) All in all, the staff are great, very friendly and hard working, but the owner needs to spend some money on the hotel as it simply does not look like the photos.