Ella, Kandy and the Tea Country, Sri Lanka

We absolutely love this little boutique retreat, on a working tea estate high in the hills outside Ella town. With its low-slung, sloping roofs and flower-filled garden, the house is utterly charming. Its original owners definitely had an eye for a fine view: the pillared entrance porch opens on to a perfect lawn, at the end of which a shimmering pool and sundeck fall away to a yawning expanse of emerald mountains that will take your breath away. There’s a definite hint of the colonial twilight indoors, where impeccably upholstered wingback armchairs sit elegantly alongside four posters and drapes in soothing hues.