Nine Skies, Tea & Hill Country, Sri Lanka, Indian Ocean

Hugging a tea-wrapped hill and with lush views over Sri Lanka’s Tea Country, Nine Skies is a place where the pulse slows and the grin widens. Named after the ‘nine skies’ you can see through the Demodara Nine Arch Bridge – one of Sri Lanka’s most-photographed sights – this restored bungalow offers a fine viewpoint over this icon, as well as tea-covered contours for as far as the eye can see. Its five luxuriously decorated rooms and accompanying terraces are comfy spots from which to marvel at the emerald landscape, as is the hotel’s stunning infinity pool. Each room never strays far from the Tea Country’s colonial heritage, while contemporary touches complement the heritage-laden hideaways. The rooms and soul of Nine Skies may be British in origin but the food is firmly Sri Lankan, with the spread of rices and curries served on the veranda an excellent option. It’s tempting to just savour this fine vista with a good book and a cuppa, but there’s plenty of ways to get out and about. There’s plenty of walking routes to take, while a tea factory tour delves deeper into the region’s history. You can also visit colonial-era towns like Haputale and Bandarawela but the proximity of Sri Lanka’s most famous railway bridge means you just have to hop on a train for a chug through the Tea Country while you’re there!