ROAD TRIP PART 5: KELBURNE TEA ESTATE

The Kelburne Tea Estate, otherwise known as Mountain View, is where we stayed when we got to Haputale. This place, as you will see, is so gorgeous it deserves a post all of it's own. I think you would be hard pressed to find a more delightful place to stay - and we really just stumbled our way in. This place is mentioned in that vital piece of travelling equipment, The Lonely Planet Guide, which warns that you should book ahead. Still, Darren thought we'd just give it a shot anyway and, what do you know, they actually had a vacancy available for the two days we wanted to stay. Their next reservation was due a couple of hours after we were to leave.

There are 3 cottages at the Kelburne Tea Estate, which used to be the managers' residences, and their delightful charm has been maintained. Each cottage is assigned someone to take special care of the guests. They will bring your chosen meals to your table at the time you allocate and make sure everything is in place for you. The grounds are beautiful and the view is spectacular. You couldn't help but go crazy with the camera here.

Much better than a hotel, this place makes you feel like you have the whole world to yourselves. The cottages are well-stocked with reading material and there are also board games on offer. For the more active, there is badminton and a basketball hoop. And, of course, there is the surrounding countryside to explore. A particular interest-catcher are the sign-trees, which are adorned with boards painted by previous guests. We were thrilled to be able to leave our names at this piece of heaven.