Ceylon Tea Trails

Ceylon Tea Trails comprises five restored colonial-era tea planter's bungalows spread across private estate land above Castlereagh Lake in the central highlands near Dickoya, approximately 160 kilometres from Colombo and 20 kilometres from Hatton town. Each bungalow—Castlereagh, Tientsin, Norwood, Summerville, and Farview—accommodates between four and six guests, maintaining an environment closer to a private house party than a conventional hotel stay. Accommodation is offered on a fully inclusive basis covering all meals, teas, factory excursions, and non-alcoholic beverages.

The bungalows were constructed during the British colonial period between the 1880s and 1920s to house the estate superintendents who managed tea production for firms including Lipton and Dilmah. Ceylon Tea Trails, operated under the Dilmah tea family's leisure arm, has restored the structures while preserving their original character: ornate fireplaces, Persian carpets, period furniture, verandas overlooking Castlereagh Lake and the tea rows, and working pantries staffed by dedicated butlers and cooks.

Each bungalow has its own resident butler and cook who prepare menus tailored to guest preferences using estate produce and seasonal market ingredients. Meals can be served in the dining room, on the veranda, or packed into tiffin carriers for picnics on the estate. Afternoon high tea features single-origin teas grown on the surrounding estate.

Activities include guided walks through the tea rows, visits to the Norwood Tea Factory to see orthodox production first-hand, fly-fishing on Castlereagh Lake at 1,160 metres elevation, mountain cycling, and tennis or croquet on the original lawns. Access roads can be challenging during the inter-monsoon period; the property advises guests to confirm road conditions before arrival between May and September.