Highlights
- Fabulous mountain setting
- Set in a 100-acre tea estate
- Waterfall swims, tea picking, cycling, hiking
Start planning your tailor-made trip by calling one of our specialists on 855 686 7694
EnquireThe Ashburnham Estate is an impressive 100-acre tea estate set in the hills near Kandy, in the very heart of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle with stunning views of the Knuckles Mountains. Nearly two-thirds of the estate is made up of well-tended tea fields and this pristine property sits at an altitude of 800 metres so while the weather is generally very pleasant, some periods of rain are to be expected. Dating back to the 1930s, much of the property’s colonial-style features have been beautifully preserved, making the hotel a very charming place to stay with plenty to do both on the expansive estate and further afield.
There are just six bedrooms, each with a unique design. The rooms are on-the-whole bright and airy, with large windows admitting plenty of natural light and opening out onto spectacular views of the surrounding mountain scenery. There are four double rooms, plus a designated family room and the Ashburnham Suite which is considerably larger than the others. All rooms come with a ceiling fan and complimentary tea, coffee and cake provided throughout the day. Note that there’s no air conditioning, though given the high altitude, this is of no huge concern.
One of the main draws to Ashburnham is the chance to spend time exploring the lush, unspoiled estate. Swimming at the secluded waterfall is a wonderful highlight, plus there’s a lovely pool to enjoy. It’s possible to learn all about the tea cultivation process and have a hands-on look at how it’s all done. Mountain biking on the estate is very popular, as are hiking and walking through the rugged, undisturbed landscapes. A little further afield there’s the culturally rich city of Kandy to explore and visits to Sigiriya, the ancient and astounding near-vertical rock fortress, and the Dambulla cave complex with its fascinating collection of statues, paintings and murals, are a must.
Families are welcome, and while there are no child designated activities as such, children will love the pool which has a shallow end just for younger ones and there’s plenty for them to do both on the estate and beyond.
Dear Lisa. On behalf of the three generations of the Rowland family. Thank you, so much, for organising our wonderful holiday to Botswana and the Victoria Falls. The trip of a lifetime. The week mobile camping in the bush, with our guide Nandos and his crew was a fantastic adventure. How they manage to cook such wonderful food on an open fire is amazing. The sites were constantly visited by monkeys and once by elephants. We were even lucky enough to see two packs of wild dogs, once with a kill. Waterberry Lodge on the Zambezi River is a wonderfully tranquil place. Ideal to relax after the adventures of our safari and visiting Victoria Falls. Very many thanks once again
Godfrey R
reviewing Private Mobile Family Safari in Botswana
on 25 September 2023
We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil
Philip R
reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach
on 01 September 2023
It was certainly a holiday of a lifetime for us and we loved every minute!! The standard and location of each accommodation was excellent, as was the variety of each different accommodation type. Our schedule was perfect and we managed to achieve everything on our to-do task list. Your documents were also really helpful, as were the driving directions. We all thank you for making this such a wonderful holiday. Happy to leave a review publicly if you point me the right way. Best Steve
Stephen H
reviewing Classic Garden Route & Eastern Cape Safari
on 01 September 2023