Reviews of Different View

The view from the terrace was very nice. Breakfast portions were big and everything was delicious. Bed was comfortable. Very friendly and helpfull staff. No laundry service at the location but they offered to take our stuff to the laundry service in the city (1000 LKR/kg). Very peacefull location.

The apartment is located on the end of a long and twisty path into the jungle which was pitch black in the night (doen’t have to be a bad thing but keep in mind if you have problems with walking on the edge of the jungle in the night. We alway hired a tuktuk to take us up). The pillows had a bad odour so we covered them with some of our clothes (to be fair, we did not mention this to the staff). Room had a bad smell. Only turkish coffee for breakfast.

The structure is overall nice, located away from the noise of the city centre, and the breakfast was good.

Unfortunately, the place is still under construction, and this definitely impacts the overall atmosphere and view. What really affected our experience, however, was the staff. Before arriving, we asked several days in advance if it was possible to book a cooking class, and we were kindly assured that it was confirmed. Once there, we discovered that nothing had actually been arranged, and it was too late to book on the day. The most unpleasant incident, though, was the overcharging of the tuk tuk service provided by the property. Not only were the prices far above local rates, but the driver — who is also part of the staff — was rude and aggressive. For example, for a short 7-minute ride, we were asked to pay Rs 1500. On the way back, we found another driver who charged Rs 600 for the same trip. When we pointed out the unfair price, the reaction of the staff driver was extremely rude and unprofessional. On top of this, despite having agreed on a late check-out (just one hour later) the day before, the following morning we started receiving messages and calls from the host complaining about why we were still at the property. I don’t know if this was related to the tuk tuk episode or not, but overall the communication and transparency with the host were very poor. As paying guests, we would have expected to be treated fairly and respectfully, rather than feeling taken advantage of.

The views from the rooms were amazing. The hotel was also close enough to the town to walk in, but far enough away that we weren't bothered by the noise there. Our hosts were friendly & knowledgeable & the breakfasts were lovely. WiFi is good.

The track to get here was not easy to navigate for our driver, but our hosts were kind enough to take our cases to the car in their tuk tuk. Stair access to the rooms was not easy if your mobility is reduced so please be aware of this. No tea or coffee making facilities in the rooms. No room service available when we stayed but there are a lot of restaurants within a 10 min walk.

Very welcoming and attentive staff. Organised all our tuk tuks and tours for us which was very convenient. Quick to answer any questions we had and was always very helpful. Comfortable bed with duvet. Couldn’t recommend this stay more and do tours through them.

Nothing.

Nalaka and his family were delightful. We arrived in rain by train and later than planned and upon arrival we received tea and biscuits which was a lovely touch. The accommodation was clean and comfortable and the the mountain views are lovely. The terrace we had was shared with two other rooms but large enough for everyone to have space. Its a short walk into town along the track then onto a main road - there are tuk tuks available at this junction which we found useful. We also had a tuk tuk trip up the mountain side to the monastery with Nalaka's father which was incredible (we wished we'd been able however to stay longer so our recommendation would be stay for sunset and join the mountain meditation that is offered by the Monks). Breakfast was good and flexible re timing required and they arranged a laundry service which was so helpful.

A small fridge and kettle for hot drinks would be really useful as you need to stock up on provisions due to the location away from the main town.

Very good price/quality ratio. View is nice, owner will do anything for you, book taxi, laundry and so on.

Breakfast could be better, very basic. Bathroom could use renovation but for Sri Lanka is okay. Problem sometimes with hot water but this is as well everywhere in Sri Lanka. Payment avalaible only with cash.

The owners and their family are a delight, the views spectacular and quiet,away from the noise of Ella, rooms basic but clean.

No kettle or water provided in the room but was provided on request

Very beautiful view.

Bad location, too far to the city.

This is a very basic of accomodation, just a room with a bed, bathroom, and balcony. No AC, no kettle, no cups.. But the real gem of this place is the family that runs it. Nakata and his family are one of the nicest people we met during our trip. The view towards Small Adams peak is also breathtaking, especially in the mornings.

Amazing views and very friendly staff

The view. Host gracious and gave us dinner when we arrived late.

Paper thin walls.

We stayed in room one with a large shady balcony, perfect for relaxing or enjoying the tasty breakfast out of the sun, for 3 nights. It has a great view. The family who run the guesthouse are friendly and helpful. We really appreciated the tea and biscuits which were brought up to us in the afternoons! The room is clean and comfortable. The bathroom is ok and there is some hot water. We loved being quiet out of the hustle and bustle of the main part of Ella. It is easy to walk, using a short cut along the railway line, or take a tuk tuk there if you want, though.

An exceptional place to escape the touristy bustle of Ella, within easy reach of all the cultural and historic marvels of the area. Different View is situated in the most wonderful spot with incredible views and is run by the most welcoming and accommodating family. It is a very special place.

Nothing.

Everything was amazing; the room, the view, the breakfast and most importantly the hospitality of Nalaka and his family. We really enjoyed our stay! Thank you very much for a unforgettable time in Ella

As the name suggests, the view is incredible - sunrise from the balcony is a must-see. The host, Tharanga, is super friendly and helpful.

Amazing location and view. The family are incredible and helped us with booking tuk tuk throughout our stay. The breakfast is also delicious and they made it for us at the time of our choice each morning. WiFi is also very strong and you will get to see a lot of monkeys.

The room is very basic (no kettle etc) but for the price this is no problem. There was a bit of damp in the room but again for the price this was not an issue.

View, owner and his family (especially his father!), breakfasts, nature around, atmosphere. Really, meeting such great people isn’t obvious, I was surprised how good I felt in Different view! We miss this place since we left it :) Way to the hotel is in the mountains, so you need to go uphill, nice walk from the city center. If you like to walk, listen to nature’s concerts and beautiful views, highly recommended! You can get taxi (we did so) or tuk tuk to get your luggage.

Bathrooms need refresh, for someone it might be a problem - low pressure of water and water is rather cold, for us it wasn’t a big issue, but good to know.

This is a lovely home stay large clean room with comfortable bed. Nice breakfast on the balcony with great view. Quiet location 15 minute walk from Ella but owner has own tut tut if you prefer. Great hosts for home nothing is too much trouble

Nothing

What we liked: - The owner and his family were very kind and welcoming, particularly after our previous host cancelled last minute. - The view from the property of Little Adam’s Peak is beautiful. - The owner’s father has a tuk tuk and can drive you in and out of town. He even dropped us into the town at 4:30am!

Some things to improve: - At times, the bathroom had a sewerage smell. - The floor of the whole bathroom was wet after we showered. It would be useful to clean the floor and/or replace the bath mat each day. - The host should taste the fruit before serving it at breakfast. Our pineapple was perfect, but the watermelon tasted off.