Paraiso Guest House

We stayed at Paraiso Guest House for 2 nights. It was such a good choice. It is around a 5 minute tuk-tuk ride, or a 10 minute walk from the main street in Ella. The walk is indeed along the railway track, but trains are few and you'd hear them a mile off! We wouldn't really fancy the walk in the dark due to the uneven surfaces. If you can, absolutely go for the king room with mountain view and balcony. The views are just stunning! The balcony is private and has seating and a table. Just sitting there with a cup of tea (or a nice cold beer (available)) was just a dream. A bit like a jungle lodge, listening to the surrounding wildlife. The photos on Booking.com are real. The owner and his family live on site. They are lovely. He arranged for us a day trip by tuk-tuk (by his uncle?) and we saw all of the 'must see' places: 9-arch bridge, tea plantation/factory (a real one!), buddhist meditation temple, various viewpoints. The owner also gave us a celebratory cake as it was our wedding anniversary and arranged a cookery class with Matey Hut (a small restaurant on the main street. Does the best rice and curry ) recommend that! Bed was large and comfortable. Walk in shower room was modern and efficient. Breakfast was European one day, with fruit, egg, toast etc. The 2nd similar, but with hoppers/egg hoppers. Very tasty. He also arranged transportation to our next hotel upon our departure. We enjoyed our stay a great deal. It is worth staying for the views/surroundings alone but it is certainly close enough to the main street (where we dined each evening). The family was friendly and helpful. The room was comfortable. But the views....Wow!