Ella

Ella is Sri Lanka's laid-back mountain playground — a small town wedged into a gap in the southern hill country with waterfalls, tea estates and hiking trails in every direction. Sunrise from Little Adam's Peak is effortless magic, while the Nine Arches Bridge delivers the island's most photographed train moment.

Getting here is half the joy: the blue train from Kandy through Nanu Oya is widely called the most beautiful rail journey on earth. Cap your days with cafe-hopping on the main street and a dip beneath Ravana Falls.