Dover Cottage
WhatsApp Check availability
The sitting room at Dover Cottage: floral armchairs, a chandelier and tall windows looking onto the tea estate

The old bungalow beside the tea estate

A private four-bedroom colonial holiday bungalow in Mahagastota, Nuwara Eliya, with a games room and a garden, a five-minute walk from Gregory Lake. Booked whole, never shared.

Check availability WhatsApp us

We usually reply within 2 hours, 8 am–8 pm

4.9 on Tripadvisor · 25 reviews4.7 on Airbnb · 23 reviewsWhole house · sleeps 10

Check your dates

Checked live against our calendar and Airbnb. No account, no card.

4
Whole house only · up to 10 guests including children · no minimum stay · or book on Airbnb
The stone front of Dover Cottage with white iron garden chairs on the lawn
Sunset over the valley from the garden at Dover Cottage

Stone walls and green cement floors

Dover Cottage stands in Mahagastota, on the Pedro Tea Estate side of Nuwara Eliya, at about 1,868 metres. Colonial in the plain sense of the word: stone walls, green cement floors, white beamed ceilings, floral armchairs in a sitting room whose windows give straight onto the tea.

It is let as one house. Four bedrooms, a sitting room, a library, a games room with its own pool table, a verandah, and a lawn with agapanthus along the path. Evenings are cold at this altitude; bring a jumper and the blankets are thick.

A caretaker is on site for the whole of your stay. A cook is available if you would rather not do the kitchen yourselves.

  • 4Bedrooms
  • 10Guests, max
  • 1,868 mAltitude
  • 5 minWalk to Gregory Lake
  • The library: a dark dresser of books, a long table and a tartan sofa

    The library

    A dresser of books, a long table, a tartan sofa and a rug on the green floor.

  • The games room: a pool table under three green lamps, tea fields through the window

    The games room

    A pool table under three green lamps. The window behind it looks over the tea.

  • The upper terrace with wicker chairs and a view across the valley to the hills

    The terrace

    Wicker chairs on the upper terrace, with the valley and the far hills in front of you.

  • The garden: agapanthus in flower beside a paved courtyard and the lawn

    The garden

    Agapanthus, a paved courtyard with stone benches, and the lawn running to the fence.

Four bedrooms, sleeping ten

Each room is named for a flower and takes a different shape of family. All four are yours; there is nothing to pay per room.

Rose bedroom: a double bed with a pink floral cover, lamps either side and a pink-washed wall

Rose

1 double · sleeps 2

The warmest of the four in colour. A double bed, a lamp each side, pink walls and a rose-print runner.

Violet bedroom: a double bed with a purple runner, a bunk bed and a dressing table on the green floor

Violet

1 double + 1 bunk bed · sleeps 4

A double and a bunk. The room for a family, or for the friends who are happy to share.

Daffodil bedroom: a double bed under a white canopy, with a single bed beside it

Daffodil

1 double + 1 single · sleeps 3

A double under a white canopy with a single alongside. Parents and one child, or three friends.

Lavender bedroom: a double bed with a lavender runner, a lamp each side, an open wardrobe and a high white ceiling

Lavender

1 double · sleeps 2

A double under a high ceiling, a lamp each side, a wardrobe, and a sprig of the name printed on the cushion.

All four, always

Hot water throughout, thick blankets for the evenings. Up to ten guests including children, and one price for the house.

Check availability

Bring your own rations, or order from the menu

A cook is available for the whole of your stay. Bring your own groceries and they are cooked for you at no charge. Or order from the à la carte menu, in which case meals are charged separately. Either way the dining table seats everyone, under a white beamed ceiling with the garden through the window.

A caretaker is on site throughout, for the hot water, the rooms and whatever else the house needs. If you would rather cook yourselves, the kitchen is fully equipped. There is a tea station in the sitting area for the hours between meals.

  • Your own rations cooked at no charge
  • À la carte menu available, meals charged separately
  • Caretaker on site for the whole stay
The dining room: a checked tablecloth on the table, a white beamed ceiling and a window to the garden
The tea station and sitting area, with a glass-fronted cabinet, lamps and armchairs on a red floor

What the house comes with

  • Cook availableYour rations cooked free, or à la carte
  • Caretaker on siteFor the whole of your stay
  • Games roomPrivate pool table
  • PianoFor an evening in the house
  • LibraryReading nook with books
  • Mountain viewsAcross the tea estate
  • VerandahAnd an upper terrace
  • GardenLawn, courtyard, agapanthus
  • BarbecueFor evenings outdoors
  • Wi-Fi and hot waterThroughout, for the cold mornings
  • Equipped kitchenIf you would rather cook
  • Secure parkingFree, for up to 2 vehicles

No pets, please. The house is not set up for them.

Beside Pedro Tea Estate, a walk from Gregory Lake

Mahagastota, Nuwara Eliya 22200. At 1,868 metres this is cool-climate Sri Lanka: tea on the slopes, a cardigan after dark, and the lake five minutes away on foot.

  • Gregory Lake5 min walk
  • Town centre & Victoria Park5–10 min by car
  • Nanu Oya railway station20 min by car
  • Horton Plains45–60 min by car
  • Parking2 vehicles, free
Tea estates and hills around Nuwara Eliya, seen from above
Get directions Open in Google Maps
Pedro Tea Estate under morning mist
A tea plucker among the bushes on the estate

Map loads as you scroll. If it does not, use the directions button.

One price for the whole house

Per night, room only, for all four bedrooms and everything around them. Prices are in Sri Lankan rupees.

Per night

LKR 92,500whole house, room only

The same price every night of the year. Meals are extra; see dining.

Included

  • The whole house, garden and terrace
  • Caretaker on site throughout
  • Cook for your own rations, at no charge
  • Wi-Fi, hot water, parking for 2 vehicles
50% advance

By bank transfer, to confirm the dates. The advance is non-refundable.

Dates can move once

With 14 days' notice, subject to availability.

2 PM in, 11 AM out

Check-in from 2 PM, check-out by 11 AM. No minimum stay.

Up to 10, no pets

Ten guests including children. Stays over 14 nights are confirmed by the team.

Booking direct gets you the team on WhatsApp before you arrive. If you would rather use a platform, the house is on Airbnb too.

Check availability Book on Airbnb

What people said afterwards

4.9 / 5Tripadvisor · 25 reviews 4.7 / 5Airbnb · 23 reviews Read our reviews on Google

We had the most wonderful stay at this charming little hotel… their warmth and hospitality were truly exceptional.

Matt CTripadvisor · Jan 2025

A lovely getaway, peaceful tranquil location… a wonderful getaway that you must experience.

Paul DTripadvisor · Jul 2025

Homely setup gave us the opportunity to experience the English country side stay… Very happy.

Nilu GTripadvisor · Jun 2025

Before you ask

Is the house shared with other guests?

No. Dover Cottage is let as one whole house. Your group has all four bedrooms, the sitting room, library, games room, kitchen, verandah and garden to itself.

How many people can stay?

Up to 10 guests including children, across four bedrooms: Violet (a double and a bunk bed), Daffodil (a double and a single), Rose (a double) and Lavender (a double).

Is there a cook, and what does it cost?

A cook is available. Bring your own rations and they are cooked for you at no charge; or order from the à la carte menu, in which case meals are charged separately. The kitchen is fully equipped if you prefer to cook yourselves.

How do I confirm a booking, and can I cancel?

A 50% advance by bank transfer confirms your dates. The advance is non-refundable, but your dates can be moved once with 14 days' notice, subject to availability.

Is there a minimum stay?

No minimum stay. One night is fine. Stays longer than 14 nights are confirmed by the team on WhatsApp rather than online.

Are pets allowed?

No, pets are not allowed at Dover Cottage.

How do I get there?

From Nuwara Eliya town centre, take the Badulla road out past Gregory Lake. Dover Cottage is in Mahagastota, beside Pedro Tea Estate, 5 to 10 minutes by car from the town centre and about a five-minute walk from the lake. Any tuk-tuk driver in town knows Mahagastota and Pedro Estate; ask for Dover Cottage by name. If you are arriving by train, Nanu Oya station is about 20 minutes by car and we can arrange a pick-up. Tap Get directions for turn-by-turn navigation, or message us on WhatsApp and we will send the exact pin. Secure free parking for up to two cars.

What are the check-in and check-out times?

Check-in is from 2 PM and check-out is by 11 AM.

The dates are the hard part. The rest is simple.

Check availability WhatsApp us Book on Airbnb

We usually reply within 2 hours, 8 am–8 pm