Is the Pekoe Trail open and can I hike sections solo without a guide

Most of the Pekoe Trail stages around Haputale, Ella, Nuwara Eliya and Kandy are open and signposted, though a couple of stages near the worst landslide zones had short re-routes after Ditwah, so check the current stage status before you go. You can legally walk many stages solo using the GPS maps, and plenty of people do. That said, a local guide is worth it for the trickier estate-path stages where signage fades and you cross private tea land. The free map app for the trail is genuinely good.