Nuwara Eliya

Situated at around 2000m above sea level and surrounded by lush tea plantations Nuwara Eliya is the main hill resort of Sri Lanka and the heart of the tea industry. Once a pleasure retreat of the European planters the town is still very much an English town with many English style bungalows and buildings. Nuwara Eliya is a good escape for those who miss cool breeze in tropical Sri Lanka at any time of the year. Local tourists flock to this town in their ‘season’ from March to May when it is the hottest duration for the town, April being the busiest.Nuwara Eliya offers many activities for tourists including visits to tea plantations golfing, horse riding, boating, hiking and of course exploring the beauty of the landscaped gardens, waterfalls and plateaus.

Sports and Adventure
Victoria Park in the town itself is good for strolls. Boating at Gregory Lake is available at the boat house on the Badulla Road. Pony and Horse riding is available at the turf club of Nuwara Eliya also situated within the city. Regular monthly races are scheduled from August 2002. a characterful 18-hole golf course dominates the town centre, a somewhat derelict race course offers pony rides and there are sporadic flower shows, all keeping alive the sepia-tinged memories of this old colonial hill station.

The Tea Country
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s largest exporters of tea. Since the introduction of tea to Sri Lanka in mid 19the century Nuwara Eliya has been the capital of the tea industry. For many miles prior to reaching Nuwara Eliya from either direction you will find acres and acres of tea plantations, infact nothing but tea estates. There are many factories open for visitor’s which also have tea sales outlets

Tracking and Hiking
Nuwara Eliya offers good adventure sport locations because of it’s landscape. Pidurutalagala (2550m) Highest mountain peak of Sri Lanka is just north of the town. Though the summit is not open to the public, hiking is possible up to 7000ft. There are several water falls along the track.
Water Falls
There are many popular water falls around the town. Many could be visited as a part of trekking and/or hiking expeditions.

Ramboda Falls – 329 ft. is also an attraction in this area

Devon Falls drops 97 metres and is named after Devon, a pioneer coffee planter. It is 6 Km west of Thalawakelle and there is a special parking and view.

Laksapana Falls – off the Nuwara Eliya – Kandapola Road. The Nuwara Eliya beer is brewed from the water of the stream.

Interesting places to visit:
Sri Pada
Hill climb of a different type to witness a spectacular sun rise or just for the thrill of the panoramic views of Sri Lanka or for pleasure . Not just a trail but a pilgrimage to a summit sacred to all of the world’s major religions. The most popular hill trail in Sri Lanka to 2200m above sea level. The season is between December and April when the summit is not misty and relatively dry. The base of the climb on the Hatton side is about 2 hours from Nuwara Eliya.

Hortain Plains
A national park, Sri Lanka’s highest plateau is an excellent excursion and a paradise for nature lovers, hikers and bird watching. The grassy plains still host many other wild lives. Also within the park are the World’s End, a shear drop of 1000m offers a breathtaking view of the land below on clear days, Bakers Falls and and trails for hikers.

Hakgala Botanical Gardens
South-east of Nuwara Eliya, on the road to Bandarawela, lies Hakgala Botanical Gardens and, at their edge a nature reserve replete with wildlife and birdlife.