The evergreen Nuwara Eliya is one of Sri Lanka’s top tourist spots, with sumptuous scents drifting across undulating landscapes, just waiting to be discovered. Nuwara Eliya is the highest town in Sri Lanka, situated around 2,000 meters above sea level. With its scattering to Tudor, Georgian and Victorian architecture, botanical gardens and moss-covered gravestones, Nuwara Eliya retains traces of British colonialism.
As Sri Lanka’s main hill resort Nuwara Eliya also provides an idyllic retreat for locals and tourists alike. With plenty to keep you occupied - activities range from golf, horse riding and canoeing through to fishing, hiking and rock climbing, while the beautiful waterfalls, hilly plateaus and landscaped gardens just ache to be explored.
Surrounded by lush tea plantations, Nuwara Eliya is the capital of Sri Lanka’s thriving tea industry. If you want to learn more about the process of production, several factories offer guided tours and the chance to buy premium grades of tea, as you’d expect from a country that is one of the world’s main tea exporters.
A good place to visit is the Labookelle Tea Centre on the Nuwara Eliya – Kandy Road, which offers a guided factory tour free of charge and has the added bonus of a shop and restaurant on site.
If you want to get out into the open air for physical recreation or just to see the sights, there’s much to choose from. Boating at Gregory Lake and horse riding at the local turf club are great fun, while Victoria Park offers respite from the bustle of the town and is good for a casual stroll.
The gorgeous Hakgala Botanical Gardens and adjoining nature reserve are located about ten kilometers outside Nuwara Eliya and are well worth a visit, as is the misty grassland plateau of Horton Plains National Park, a fantastically rewarding excursion(either on foot or by jeep) featuring the famous World’s End trek and a plethora of wildlife.
If you fancy a more serious trek, there’s an abundance of mountain paths and fertile green forests to tackle. Just north of the town is Pidurutalagala, Sri Lanka’s highest peak - although the summit isn’t open to the public, hiking is possible up to 700 feet. If you want to combine walking with scenery, the Sri Pada hill trail offers panoramic views and a spectacular sunrise to take your breath away. With cascading waterfalls, steep ravines and plunging hillsides doubling as tea estates, this is walking country with a difference. There are also many popular waterfalls dotted around, and Laksapana Falls is particularly impressive – the local beer is actually brewed from its stream water.
One of the other main attractions is golf - the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, located at the foot of Pidurutalagala is widely acknowledge as one of Asia’s finest, surrounded by abundant forests with a stunning view to match. Here you’ll find tourists and executives in equal numbers, enticed by the uniquely tranquil and picturesque setting. Across town, the well-established Royal Colombo Golf Club and the relatively new Victoria Golf Course offer excellent alternatives.
You should have no trouble finding somewhere to stay. Accommodation is generally plentiful, except during the peak season, which falls between March and May, when prices can treble and booking a hotel room gets decidedly tricky.
The Spa Retreat features a wealth of superb facilities, and comes very highly recommended, as it has a reputation for excellent food and is extremely popular – unsurprisingly, you’d be advised to book well in advance. As for Nuwara Eliya’s other hotels, The Grand is a major presence and its sprawling lawns and rose gardens are yet another reminder of colonial days.
The colonial theme continues at The Hill Club - which somewhat stuffily insists on formal dress for dinner and at St Andrew’s Hotel. If you’re looking for budget accommodation, you’re spoilt for choice - the Glendower offers great value and a friendly atmosphere, the Ambiente has unrivalled balcony views and the Hotel Country Comfort boasts expansive terraced gardens. Whichever you choose, you’re guaranteed a window on all the cultural riches that Nuwara Eliya has to offer.
Most of the hotels have restaurants but they can be expensive - you might be better advised to try some of the nearby cafes, food outlets or even the central market, all of which sell great-tasting local produce, curries, mini pizzas, fruit, Western-style snacks and much more besides.
The Grand also houses a selection of tourist shops selling silk, tea, masks and other such goodies, but these tend to be over-priced. If you’re visiting in early spring, there are dozens of temporary stores to browse - this is a much better option as you can barter and pick up great souvenirs, from sarongs and textiles to local music cassettes and intricate hand-crafted ornaments.
