The Little England Of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya

Escaping the heat of Colombo and just driving up to the cooler climes of Nuwara Eliya was such a ‘cool’ experience! We really enjoyed our trip and were lucky enough to do it with friends from Sri Lanka. So, we managed to see a lot.  Here are my recommendations of things to do in Nuwara Eliya when heading to Sri Lanka.

Known as the ‘Little England’ of Sri Lanka, this quaint little town was the hill retreat for the British who would spend their time here hunting, playing golf, polo and cricket. Many of the buildings still have a colonial feel to them like the St. Andrew’s Hotel where we stayed, the Queen’s Cottage, the General’s House, the Post Office and Hill Club. Some of the newer hotels have also been built in a colonial architectural style in keeping with the town’s heritage.

The weather is lovely year round and come April, the flowers are in full bloom. We were lucky to celebrate the arrival of Spring and witness the pony races, auto rallies and go cart races.

View from the top

A little more than seven kilometres from the centre of Nuwara Eliya is the summit of the highest peak at Pidurutalagala or Mount Pedro (2,524 metres). Also on top of the hill is one of Sri Lanka’s largest Air Force radar stations. You can drive up to the summit and then walk the last 100 metres for a fantastic view of the entire city and of the highest village in Sri Lanka, Shantipura.

Tip: Don’t forget your camera to capture the views!

Sita Eliya Temple

In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Sita was abducted by Ravana and confined in Ashok Vatika in Lanka. Hanuman eventually found her there and gave her the ring of her beloved Ram. Well, Nuwara Eliya is the place where it all happened. The Sita Eliya Temple is dedicated to Sita and is the place where she was held captive. There are even markings on the rock to show Hanuman’s footprints.

Gregory Lake

Spend the evening around this beautiful lake and relax. Enjoy the Ferris wheel, a boat ride, pony rides or just enjoy delicious delights from the food  stalls.

Tip: You could take a sea plane from Colombo and land directly on this gorgeous lake. It’s a half an hour’s ride.

Visit a tea factory

We visited the Mackwoods Tea Factory where we got an informative guided tour around a small factory to help us understand the processes involved in tea cultivation. We then sat in their café to do some ‘tea tasting’!

Victoria Park

This beautifully maintained park in the centre of town is a pleasure to walk around. The beautiful flowers in their multiple hues are a sight to behold! It’s a great place to spot hill bird species like the Indian bue robin, Kashmir flycatcher, pied thrush and the grey tit.

Tip: The flowers bloom from March to May and again in August and September.

World’s End

This amazing view point at the Horton Plains National Park is the place to visit  if you’re up for a nine kilometre walk. Sadly, we didn’t have the time and our host was really saddened that he wasn’t able to take us there. Since you have to follow designated paths, you can reach World’s End walking four kilometres and then another two kilometres to Baker’s Falls before heading back another three and a half kilometres to the entrance. A long walk but supposedly, totally worth it.

Tip: Start from Nuwara Eliya at 5.30 am and you are sure to get a fantastic view before the mist sets in at about 9 am.

I really enjoyed my two days in Nuwara Eliya. I hope you have a little more time and get to explore a lot more. Tell us about your experiences…