Joanna James
Located in the heart of the island's central hills, Nuwara Eliya sits at an elevation of 6,182 feet. Discovered by the British in 1827 the town was fashioned to resemble an English village.
Spread across 90 acres of lush greenery the century old Nuwara Eliya Golf green is an 18 hole course. The club house overlooking the green is lovely for relaxing with a cup of tea on a chilly day. Golf enthusiasts should not miss out on a chance to grace these iconic greens famous the world over.
Nuwara Eliya is called the 'Garden City' for an apt reason and one of them is the Victoria Park. Established in 1897 for the 60th Coronation Jubilee Celebrations of Queen Victoria, this park is right within the Nuwara Eliya city. During the Sri Lankan summer solstice which is aptly around April, the park is a riot of colours created by roses and other blossoms; this sight is unique to Victoria Park and hardly seen in other parts of the country.
Horton Plains is the country's only national park that has a mountainous environment. The biodiversity here is astounding; flora unique to only the park makes one wonder if sections of the Horton Plains actually belong to a tropical island. The place is famous for the iconic Worlds End lookout point as well as the beautiful Bakers Falls. Both are reached via a circular walk that will treat you to sights of indigenous plants and wildlife. A mere 33kms from one of the many holiday bungalows Nuwara Eliya is famous for, the park is a pleasant drive from Oatlands by Jetwing.
The Hakgalla Gardens are home to what is the country's only variety of Oak; many of the plant species there were brought down from England and create a magical wonderland of colours and hues. The place is located along the Nuwara Eliya – Kandy Road and sits at an altitude of 5,581 feet. British botanist Dr G H K Thwaites initiated the place as a botanical garden in 1851. At this time Sinkona was grown as a means of extracting quiveenen, a remedy for malaria which plagued the island at the time. Today the park is home to plants from across the world; such as Bermuda Cypresses, Australian Cedars and the Himalayan English Oak. Mind you April sees quite an influx of visitors to the park.
If you want a taste of ancient Sinhala craftsmanship head over to the Gallanda Oya wooden bridge. Spanning a length of 50 feet the bridge which is 6 feet wide was constructed during the Dambedeniya kingdom of Sri Lanka. Located within the compound of the ancient Boogoda Raja Maha Viaharaya – a Buddhist Temple; this bride is unique in construction. Two wooden bars spanning across the Gallanda Oya are embedded within 2 holes in the rocks; along this are 10 pillars which support a wooden roof running the length of the bridge. Remarkably no nails are used in this construction.
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