Joanna James
Nuwara Eliya is often called a small slice of Europe in the middle of the hot tropics of Sri Lanka. Here are five things to do while in this beautiful town.
Sri Lanka is famous for its tea, known as Ceylon tea. Much of it is grown in and around Nuwara Eliya. The hill country is filled with beautiful tea estates, growing on steep mountains and turning the entire area into a lush green paradise. Tea estates are an interesting place because of the long process that takes place to turn the freshly plucked leaves into the tea leaves that we know and love. Visiting a tea estate will allow you to see this process up close. When you finish your tour with a hot cup of tea, you'll appreciate it much more once you know how it came to be the delicious beverage in your cup.
Hakgala Gardens is one of five other botanical gardens of this type in Sri Lanka. This is a beautiful place to spend a day, surrounded by nature. The garden houses over ten thousand species of flora, ranging from delicate roses and orchid plants, to towering cedars and cypresses. The area is incredibly tranquil and relaxing, and it will definitely make for an enjoyable day trip during your vacation to Nuwara Eliya. Many hotels and holiday bungalows in Nuwara Eliya such as the popular Amaya Langdale Nuwara Eliya will be happy to help you plan your excursion to the beautiful Hakgala Gardens
Lovers' Leap is a stunning waterfall in Nuwara Eliya, a dizzying thirty meters high. The water flows from the Pidurutalagala Mountain, and is cool and clear. There is much folklore and superstition surrounding the waterfall; some locals who believe the stories don't visit at night! The waterfall got its name from a tragic romance story that is said to have occurred here. A young prince and his lover, who he could not marry due to his title, are said to have leapt off the waterfall together rather than be parted. Whether or not the tale is true, it is an interesting backstory to a beautiful place in Nuwara Eliya.
This is the only national park in Sri Lanka where visitors can travel around on foot. This makes the area a great place to go hiking. One very popular place to visit is World's End, a misty place with much eeriness surrounding it. Because the mist would obscure the view, locals once believed that this was where the world ended. Now, when the fog lifts, visitors are treated to a stunning view of the area below. Another popular place to visit is Baker's Falls, another beautiful waterfall. Dip your feet in the cool water, and simply enjoy being surrounded by nature.
This is a lovely place to spend a day enjoying the wonderful Nuwara Eliya weather. Built by a colonial Governor General, the lake is now a great place to enjoy boat rides, hire a swan boat and ride around on your own, or take a pony ride on the shore. Seaplanes to Nuwara Eliya also land here.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
