Excursions in Nuwara Eliya – Adventure among the Misty Hills

"The Little Niagara" of Sri Lanka is a must-visit attraction when you're holidaying among the misty mountains in Nuwara Eliya. Nestled between captivating hills that are draped in lush tea plantations, the St. Clair's Falls is one of the widest of its kind in Sri Lanka. This stunner of a waterfall is reachable from the Hatton - Talawakele Highway and is situated alongside the Kotmale River. The Greater Falls and the Lesser Falls contribute to the scenic spirals that gush down the massive rocks. The Greater Falls cascades down from 80 metres while the Lesser Falls blends seamlessly into it from a height of 50 metres.

While you're enjoying a charming vacation at one of the holiday bungalows in Nuwara Eliya, Hakgala Botanical Gardens make for an ideal day trip. Located just 16 kilometres away from the city, it is easily accessible from the Nuwara Eliya – Badulla Road. The gardens were initially founded in 1861 as an experimental site for a medicinal plant called Cinchona, which was a highly established commercial product at the time. At present, it houses a variety of plants, trees, creepers, shrubs, and a mélange of other flora in its depths. The garden is quite famous for its flourishing collection of rose and orchid plats as well.

Located right amid the scenic Nuwara Eliya, the present-day Gregory Lake offers a variety of recreational opportunities for those who seek it. The lake was built in 1873 by the British Governor at the time, Sir William Gregory. Although it was supposedly built to provide electricity, it was nonchalantly converted into a site of leisure. While you're holidaying in Nuwara Eliya at properties such as Scottish Planter, head out to this captivating location for some respite. If you're in the area around April, the lakeside transforms into a place of celebration in concurrence with the dawn of Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

If you hike down about two kilometres through a path lying adjacent to the Lake Gregory, you can set your sights at this national park, which is unknown to many. After an entrance fee of a mere $2, you will be exposed to a plethora of flora on which you'd notice species of lichens and mosses due to the moist climate of this part of Sri Lanka. The Galway's Land National Park is maintained by the Department of Wildlife Conservation of the country. It's a quiet respite from the bustling town where you'd be able to observe rare bird species such as the Brown Wood Owl and the Dark Blue Fly Catcher.

A stunningly beautiful fashioning of nature, the Devon Falls can be accessed via a hike starting from the twentieth-mile post in Nuwara Eliya. It flows adjacent to a town called Talawakele and is fondly dubbed as the "Veil of the Valley." It is said that this scenic waterfall received its name from a coffee planter from England called Devon, who owned the coffee plantations in the nearby areas. It is identified that the refreshing waters of this spectacular falls come from a tributary of the Mahaweli River. Dropping at three points, this several-tiered waterfall continues to flow on its journey in its elegant manner.