Joanna James
Nuwara Eliya is famous for its tea and beautiful laid-back lifestyle. The little city was the famed holiday retreat of the British colonists, and its surroundings and architecture reminiscent of England.
Train is the best way to travel to Nuwara Eliya. The train 'Udarata Menike' runs daily from Colombo Fort. Tickets have to be pre-booked for the reserved decks. Or you may purchase them at the counter on the day of the trip just go early as possible. You might be able to call the railway department and check the times of the scheduled trains. The train journey takes around 7-to 8 hours to reach Nanu Oya, which is the closest train station to Nuwara Eliya. If travelling from Kandy to Nanu Oya it takes 4 hours. The train journey is part of the experience; you will rarely feel the time once you encounter the lush mountain ranges, waterfalls and tea plantations. Although less scenic there are plenty of buses you can take from Colombo Fort or Kandy Station. The journey takes about 6 hours from Colombo by bus.
Once in the town of Nuwara Eliya, sightseeing is easy. It is one of those towns that should be discovered on foot! The pleasant climate, splendid architecture and scenery make for plenty of enjoyable walks. However, if you are pressed for time you can get around efficiently via a tuk-tuk. If you find a reliable driver negotiate a price and ask them to be available for a few days to visit the sites you want.
For the locals, the Nuwara Eliya season starts in April which coincides with the Sinhala and Tamil New Year. There is less rain towards April and the city gets festive with many events across the town. April tends to get crowded and prices in hotels in Nuwara Eliya tend to skyrocket. February and March are good times to travel, with fewer crowds and sporadic rains. Try to avoid October and December which are the rainiest and coldest months of the year.
One of the main attractions while visiting Nuwara Eliya is Horton Plains, National Park. The park itself is amazing and has rich biodiversity and terrain. The highlight for many is the 'World's End' viewpoint. This sharp 880m drop has spectacular views overlooking the tea plantations, villages, mountain peaks and the coastline. Arrive early possibly before 9.am to get the best views! This way you can bypass crowds and avoid the mists that obscure the scenery. There is no public transport to Horton Plains, so you will have to either rent a tuk-tuk which may cost around 3500 rupees. A car or van will cost around 4000 rupees.
Other places include the Lovers Leap, which is a famous waterfall sitting high above the mountains; it is 2km away from Nuwara Eliya.
The highest mountain in Sri Lanka is also in Nuwara Eliya, Pidurutalagala is also known as Mount Pedro, which is over 8000 feet in height. The mountain is home to a local transmission tower as well. You can reach Mt Pedro up to the viewing point by either car or van. There is plenty of wildlife to keep an eye out for and if you are lucky perhaps even an elusive leopard!
Haggala Botanical Gardens is a beautiful botanical garden 16 kilometres away from Nuwara Eliya.
Visit a tea plantation! This is a must when in the heart of the tea country of Sri Lanka. There are quite a few plantations in Nuwara Eliya and the outskirts. The Heritance Tea Factory is a tea factory transformed into a hotel. Experience a tea plucking session, a factory tour, a traditional English high tea or perhaps some tea tasting.
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