6 Fun Things to Do in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka – A Captivating Highland Town

At Nuwara Eliya's centre, you will find the picturesque Lake Gregory which happens to be encircled by well-maintained gardens and lofty mountains. You could explore this attractive lake in various ways; you could walk along the trails which border the lake, take a speedboat excursion, hire a swan-shaped paddleboat or take a ride around the lake on a horse (with a guide). After buying a ticket, you may enter Lake Gregory Park where you will find a selection of food stalls offering tasty and reasonably priced foods.

Since there are several strawberry farms in Nuwara Eliya, it is rightfully called Sri Lanka's strawberry capital. If you visit a strawberry farm here, you will have the opportunity to walk around the site, pick ripe strawberries and perhaps enjoy a strawberry dessert or milkshake. The two foremost farms visited by tourists would be 'Jagro Simply Strawberries' and 'Ramya'. At both establishments, you will find cafes where you could enjoy a juice or milkshake.

Another not-to-be-missed experience that you could enjoy during your visit to Nuwara Eliya would be to try tea plucking at a local tea estate. For a truly authentic experience, you will be provided with local clothing – a sari for ladies and a sarong for gentlemen – as well as a basket, to hold the tea leaves that you pluck. After returning from your tea plucking session, you will be taken on a tour of a tea factory so that you could observe the production process. An accommodation choice to consider where you could enjoy this absorbing experience would be Heritance Tea Factory where you can stay in a converted 19th-century tea factory.

Another well-known Nuwara Eliya sightseeing attraction would be Lover's Leap Waterfall which derives its name from an ill-fated couple who supposedly jumped to their death at this site. You will also find that the drive to this waterfall is an appealing experience since it will take you through scenic surroundings. As you might expect, this waterfall will be more resplendent during the rainy season and is a sight worth seeing.

The appealing Hakgala Botanical Gardens happens to be Sri Lanka's second-largest botanical garden and a popular attraction for visitors to Nuwara Eliya. At this expansive site, you will encounter many kinds of flora laid out in tasteful gardens as well as forests that you could stroll through. You will find that there are many captivating botanical specimens here including lovely vibrant flowers, especially orchids and roses.

After your sightseeing exertions, you could take a respite at the pleasant Victoria Park which you will find in the heart of Nuwara Eliya. You will find that this park resembles a botanical garden in miniature as it features many interesting kinds of trees, plants and flowers; the attractive sunflowers will be a highlight. Since this park is not vast in size, you should be able to explore it in about half an hour.