Anastasia Smith
With its landscapes reminiscent of the Scottish moors and highlands, it's no surprise that Nuwara Eliya is full of breathtaking and photogenic locations. Here are 8 of the best backdrops to shoot holiday snaps for Instagram stories during a trip to the hill station.
Occupying pride of place in the heart of the city, this lush, verdant parkland is arguably the most popular recreational hotspot in Nuwara Eliya. Attracting visitors and local families alike, the flower-bed-laden enclave is not only the perfect place to catch up on one's reading under a shady tree but also a great place to relax and unwind after a day of hiking or sightseeing. As a family-friendly highlight with its own pond and playground with a children's train, it's difficult to imagine a more magical place to snap a vacation selfie than Queen Victoria Park.
As a nature reserve that also offers travellers access to the hiking trail that leads up to Mini World's End, Moon Plains is strictly reserved for Instagrammers with a love of panoramic views and vast, green expanses.
Also called Perwella Falls, this stunning natural wonder found within the confines of the Sita Eliya Kandapola Forest Reserve is another picturesque cascade to pose next to. Plummeting down 50m, the Bomburu Ella Waterfall is surrounded by ten mini waterfalls that add to its scale and majesty.
As one of the most elaborate Hindu temples in Sri Lanka's hill country, the Seetha Amman Kovil is tucked away in the Seetha Eliya village, just 5km away from the town centre of Nuwara Eliya. Believed to have been the location where Princess Sita was held captive by Sri Lankan King Ravana according to the Ramayana, this sacred shrine is an active temple that's both mystical and historic.
Travellers based at Araliya Red and similar hotels will find that this luxurious course is one of the top places to visit in Nuwara Eliya for golf enthusiasts and shutterbugs. The golfing greens set up in 1889 offer Instagrammers the chance to capture a real heritage site in the hills and also make full use of its manicured grounds.
As a horticultural heartland that was once a thriving cinchona plantation, the Hakgala Botanical Garden is another irresistibly idyllic location for snapping Instagram shots during a Nuwara Eliya getaway. With an altitude of 174m, some of the plant life that occupies this extensive garden divided into different thematic zones is found nowhere else on the island.
Nature-loving Instagrammers with a passion for mountain landscapes will hardly find a more panoramic location for their Instagram Stories than Single Tree Hill in Nuwara Eliya. While being the island's tenth tallest mountain, the area which is lined with tea estates and countless hills is one of the best venues to snap sunrise shots in Nuwara Eliya.
Just 3km away from the town centre, this 30m tall cascade with a tragic back-story is another picture-perfect location for some truly dramatic Instagram posts from Nuwara Eliya.
