Nuwara Eliya is one of the famous cities in Sri Lanka and located in a central province with very cool weather conditions during the whole year. We would say it’s a magical paradise inside Sri Lanka. We can see lots of waterfalls, very beautiful mountains and many more. You can witness why we call Nuwara Eliya as little England. Most often we can see freezing weather and it’s drizzling throughout the year.
If we look around the geographical location of Nuwara Eliya, It is at an altitude of 1868m, and this area considered for tea production in Sri Lanka. There are many miles of tea plantation are within the area. The Nuwara Eliya is overlooked by the Pidurutalagala which is the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka. an average temperature of 12-15 celsius and this is the coolest area in Sri Lanka.
If you are visiting Nuwara Eliya, Don’t forget to visit a few very large tea plantations such as Damro Tea, Labookellie, Mackwoods, Pedro, Bluefields, etc. Most of these plantations are offering free tours and sometimes FREE tea. You are so unlucky if you leave Sri Lanka without tasting Sri Lankan tea which is the best tea in the world.
If you are traveling from Colombo International Airport, It would be around 5 hours journey and distance would be around 175 kilometers. If you are traveling to Nuwara Eliya with your own transport arrangement and also if you are planning to stay few days in Nuwara Eliya, We suggest you to travel by an express train and it would be a memorial journey in your life. You can have a fantastic feeling as the weather condition during hill country area and lots of greeny landscapes, beautiful flowers, tea plantations, and endless mountains are keeps ready on your way.
Places to visit in Nuwara Eliya
There are many places to visit in Nuwara Eliya and it is a completely different other places in Sri Lanka. It is very a quiet place with great scenic beauty and for planning perfect family trips or spends your honeymoon. It also has many vegetable and fruit farms, and travelers can enjoy the large open spaces to enjoy. The waterfalls dotting the region further accentuate its beauty and offer eye-pleasing views. You will also find several temples in Nuwara Eliya that have now come to be popular tourist attractions. If not anything else, you can always go and shop your heart out and take the sweet souvenirs from Nuwara Eliya as memories back home. Below are some of the popular places in Nuwara Eliya which you should not miss while your stay in Nuwara Eliya.
Victoria Park, Nuwara Eliya
Victoria Park is a very attractive public park located in the Nuwara Eliya city area, next to the Nuwara Eliya Post Office. Originally the park was the research field of Hakgala Botanical Garden. The park was formally named in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. This is a very beautiful place you should not miss during your next travel to Nuwara Eliya. You can see various types of flowers and different pathways and layouts inside the park. Also, the Nanu Oya river runs through the park. You also can see some rare birds and species in the park. This also a very good place for children. There are several spaces with outdoor play structures, from slides and swings to see-saws and monkey bars. Some spaces are specially designed for younger children (with smaller slides, shorter ladders) and some for older children. Especially the train ride is great for the kids as well as the adults.
Gregory Lake, Nuwara Eliya
The Lake Gregory, Nuwara Eliya, sometimes also called Gregory Lake or Gregory Reservoir, is a reservoir in heart of the Nuwara Eliya city, Sri Lanka. Lake Gregory was constructed by Sir William Gregory during the period of the British Governor in 1873. Lake Gregory is a very beautiful location in which you can spend your leisure time with family or friends. There are many boats riding services with very reasonable rates and food stalls that serve very nice delicious Sri Lankan foods. Also, you can enjoy many water sports as well as thrilling sports like pony rides. It’s fantastic fun for children and also for adults. This place is quite busy during March and April as during that time, You can experience amazing weather in Nuwara Eliya.
Hakgala Botanical Garden, Nuwara Eliya
The Hakgala Botanical Garden is one of the five largest botanical gardens in Sri Lanka. This is the second largest garden in Sri Lanka. The other four are Peradeniya Botanical Garden, Henarathgoda Botanical Garden, Mirijjawila Botanical Garden, and Seetawaka Botanical Garden. The Hakgala Botanical Garden situated on the Nuwara Eliya-Badulla main road and 16 kilometers away from Nuwara Eliya city. The garden establishes in 1861 under George Kendrick Thwaites. There are over 10000 species of flora planted in this garden and this is very famous for Orchids and Roses. It’s an amazing place you never miss while you are traveling to Nuwara Eliya. This is a very popular travel destination for locals and also visitors. You can experience a nice cool climate from December to February during the year.
Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains National Park is the most popular national park in the central highlands of Sri Lanka that was designated in 1988. The park located at an elevation of 2,100–2,300 m.The Horton plains come to a sudden end at World’s End which is a very stunning view which you reach after walking 4 kilometers from the park entrance. The Horton Plains National Park is very rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. It is also a popular tourist destination and is situated 32 kilometers from Nuwara Eliya city. The Horton Plains are the headwaters of three major Sri Lankan rivers and those are the Mahaweli, Kelani, and Walawe. The plains’ vegetation is grasslands interspersed with montane forest and includes many endemic woody plants. Large herds of Sri Lankan sambar deer feature as typical mammals and the park is also an Important Bird Area with many species not only endemic to Sri Lanka but restricted to the Horton Plains. All Local and visitors required to pay an entrance fee but it’s worth it and you will get an amazing experience which will second to none. If you are prefer camping, it would be ideal, you arrange your trip in the evening time and then you can spend a night in the park.
Ambewela Farm – Little New Zealand
The Ambewela Farm is a very popular location in Nuwara Eliya known as “Little New Zealand”. It’s a very beautiful animal farm located approximately 17 kilometers away from Nuwara Eliya city and located in Nuwara Eliya-Haggala road. This is one of the prime locations of commercial-scale fresh milk production in Sri Lanka. New Zealand farm is also part of the Ambewela farm which is owned by the Sri Lanka government. This is an ideal place to visit with your family, especially for kids. It has lots of fun with spending your leisure time with animals and also it would be an added advantage for kids in the educational aspect. The road accessing the farm has a breathtaking view of the lush green grasslands. Need to get tickets to enter the premises. A large area has been dedicated to maintaining cattle, goats, and hairs. Visitors can see the milking process. There are several milking schedules during the day. There is an own shop to purchase all internal dairy products such as milk, cheese, butter, and also meets. If you are planning to visit Nuwara Eliya, don’t forget to visit this amazing location.