Nuwara Eliya, which literally means, ‘City of Light’, is the coolest city of Sri Lanka. The picturesque landscapes of this beautiful city will surely blow your mind if you love visiting hill stations. With the highest mountain peak in Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya boasts on its natural beauty.
Nuwara Eliya is also the prime tea producing land in Sri Lanka. With is lush green terraces, it produces some high quality aromatic tea. Due to its cool climate in a hot and humid country like Sri Lanka, Nuwara Eliya is also referred to as ‘Little England’. During the winters, the nights are chilling. But as soon as the day breaks, the place gets warm and comfortable.
In April, the natives of Nuwara Eliya celebrate Tamil New Year by taking out band carnivals on the street. If you are planning to come down to the city of lights during the festivals, you might not get an accommodation in the hotels easily.
The main attraction of this city is the highest peak in Sri Lanka named Pidurutalagala, which is 2524 m high. The other attractions include a beautiful golf course, an oasis named Victoria Park, Lake Gregory, and many more alluring tourist spots.
If you have a query like where to stay and where to eat in the city, here are some suggestions. The Blackpool Hotel, Heritance Tea Factory, Jetwing St. Andrew’s, Stafford Bunglow, etc., are few good places for your stay. Grand Indian, Salmiya, Mackwoods’s Labookellie Tea Centre, etc., are great ideas to visit and dine in.
If you want a happening nightlife in Nuwara Eliya, visit 19th Hole Pub for some good drinks. If you are wondering where to shop in this city and you can bargain hard, visit Cargil’s. There you will get a lot of stuffs cheaper than other markets. Happy shopping!
Mount Pedro
Locally known as Pidurutalagala, it is the highest peak in Sri Lanka, with a height of 2524 m. It is situated in the North-east of Nuwara Eliya. The surroundings are covered with lush greenery which is a treat for your eyes.
Victoria Park
It is a nature park in the city with good scenic beauty. There is a miniature railway which is fun to ride. A river passes through the park, known as Nanu Oya River which increases the natural beauty of the park. It is a good place for bird-watching too. You will get to see some really beautiful birds like hornbills.
Lake Gregory
It is a large lake artificially created by a British governor named Sir William Gregory, giving the lake its name. The water of the lake is channelled to produce hydro- electricity.
Galway’s Land National Park
Galway’s Land National Park was declared so in the year 2006. Previously, it was a small sanctuary. There are approximately 50 rare bird species that you can see in this National park, 20 migratory ones and 30 native ones. Apart from birds, you will witness great flora in the park.
Horton Plains National Park
The second highest and the third highest peaks in Sri Lanka, namely Kirigalpoththa and Thotupola Kanda, are situated in this national park. The park is covered with fog forest and montane grasslands, providing the Sri Lankan Sambar Deer an ideal place for dwelling. It is a home to a large number of truly rare bird species which are found in this park only.
The World’s End and Baker’s fall is situated in this park. Other than the deer, the animals like grizzled giant squirrels, Indian muntjacs, Sri Lankan leopards, wild boars, etc., are found in this park.
World’s End
It is sheer cliff with a height of 1200 m, situated inside the Horton Plains National Park. It is one of the most visited tourist spots in Nuwara Eliya.
Baker’s Fall
Named after a famous explorer Sir Samuel Baker, these beautiful cascade waterfalls with marvellous scenic beauty is 20 m high and situated in the Horton Plains National Park. It falls on a tributary of the river Belihul Oya. The serenity of this place is worth remembering.
Seethe Amman Temple
This temple has a historical background. It is believed that, Sita was kept in this place after being kidnapped by Ravan. A temple is built after that for the Hindu Goddess Sita. The marks on the rock surfaces near the temple are believed to be the footprints of Ravan’s elephant.
Hakgala Botanical Garden
This garden also has a historical background relating to Hindu mythology. It is believed that, after abducing Sita, Ravan kept her in this garden, which is called Ashok Vatika in Ramayana. A temple named Seethe Amman Temple was also constructed near this garden where Sita and Hanuman are worshipped.
This botanical garden is one of the five botanical gardens is Sri Lanka. You must visit this garden in the spring season to see the beautiful blooms. There are a lot of varieties of roses in this botanical garden.
Holy Trinity Church
This is a beautiful church in the city of lights, constructed in 1852, that you should visit to find peace of mind. The calmness will surely soothe you.
Golf course
Located in the heart of the city, this golf course is at an altitude of 6000 m. The field is well-maintained on which the ball rolls faster. The entire place with its natural beauty is breath-taking.