Day Trip To Nuwara Eliya

Horton Plains National Park is best known for its scenic panorama in Sri Lanka, delighting travel enthusiasts with gamut of exclusive plant and animal life. It is also one of the heritage sites in the world, stretching above the two lofty mountains Totapola and Kirigalpotta, which is a sight-to-behold.

The Royal palace of the Kandyan Kingdom is the last reminiscence of the reigning King of Kandayan, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe. The palace dates back to the 14th century, yet witnessing the glory and glamour of the kingdom is stupendous. The Palace has seen scars from many wars and tremors of foreign invaders like the Portuguese.The Royal court, another architectural capture has confronted many meetings formed by the king and it is here that the end of Kandyan Kingdom convention was signed.The temple of Tooth contributes maximum attraction to the tourists. Even though, the original palace walls have been burnt and rebuilt, the interiors remain the same. Highlights: Dalada Maligawa - Temple of Tooth (relic of Buddha’s Tooth), Royal Court (Magul Maduwa), Queen’s Bathing pavilion – Ulpange and the Royal gardens inside the Palace gates Location: Sri Dalads Veediya Kandy Price: Rs 100 per head Timings: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Kandy Lake is an artificial lake built by King Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe in 1807. The lake, also called Kiri Muhuda or Sea of the Milk, is situated in the heart of the Kandy city. It covers an area of 6,544 sq. m. with a circumference of 3.21 km. The lake boasts of a small island at its center. A building, together with some earliest ruins is also located at the center of the lake.

Waking up early in the morning and being served the finest bed tea by the butler will be a delight in itself. The tea planter will take you through the entire tea making process starting from the fields where the tea was first plucked and then taken to the factory where all the conversions take place. The tea trails will take you to the colonial era time. The afternoon cream tea is something to truly relish. The nearby places are an appropriate place to walk, cycle and biking. Location: Close to Hatton, near Bogawantawala valley.Highlights: Ceylon Tea Trails, Sri Lanka which is a must watch.Best Time: December to April. Price: The approximate price ranges from 484 LKR to 1626 LKR.

MEF is an estate as vast as 15 acres and is dwelling to countless of majestic elephants. The name of the estate, Samragiri has been inherited from the Samarasinghe family who have lived here for many generations. It is the only foundation where visitors are allowed to ride elephants bare back and interact with them with safety measures in the form of a educational tour. The foundation also provides a special Elephant Walk where you would be taken a 30 minute walk along with the animal. MEF has charity trusts for the welfare of these humble animals. Highlights: One hour educational walk and a tour of the museum, personally bathing the elephants, exotic walk on the grounds of the estate with an elephant, entry to Maximus Dung Paper factory. Price: 2000LKR for foreigners and 100 LKR Location: Randeniya, Hiriwadunna, Kegalle Timings: 8:30 am to 4 pm, all days

The mesmerizing view point is located on the Rajapihilla Mawatha and is ranked 5th out of 105 tourist attractions in Kandy. The place is located near the Kandy Lake and is enclosed in breathtaking landscapes of mountains and meadows. From the city, you have to take the Rajapihilla Mawatha Route, after which a 1 km steep climb will guide you to the view point. You can also hire a tuk-tuk to reach the top.The panoramic view that you would get to see is worth the pain of the ascent. The entire Kandy town lies ahead of your eye, and from the top, you can also spot the Kandy lake and Dalada Maligawa. Highlights: Panoramic view of the city, souvenir shops, art galleries Location: Rajapihilla Mawatha, Kandy Timings: Anytime during the day.

One of the greatest attraction and a must do for the visitors of the hill country, Kandy, is to take a walking tour around Kandy Lake which dominates the heavenly location with its cascading beauty. A silent stroll especially during the sunset time, enjoying the sounds of nature is a splendid way of coming close to Mother Earth and devouring the blissfulness. Being based next to Temple of the Tooth this is an artificial lake built in 1807 by the Royal King of Sri Lanka.The whole walk is around 2.1 mile and consists of enchanting scenic splendor covered with several rest zones where one can sit and enjoy the harmony and serene beauty of the Temple and the lake. In the midst of the lake there is a small island with palm trees making the lake look more eye arresting.   Location: Heart of the city, Kandy

Located at Hantane, the 1925 vintage Ceylon Tea Museum is one of the important attractions of the hill country, Kandy in Sri Lanka. The Tea Museum is a building of four floors where from ground floor to second floor it’s all old machineries, library and auditorium. For purchasing lip smacking variety and flavors of Sri Lankan tea one must visit the third floor which is sales unit. The fourth floor comprises of a magnificent restaurant where one can enjoy a free cup and the captivating and breathtaking surrounding view of the hill country from the top. One can visualize Matale Range and Kunckles Range through a telescope positioned here. From the top it’s an encircling view of green landscape comprising tea plantations of myriad types. Location: Hantane Road, Kandy  Best Time: Tuesday – Sunday, 8:30am to 4: 30pm Price: 1070LKR for adults and 428LKR for child.(approx)