What do you know about Sri Lanka? Even if you’ve been there before but haven’t visited Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka isn’t completely open to you. Everyone who has been there says that this is a completely different country, and even the climate on the mountain tops is completely different. But-about everything in order.
Nuwara Eliya means “city of light”in Sinhala. It is located at an altitude of more than 1800 meters above sea level, and adorns the foot of the highest peak of Ceylon Pidurutalagala, or Mount Pedro. The main attractions of the city surroundings are tea plantations, which are beautifully spread out with silky green carpets on the mountain slopes. They are exactly what is shown in every tea advertisement – I just can’t believe it! Nuwara Eliya tea is strong, with an expressive aroma, but at the same time it is not bitter.
In addition to tea plantations and mountain landscapes, tourists are attracted by the mild climate, stunning valleys and meadows. The average annual temperature here is +15-20 degrees, and during the year it fluctuates by 2-3 degrees. The first foreigners to appreciate this place were the British. Until a century and a half ago, they regularly held “April seasons” in Nuwara Eliya, escaping the stuffiness of Colombo. As time passed, the April trip to the mountains became a tradition, and even after the colonists left Ceylon, some locals continued the custom.
Today, most of those who want to take a photo of Nuwara Eliya in person are citizens of India. And although they also have a lot of resorts in their homeland (think of Goa!), well-off Indians go on vacation to Sri Lanka. Firstly, because of the mild climate, and secondly, because of the relative purity of Nuwara Eliya and the absence of crowds, as almost everywhere in India. The locals themselves are friendly, but they rarely go further than their villages: they work hard and earn little, and if an extra rupee falls into their budget, they take it to the bank to save it for the children. Therefore, the majority of the population does not think about tourism. Here, the tourist is not treated the same way as on the coast – they are much less likely to run up with an outstretched hand, and in general, people are kinder.
Transport issue
Getting to Nuwara Eliya is difficult and long, but the stunning views make up for all the inconvenience. Nuwara Eliya has a lot to see. Mountain serpentines can exhaust even those who do not usually suffer from motion sickness. But on the way, you can stop and admire one of the many wonderful waterfalls or admire the ” tea ” landscapes. The only airport with scheduled flights is located in Colombo. Therefore, you will have to go to the “city of light” by car, bus or train.
Train
The railway station is located not in the city, but in one of its adjacent villages – Nanu Oya. From there, Nuwara Eliya is only eight kilometers away, and the bus ride will take less than half an hour. The ticket costs 40 Sri Lankan rupees. Nuwara can be reached either from Colombo, which takes approximately 7 hours, or from Kandy, which is an hour less. But there are 5 trains a day from Colombo and 4 trains a day from Kandy.
Travel from Colombo costs about $ 2.5 (5 hours drive), and from Kandy-about$ 1 (3.5 hours drive).
The current train schedule to Nuwara Eliya from different stations in Sri Lanka and ticket prices can be found on the Sri Lanka Railway website — www.railway.gov.lk.
All trains have tickets from 1st to 3rd class. We advise you to choose a comfortable first class or at least second class. In the third case, a crowd of people is packed, and you can be robbed or cursed (although many Russians are not used to this on public transport). A train ticket costs between $ 2.5 and $ 15. By the way, you can get acquainted with the mountain landscapes of Sri Lanka right on the way, in a three-hour train journey along the Nuwara-Eliya – Ella route. You will pass through mountain passes, in the heart of tea plantations and impenetrable jungles.
Bus
The bus station is located in the center of Nuwara Eliya. Buses arrive here from all points of the country, and here you will always find the opportunity to go to the direction you are interested in. The station is not very clean and does not give the impression of being safe. But if you can’t rent a car and want to explore the surrounding area, you can still come here.
For long-distance travel in Sri Lanka, it is still better to travel by train. The bus goes slowly, no more than 40 km/h. People jostle in the aisle all the way, and the driver will turn on loud music at any time of the day. It is better for single girls to refrain from night trips, as Sri Lankans from small villages can be very persistent.
Car
Rent a car costs$ 35-50 per day, there are not so many cars on the roads as on the south-west coast. Mountain roads are narrow, full of serpentines and cliffs. Plus greyhound bus drivers who go as they please. If you want to explore several Nuwara Eliya attractions in one day, you can arrange a trip with the locals by car or tuk-tuk. The price is no longer regulated in any way, but you should expect about $ 30-40 per day.
Nuwara Eliya Tea Plantations
The main feature of Sri Lanka is still tea. Gastronomic tours are organized to introduce you to the tea traditions. There are several tea plantations around the city, and factories nearby. Local residents, mostly women, work there for pennies. Of course, factories are more like hangars and the equipment there is not high-tech, but the output is a real fragrant tea.
Bluefield Tea Gardens Tea Factory
It is located on the way from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. Tourists are offered a free guided tour of the factory, followed by a tea tasting. Those who arrived by themselves, without a group, are met by a guide. Most likely, you will be told that you will pay as much as you see fit after the inspection. It will take about thirty minutes to tell you about all the stages of collecting and processing tea leaves.
The guide speaks good English. Girls work at the old Bluefield equipment, suffering from stuffiness and noise. Each room has its own temperature, tea aromas are in the air. The plantation itself is huge and picturesque. An observation deck hangs over the cliff. At the end of the tour, you will be treated to free tea, but only one variety. To try all the varieties, you will have to pay Rs 80 per cup. Prices for products at the factory are high, it will be more profitable to buy tea for goodies in the city.
Damro Tea Factory (formerly Macwoods)
Tea in Nuwara Eliya is also made at the Damro factory. The plantations run along the road, and you can get to the factory by car. It offers a great view. In 2017, the Macwoods factory was bought out and renamed. The famous inscription on the hill, an allusion to the letters “Macwoods” was removed, and in its place a new one was installed — Damro. There is a cafe and a shop here.
The tour is not very interesting, they tell you what everyone already knows. There is a small museum. However, some remain dissatisfied with the fact that walking around the territory is not allowed, you can only admire the view from the observation deck. Tea is also more expensive than in the shops in Kandy, but it is really delicious. Employees need to be given some money so that they agree to take photos. Then the women start posing and chatting with tourists.
Pedro
Not far from Nuwara Eliya is the Pedro Tea Factory. Here the tour is paid, it will cost 250 rupees. You can not take photos of the production (more precisely, you can only take photos in one place – where the leaves are dried), but the tour is really interesting. The guide speaks with a slight accent, but the speech is clear. The entire cycle of creating delicious tea will be explained here. After – tea on the wide terrace. They are freely allowed to walk around the plantation, you can even pick up the leaves. However, the views are not as stunning as those found in more remote tea plantations. But you can get here yourself by tuk-tuk.
Tea costs – as elsewhere in factories-more than the average market price in Sri Lanka. And with large purchases, they can also lose weight, so be careful, because in such places you just want to buy a seagull.
You will be interested in: Souvenirs and gifts from Sri Lanka — what to bring home.
Nuwara Eliya city Attractions
Modern Nuwara Eliya is not just about tea and wild mountain vacations. Now they have set up SPA and golf hotels here. Developed in the resort and ecotourism. Guests often stop to admire the Bambarakanda Falls, Diyaluma and more modest water cascades.
Bambarakanda Waterfall
This is the largest and most popular waterfall in Sri Lanka. It is located in the Badulla district of Kalupahan. The height of the cascade is more than 260 meters, and you can see it from afar. A great view opens up from the A4 highway. From the highway to the village to go about five kilometers, and then only on foot. It is not long to walk, about a kilometer, and you get to a wonderful lake. You can swim, the water is not very cold. There is a waterfall above the lake.
Bambarakanda looks amazing against the backdrop of centuries-old pine trees that surround it. To view the entire waterfall, you will have to look up. Spray splashes for several meters, birds sing, pine trees exude a heady aroma, and birds fill their intricate trills.…
It is best to come to the sights from March to May: it is during this period that the weather spoils. The rest of the time, it rains almost constantly (especially in winter). In wet weather, the paths leading to Bambarakanda become slippery. Just like all Nuwara Eliya waterfalls.
Ramboda Waterfall
Beautiful waterfall, close to the road. If you are going to Nuwara Eliya or the factory, stop by all means! The waterfall is not very deep but really high! From the path to Ramboda, you get great postcard photos. There is a limiter that you can’t go any further, but the national trail is still trodden all the way to the mountain.
Ramboda is not as high as Bambarakanda, only 106 m, but it looks tall. But it’s a great place to stay on. The magical sound of the water and the enchanting views will make you forget about the time. To get a better look at the cascade, you will have to go down. But if you are going to swim, be careful-there are slippery rocks below, and the water flows are quite strong.
The observation deck belongs to the nearby Ramboda Falls Hotel, which is beautifully located right on the slope. The hotel is not bad by the way, it has a decent restaurant with a buffet.
Diyaluma
Cute waterfall with a height of 220 m. Its name translates as “fast water flow”. And it’s true-the cascade is formed by a mountain river, so the jets fall with amazing force. There is a legend about the waterfall. A girl from a poor family fell in love with the prince, but the young man’s father found out about their love and was angry. To save her beloved from disgrace, the girl committed suicide. The prince brought her to the mountain and mourned her for many days. The gods were filled with the guy’s grief and let the river of tears fall from the cliff – this is Diyaluma.
Temple of Sita (SitaTemple)
An amazing place in Sri Lanka for its energy. It is said that there is no longer a single Hindu temple in the entire world that was built in honor of Sita. The temple is famous for a legend, according to which on a stone by the stream you can see the traces of this god. The building itself is in poor condition, but services are regularly held twice a day. In general, there is an opinion that this temple is special, even tourists believe in it. You can enjoy socializing with Brahmins, taking pictures of Hanumans coming down from the mountains.
As a rule, after visiting Nuwara Eliya, travelers head to the equally picturesque city of Ella. Why to go there and what you can see is described in this article.
Where to live and what to eat?
Of course, in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, the sights are simply beautiful, but do not forget about the basic things – where to stay and whether you can eat local cuisine. As mentioned above, in recent years the town has become more modern, comfortable hotels and clubs have appeared in it. However, to this day, the lake, which is located in the middle of Nuwara Eliya, seems to divide the settlement in half: on the one hand, civilization, on the other – destroyed temples, huts and people who live below the poverty threshold. At the same time, it is easy to find a decent restaurant or cafe.
The cuisine is typical of Sri Lanka: rice with all its variations, vegetables, chicken, seafood. On average, two people can have lunch for 4,000 rupees. As an example, rice with chicken will cost about 1,100 rupees, with shrimp – 1,450, with vegetables – 600. These are the prices of one of the best restaurants in Nuwara Eliya-“Indian Summer”. It is located on the shore. You can enjoy the view from the terrace.
If you search, you can find cheaper snack options. If you ask the locals, they can tell you where you can eat three times cheaper. By the way, the portions here are generous, one can satisfy the hunger of two girls at once.
There are also enough hotels, about three dozen. Here are some of the best ones.
Heritance Tea Factory
Located on the territory of a tea factory. A stunning hotel that hangs above the clouds. To feel the whole atmosphere, we recommend taking a room on the 3rd or 4th floor, if there are financial possibilities. The rooms and staff are perfect. The food is wonderful. Every morning you will open your eyes amidst the lush greenery and sun rays, looking down on the clouds. Price for a room for two adults-from $ 260 per night. You can find out more detailed information about the hotel and view photos here.
Blackpool Hotel
Designed with Western traditions in mind, the hotel is located near the city. The rooms are spacious, with a fireplace, cozy and warm. On the table will be waiting for sweets for tea. Well-groomed territory, a huge breakfast room, a wide variety of exotic and not very good dishes, excellent service. There is a channel in Russian. Prices-from $ 120 per day. For more information about the hotel and reviews, see here.
Stafford Bungalow
A stunning place to connect with nature. An amazingly beautiful place located a few kilometers from Nuwara Eliya. The old bungalows were renovated and brought to perfection. Bedrooms and other living areas look luxurious. Every detail is thought out.
The hotel has a total of four rooms, including one family room, which is great for comfortable accommodation for a family of four. Around – a garden with magnificent blooming flowers. Price per day – from$300.
The rating based on user reviews is 9.4. See all the details of the placement and prices here.
Nature doesn’t have bad weather
Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, is a must-visit destination for those who live by impressions. Here you will find real adventures, not a boring beach holiday. You can easily burn your face and get wet to the skin. And if the sun shines promisingly in the morning, it will almost certainly get wet in the evening – you need to be prepared for this. But wherever you turn your head-solid beauty. Save your nerves for a trip through the exhausting serpentines and forward to the mysterious and unimaginably beautiful city of light!
