Nuwara Eliya is a small, sleepy city located in the tea hills of Sri Lanka. We were drawn to Nuwara Eliya for a few reasons; the tea plantations, the former British colonial influence on this area, and it was on our way from Kandy to Ella. In fact, the city’s nickname is actually ‘Little England’ as many British civil servants once lived here and other colonialists would visit in order to partake in fox and deer hunting, polo, golf, cricket, etc. I’ll be honest, there aren’t a tonne of things to do in Nuwara Eliya, so I’d recommend only spending two nights here at most. However, I really did enjoy my time exploring this small city.
1. Lake Gregory
Originally a swampy bog, this lake was created in the late 1800’s by a British colonist. Today, many people visit the lake to partake in water activities – you can go on a boat tour, sea doo, swan paddle boat, etc. – or to simply walk around. When we first arrived earlier in the day, the skies were grey and it was quite cold, but thankfully the sky opened up later on.
There is an entrance fee for foreigners of 200LKR.
2. British Post Office
The post office in Nuwara Eliya was constructed in 1894 by the British, hence the well-maintained Tudor-style building. Apparently, the upper floor, which was the former living quarters of the post master, was transformed into tourist accommodations in 2012.
3. A quick walk around town
There really isn’t much to see when you walk around the town aside from little shops and lots of cars. We did, however, find a little samosa place and ordered some to take with us when we walked around. You probably only need 30-45 minutes to make your way around the town.
4. Get lost in the tea plantations
Depending on where your accommodation is, you might already be surrounded by tea plantations. We were lucky in that we stayed further up a hill and could easily walk around. Surrounded by tea plantations and quaint homes, this area was picture-perfect. There was an actual viewpoint called Shanthipura View Point. We walked there from out accommodation (the photos above are from the walk), but you have to actually pay to go up to the viewpoint. We decided not to as we were already happy with what we had seen.
5. Visit an actual tea plantation
Nuwara Eliya is the most important area for tea production in Sri Lanka thanks to its cool, temperate climate. That being said, you will literally be surrounded by tea plantations. We ended up stopping at a tea plantation on our way to Nuwara Eliya, but you can walk around a plantation nearby if you don’t care for an actual tour. You can also just ask where the nearest factory/plantation is and make a half day trip out of it. During our walk, we saw many local ladies picking tea leaves in the plantation.
6. Grab a beer and a book, and relax
As I mentioned before, Nuwara Eliya will likely be one of the most relaxing stops on your Sri Lanka trip. Make the most of it by grabbing a Lion Lager (Sri Lanka’s beer) and a book, and enjoy a few hours of downtime surrounded by greenery.
