Nuwara Eliya Travel Guide

Posted on May 10, 2013July 22, 2023 by Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

Nuwara Eliya is a well-known destination due to its healing climate and uneven terrain. Nuwara Eliya is a charming holiday spot in the mountains. The travellers need to drive about 5 hours into the central hill of Sri Lanka to reach it from Colombo. The city was built as a holiday resort for the soldiers of the British army in the early 18s. It was named Little England and the governor intended it to show some resemblance to cities in England. The city was planned at the foot of Pidurutalagala Mountain. Nuwara Eliya expands well over 17 Sq.km and is surrounded by mountains. The British nationals flocked to the city during their occupation of the country. The city was planned to entertain the British officers and the city was given similarities to their native cities with English-style buildings and imported trees and plants from England.

Nuwara Eliya

Nuwara Eliya is a well-known destination due to its healing climate and uneven terrain. Nuwara Eliya is a charming holiday spot in the mountains. The city can be reached after about a 5 hours drive from Colombo. This captivating hill country resort shows a totally different contrast against the palm-fringed pristine beaches on the coast and densely populated cities like Colombo and Kandy. The most important and striking feature of Nuwara Eliya is its healing climate, which shapes its fauna and flora.

The city was built as a holiday resort for the soldiers of the British army in the early 18s. It was named Little England and the governor intended it to show some resemblance to cities in England. The city was planned at the foot of Pidurutalagala Mountain. Nuwara Eliya expands well over 17 Sq.km and is surrounded by mountains. The British nationals flocked to the city during their occupation of the country. The city was planned to entertain the British officers and the city was given similarities to their native cities with English-style buildings and imported trees and plants from England.

The beautiful city of Nuwara Eliya is tucked in a valley above 1800 meters above sea level and surrounded by a rocky outcrop. Tea plantations, waterfalls, streams, rivers, lakes, green-capped mountains, forests and vegetable gardens are the main ingredients of the tourist places in Nuwara Eliya.

It may be difficult to make up your mind to leave the city, once you fall in love with this romantic holiday destination. Nuwara Eliya is among the most popular holiday destinations in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya, the most popular hill country holiday resort in Sri Lanka is essentially attributed to the idea of Governor Barnes.

Nuwara Eliya was a holiday destination under the British Rule

As the largest city in the mountains, Nuwara Eliya plays an important role in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. Undoubtedly, Nuwara Eliya is the most popular health resort on the island and features a blend of colonial charm, modern development and slum areas, inherited from the colonial plantation culture.

Nuwara Eliya was an important seat of the British colonial administration. Due to its healing climate and some similarities of vegetation to the home country, the British administration decided to develop Nuwara Eliya as a holiday destination.

What Nuwara Eliya offers to Travellers?

Nuwara Eliya and the surrounding area boast to have beautiful gardens, wonderful churches, fascinating monasteries, mountains, ravines and tea plantations that make the city a top-notch attraction for travellers, who spend their holiday in Sri Lanka. This fascinating hill country resort offers a wide range of interesting activities for travellers, however, Nuwara Eliya is popular as a destination for col clime and light adventure activities such as hiking, trekking, jungle trekking and bird watching.

Over time, Nuwara Eliya has earned a reputation for being one of the best places for adventure holidays in Sri Lanka. Because Nuwara Eliya and the surrounding area provide a wide range of places that are suitable for hiking, trekking, mountain climbing, boating, forest exploration, waterfall abseiling etc. On the other hand, Nuwara Eliya is the best destination to enjoy the awe-inspiring scenery in the mountains. As such, Nuwara Eliya is recognized as a must-visit place in Sri Lanka and is included in most Sri Lanka hill country tour itineraries.

When is the best time to visit Nuwara Eliya?

The month of April is considered to be the best month of the year to visit Nuwara Eliya. The “Wasantha Udanaya” annual event is organized during the month of April and a large number of travellers gather in the city in order to enjoy the occasion.

Nestled among the pristine mountains, Nuwara Eliya is surrounded by a mountain range. The best time of the year to visit Nuwara Eliya is from November to April. During the same period west coast and the southern coast of Sri Lanka had dry, sunny and warm weather. During this period from November to April, mountains also have similarly beautiful and exciting weather conditions. Nuwara Eliya is notably known for its healing climate. Usually, the temperature is about 15C˚ during the day, while it drops to 0C˚ after sunset. Don’t forget to pack the necessary clothing to be comfortable in a cool climate. The city is full of British colonial charm relaxed atmosphere. The development of Nuwara Eliya is essentially attributed to British colonial rulers. Still, British domination is demonstrated by the Theodor-styled building, racecourse and golf course.

What are the interesting places to visit in Nuwara Eliya?

Golf course
Pedro tea factory
Galwaysland forest reserve
Gregory Lanka
Sita temple
Victoria Park
Haggala botanical garden
Single tree hill mountain-
Lovers fall
Horton plains national park
Ambewela farm
Strawberry farm
Single tree hill
Gartmore waterfall
Laxapana waterfall

Single tree hill

Single tree hill is quite an unpopular attraction in Nuwara Eliya, perhaps because the travellers need to make a hike here. However, It is very easy to reach a single tree hill from Nuwara Eliya city centre and it takes only about 1 kilometre of the journey. Single tree hill is located very close to Gregory Lake. Hike at Nuwara Eliya is well rewarding, it is worth visiting single tree hill if you have time. Single tree hill is ideal to witness a sunrise, on a clear day one can have a breathtaking view from the summit over the surrounding lush green tea plantations, mountain peaks, waterfalls, Gregory Lake and valleys.

The single-tree hill rises up to 2100 meters above sea level. Single tree hill is the 7th highest mountain in Sri Lanka. The journey to Single tree hill begins from the Badulla-Nuwara Eliya main road and travellers can cover about half of the journey on a motorable road while the last part of the journey should be on foot. The hike takes around one hour and thirty minutes for experienced hikers and for novices it might take a bit longer. The difficulty of the hike is moderate. The travellers make the 90 minutes hike through the tea plantations and small bushes. Single tree hill commands a beautiful view over the city of Nuwara Eliya and Gregory Lake. The travellers can see many important landmarks from Single tree hill and some of them are Hagala mountain and Pidurutalagala.

Gartmore waterfall

Maskeliya is another laid-back small town near Nuwara Eliya. This small city shows a lot of similarities to Nuwara Eliya such as a healing climate, green-capped mountains, tea plantations, streams, valleys and waterfalls. Gartmore Falls is located in Maskeliya and it is one of the most beautiful waterfalls on the island. However, this waterfall can be described as an off-the-beaten-track tourist attraction in Sri Lanka. the waterfall is 25 meters in height and is also known. It is named after the Gartmore waterfall because it is located inside the Gartmore Tea Estate. Gartmore waterfall is known to people by two other names; “Sri Pada Falls” or “Adam’s Peak Falls”. It is named after the holy mountain of “Sri pada” or “Adam’s peak” since it is located close to the Sri Pada mountain. The waters of the waterfall mingle with the waters of Maskeliya Reservoir. The waterfall is fed by two streams which join above the Gartmore falls. Each of these streams creates a waterfall before joining and lies inside the Gartmore Estate. These two waterfalls named Upper Gartmore Falls and Lower Gartmore Falls, in combination are called Gartmore Estate Waterfalls or Gartmore Falls.

Laxapana waterfall

Laxapana Falls is 126 m high and the 8th highest waterfall in Sri Lanka and 625th highest waterfall in the world. It is situated in the Maskeliya area in Nuwara Eliya District, about 16 km from Maskeliya town on Maskeliya-Norton Bridge road, in a village called Kiriwan Eliya.

Gregory Lake

Gregory Lake is Located in Nuwara Eliya and it was constructed under the British-Ceylon administration in 1873. Initially, the site where Gregory lake is located was a wetland and later it was converted into a lake during the administration of Governor Gregory. During the colonial administration, the main purpose of the lake was to provide recreational activities for the city dweller. Today, the lake is one of the most popular attractions in Nuwara Eliya. The lake is visited by a large number of tourists every year. The lake is located in the heart of the city. And has now converted into a lake park where one can enjoy relaxing picnics. Spend quality time with your family here as it is one of the top picnic spots. Have an amazing experience with your family at this lake.

Nuwara Eliya wasantha udanaya

The city is most lively and engulfed with a carnival atmosphere in the month of April, during the “Wasantha Udanaya”. The city attracts a large number of travellers during April and there are lots of activities to keep the travellers busy during this period.

Nuwara Eliya for adventure tours

Nuwara Eliya is one of the best holiday destinations for adventure tours in Sri Lanka. Adventurous Mountain and rock climbing, trekking, mountain biking, and camping are some of the popular activities in Nuwar Eliya.

Trekking and mountain climbing tours are the best activities without any doubt, during your tour to Nuwara Eliya. Due to the very satisfactory conditions for mountaineering and jungle tours in Sri Lanka, most travellers regard Nuwara Eliya as the best happening alternative to the coastal belt and which you can trust without any doubt.

If you love to have warm sunny weather similar to the coastal region, then Nuwara Eliya is not the best place for you. Because, Nuwara Eliya is best known for its mild temperature and it is a popular hideout for local tourists, during the warm days of the dry season in the low elevated areas.

If you want to enjoy the beautiful mountains, waterfalls, patches of forests, and tea plantations, you can join a Sri Lanka hill country tour, organized by Seerendipity tours or you can have Sri Lanka private tailor-made tour if you love to have privacy during the tour.

Religion and education in Nuwara Eliya during the British period

The earliest reference to a religious establishment in ‘modern’ Nuwara Eliya had been in 1844 by the Oratorian Father Horatio Bettachini, Who had mentioned a church which had been built by then in Nuwara Eliya.

Holy Trinity Church in Nuwara Eliya

However, the Holy Trinity Church in Nuwara Eliya-the oldest on record-had been built on land granted to the church in 1847 and it is recorded that by 1852, the church building had been completed and consecrated. The church as it stands today had undergone improvement over the years and a considerable enlargement of its buildings had been recorded for the year 1896.

St.Xaviers Church

It was later that the present St.Xaviers Church had come up and is supposed to have been built on land granted by Viscount Torrington in 1884. Over the years the activity of this church had been consistent and by 1924 another chapel had been opened at Blackpool by some o the Catholics who had gone to reside in that area then known as Elk-plains and now Ruwan Eliya.

Another church of note which had been set up in Nuwara Eliya in the early 20^th century was the Union Church built by Arnold Paynter in 1912.

Commenting on the religious aspects of the Buddhists F.C Fisher the assistant Agent, said in 18727 that the affairs of the Buddhist temple in the district were in the most deplorable state of disorder.

Buddhist temples in Nuwara Eliya

However, by 1889, the first temple in Nuwara Eliya the Sri Maha Viharaya at Blackpool had been started. It is said that the Temple had been built on land granted for the purpose by the Sri Saddharmadhara Society, which had purchased it in 1887.

Two other temples which have come up later in Nuwara Eliya are the Gangaramaya at Blackpool and the Asokaramaya at Boralanda. Asokaramaya was begun in 1937, in Boralanda or the Moon plans area by a grant of land obtained by Pieris Samarawickrema from Reginald Francis, Herbert Lushinton, Samuel Julien Baker, John Randell Baker, Margaret Pepper Koch, and Geraldine Baker.

Building operations on this land commenced in 1937 and it had been completed in 1939. The temples, in general, had looked after both the religious and educational needs of the Buddhists through the establishment of the school and by providing library facilities and the like, in their institutions.

Education in Nuwara Eliya during the British rule

Providing adequate educational facilities in Nuwara Eliya had been a rather slow process. As early as 1847 there had been a government vernacular school at Nuwara Eliya and in a report submitted to the Assistant Government Agent in 1853, its teacher Mr.A.de Zylva listed the school property in his charge, which gives a picture of the establishment in that year.

By 1859 the church too had a school, with a single teacher and 33 pupils on roll. By 1860 there was, in addition, a mixed school run by the government, but in all these the attendance as well as facilities had been minimal. In 1868 the Assistant Government Agent Liesching called for the establishment of a Public School for European children and by 1888 St.Edward had been established in Nuwara Eliya for the benefit of mostly the planting community.

Beginning of Good-shepherd Convent

The beginning of Good-shepherd Convent goes back to 1902 when the sister moved to a place called the ‘Nest’ where the convent was to come up later. In 1921 St.Xavier’s registered itself as an English school too which had progressed over the ensuing three decades. The Holy Trinity School too which had been running as a school for some time was registered with the government around this period.

In 1928 an industrial school was established in Nuwara Eliya and in 1938 was established a secondary school known as Gamini Vidyalaya was. In the recent past, a few more schools have come up in Nuwara Eliya to meet the requirements of an increased population.

Sri Piyatissa Vidyalaya at Boralanda had been established in 1957 while Sri Vajiragnana Vidyalaya which was established in 1959, has subsequently established a weaving School, a Carpentry School and a Primary school as well.

Nuwara Eliya City tour

In Nuwara Eliya city you can enjoy touring the market, where many varieties of locally grown vegetables and fruits are sold. Don’t forget to drop into the Balay bazaar, located in the middle of Nuwara Eliya city, where you get clothes especially suitable for cold weather, most importantly you pay here a fraction of the money, that you pay in most countries around the world.

If you want to see the stunning British architectural mansions in Nuwara Eliya, take a ride around the racecourse. You can judge the luxurious life the colonial rules enjoyed as they were ruling the country, upon seeing those beautiful mansions.

If you are just a passerby like most Sri Lanka round tour guests and do have not much time to spend in Nuwara Eliya city, then a city tour is the best alternative for you. It gives you the possibility to see many attractions within a short period of time.

Shopping in Nuwara Eliya is also a very exciting thing to do. You can see the shops, stalls and vehicles that sell clothes and clothing accessories everywhere.

Perhaps Nuwara Eliya is the best city to buy clothes for the winter season in Sri Lanka. And the best thing is, all the products cost a fraction of the real value of those items.

Being a city with a Tamil majority Nuwara Eliya is a city with a large number of a restaurant to try Indian cuisines. It will be difficult to make a choice for a restaurant here, but you have to try Dosai and wade whatever you choose as your restaurant. They are the top dishes among the local people here.

grand hotel nuwara eliya — This colonial mansion is situated in

Nuwara Eliya hotels

Nuwara Eliya comes in many flavours with regards to accommodation, here you can find luxury accommodation to cheap guesthouses type of accommodation to stay. But generally, accommodation in Nuwara Eliya is expensive. Due to the high demand, during the local school holidays (April, August and December) rates are doubled. Most accommodation facilitators are concentrated near the racecourse along the Badulla-Nuwara Eliya main road. Several other hotels and guest houses are located towards the northern end of the city near the Golf course.

Grand Hotel

Brimming with colonial splendour, the grand hotel is a mixed bag of old-world charm and comfort. The architecture of this impressive hotel is British-inspired. The main lobby area was built during the early half of 18’s and used as the official residence in the mountains by the British governor, later it was converted into a hotel.

The interior of the hotel is exquisite, featuring wood-burning fireplaces and rare types of paintings; the hotel has undergone a massive renovation and upgrade of amenities recently but it has retained its grace while enjoying the modernization. All rooms have rich fabrics and furnishing so that guests are pampered.

Built in the old British style, surrounded by elegantly landscaped, lush gardens, you may feel like been to a genteel era entirely. When you’re ready to re-emerge into the modern world, the hotel’s gym, restaurant, and conference centre will be waiting. Set off for a stroll outside the hotel after a massive buffet breakfast to see the highest point of the island that looms large behind the city – called Pidurutalagala.

Views of the green-capped mountains rising in the distance are a photographer’s dream, and the enthusiast of nature will revel in the Galway’s bird sanctuary lies on a sprawling property nearby. Be sure that you encounter hundreds of sambur and take a glimpse of the vegetation in the Horton plains; there is no other mountain forest similar to this natural jewel anywhere else in the world.

The hotel is settled in an 18th-century building and is not only a luxury hotel, but it is also alive with history, big on charm and old-fashioned hospitality and the hotel lives up to its name. The guests are welcomed with a big smile and served a freshly brewed cup of tea with a piece of jaggery to carry on the Sri Lankan style of tea serving.

Grand hotel boasts clean lines and a modern aesthetic, while the empty spaces are decorated with valuable artefacts and antique furniture. The grand hotel has striking avant-garde artworks in the lobby and public areas. The spacious, cosy and luxurious restaurant can accommodate nearly a hundred guests and offers a spate of cuisine covering the whole world.