Nuwara Eliya is a city in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka. Its temperate climate gives the city a very different feel from other parts of the country and, along with the colonial architecture, has earned it the name ‘Little England’.
There is very little, if any, publicly available WiFi in the main town (as of June 2017). Make sure to plan your stay and download maps before you arrive in Nuwara Eliya.
Get in
By train – the train journey from Colombo or Kandy to nearby Nanu Oya is spectacular. Easiest way to catch Colombo – Badulla train, Train Name is ‘Udarata Menike’. Local buses (715) run frequently from Nanu Oya to the centre of Nuwara Eliya. The fare is only 80LKR per person. Three wheelers/tuk tuks are also present at the station and the driver charges Rs 400-500.
By bus – buses can be taken from Colombo or Kandy (3hrs, 135LKR).
Be aware – road transport between Colombo and Nuwara Eliya is very slow. The journey will typically take five to six hours to cover the 180km. Traffic, poor weather or failing light can extend the time needed. Rail transport is about the same due to the old and meandering track.
Get around
The town center is small enough to walk around. To visit sites further afield, take a bus or hire a three-wheeler.
The same caveat applies to touring around the area as for getting there. Assume that you’ll not exceed 20 kilometers per hour no matter what the mode of (ground) transport. So plan any excursions carefully, and don’t assume that you can cover more than about 100km in a day, including stops.
See
- Haggala Botanical Gardens are very impressive and a short bus ride away. Busses leave from the central bus station and cost about 35 LKR one-way. The entrance fee is 2000 LKR for foreign adults and 1200 for students.
- Pedro Tea Factory offers fascinating tours. In the hills nearby there are paths through the tea plantations to wander along.
- Hortons Plains National Park and World’s End Offer fascinating walks though this temperate mountain environment, with an 800m vertical drop to be found at World’s End.
Within the town itself there are a number of interesting sights. The Post Office is a very unusual building – a remnant of the colonial era. Victoria Park nearby is a pleasant place to spend an hour or so, with an astonishing variety of plants, ranging from tropical rain forest to English country garden.
The mountains in the central province of Sri Lanka and near to Nuwara Eliya are adorned with many picturesque waterfalls including Dunhinda Falls, Diyaluma Falls, Baker’s Falls, St. Claire’s Falls, Ravana Ella, Bambarakanda Ella, Aberdeen Falls, Laxapana Falls, The Lovers Leap, and Bridal Falls.
- Seetha Ella Temple. Hindu temple near Haggala botanical gardens. Important place to Hindu religion. Also known for a large group of monkeys inhabiting the grounds.
