Nuwara Eliya or ‘Little England’ in the Hill Country of Sri Lanka is reminiscent of a quaint English tea town with beautiful green tea plantations, clusters of bright roofed cottages, colonial style club houses and chilly weather, even as the rest of the country is much warmer.
The Hill Country has a number of villages and towns but Nuwara Eliya is not one to be missed. On the way, visit one of the many tea plantations such as the Bluefields Estate and after the tour, don’t forget to sit down for a slice of chocolate or butter cake with a cup of tea. You can also buy tea here and the Strawberry tea at Bluefields is rich and aromatic.
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Tea Estate, N.Eliya
This is a great place to stay the night if you want to visit World’s End at the Hortons Plains Reserve.
The Grosvenor Hotel is wonderful with its spacious rooms and hallways and seems like its right out of a novel set in the colonial era. If you ask them, they are nice enough to make you a picnic basket of breakfast to carry to World’s End, early next morning. This is easily my favourite budget hotel in Sri Lanka with facilities that are way fancier than those of others in the same price range.
View View from World’s End
The town does not have much of a market, but there are some lovely local places to eat such as D’Silvas.
Stroll around the busy, yet peaceful Gregory Lake in the evening and then head to the beautiful and surprisingly not touristy Seetha Amma temple, a 20 minute drive away. The temple is located where Sita, wife of the Hindu Lord Rama was confined by the demon King of Lanka, Ravana.
The legend of the Ramayana widely believed in Hinduism has geographical significance in the form of important sites and geological evidence in Sri Lanka. The temple is relatively new but some of the idols are said to be centuries old. The temple is built in the style of many temples in South India, with brightly painted idols of gods and goddesses adorning the roof.
According to legend, Sita spent many hours of the day by the stream that flows behind the temple, wishing to be rescued by Rama.
Gregory Lake
Gregory Lake
Seetha Amma Temple
Seetha Amma Temple
Seetha Amma Temple
For more posts about Sri Lanka, visit the Sri Lanka Travel Blog.
Additional Reading
Sri Lanka Travel Tips: Things to Know For First-time Travelers
Ayurveda Retreat in Sri Lanka: Barberyn Beach Review
Stay at This Glass-Roofed Villa in Sri Lanka
9 Things to do in South Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Safari: Into the wild at Yala National Park
Hiking to World’s End Sri Lanka
What to do in Nuwara Eliya in the Hill Country
Wandering the Streets of Galle
A Guide to Festivals in Sri Lanka
Grace @ Sandier Pastures
Thursday 13th of November 2014
Unfortunately, we were not able to see Gregory Lake during our visit to Nuwara Eliya! We were just feeling too cold (under dressed!) that we only went to Victoria Park and that's it. Most of the time we were just around the hotel premises (we stayed at Jetwing St. Andrews) and in our warm room! :)
thebohochica
Thursday 13th of November 2014
It was pretty cold when I went too but a beautiful spot nevertheless.
Rice and Curry and Devilled delights « The Boho Chic
Saturday 22nd of September 2012
[...] with onions, spices and peppers. My favourite place for Devilled potatoes is D’Silvas at Nuwara Eliya in the Hill Country. These are an absolute delight- you might have tears in your eyes, but you will be begging for [...]
Ayubowan from Sri Lanka! « The Boho Chic
Saturday 22nd of September 2012
[...] travelled from Kandy to the towns of Nuwara Eliya and Ella in the gorgeous Hill country, finally finishing up at the sleepy beach village of Mirissa [...]