Nuwara Eliya Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors in Sri Lanka
The island country of Sri Lanka is an ideal spot for tourists looking to enjoy the rich culture and natural scenery. Among the many tourist destinations that Sri Lanka boasts, the city of Nuwara Eliya is a great choice for those who wish to enjoy observing tea plantations, green hills, and other natural wonders.
Nuwara Eliya is also known as Little England which as you might expect is the result of the place experiencing constant rainfall for almost half the year and the average temperature of the city being lower than 20 degrees. This abundant rainfall is the reason behind this city having such a large cover of greenery around it and supporting its tea plantation.
So, if you are looking to visit Nuwara Eliya for the first time, then keep reading to learn everything you need to know about this city of Sri Lanka.
How to Reach Nurwara Eliya?
Reaching Nuwara Eliya is very easy because it is located in central Sri Lanka. This means it has connections to pretty much every other city and town in Sri Lanka both from roads and trains. Your best bet to reach Nuwara Eliya is to board a train from Kandy which is going towards Ella if you are in the Northern region of Sri Lanka.
Both Kandy and Ella are also excellent tourist spots so this makes fitting a visit to Nuwara Eliya in your travel plans very easy. For tourists coming from Colombo which is another great tourist location or the Sri Lanka International Airport, you will have to board a cab to arrive in this city. Taxi services in Sri Lanka can take you anywhere in the country due to its small size.
While you are on the road, enjoy the natural scenery around you and have fun observing the Flora of Sri Lanka.
Places to Visit in Nuwara Eliya
Despite its reputation, there are a lot of different types of places that you can visit during your trip to Nuwara Eliya. There are religious sites, natural scenery, antique buildings, and more just waiting for you to visit them. Some of the best places to visit during your time here are mentioned below:
Pedro Tea Estate
You cannot begin to appreciate the city of Nuwara Eliya until you have visited one of the tea estates of this city. Smell the amazing scent of tea which is spread across the Pedro tea estate as your mind starts to create an image of you enjoying a nice cup of tea in the middle of these green fields.
Observe the tea planters at work and appreciate the effort that goes behind providing you with the refreshing tea that keeps you going through a busy day in the office. You can reach this estate by simply boarding a rickshaw or a bus.
Seetha Amman Kovil
This temple is located near the Botanical Garden of the city and is a popular tourist destination due to its significance in the Hindu Culture. According to the story of Ramayan, after Ravan, the king of Lanka kidnapped Sita, the wife of Lord Ram, she used to come to this temple to pray to her husband.
An interesting fact about this temple is that the current build of this temple was designed by Tamil migrants from India and even to this day, they manage and preserve this temple's integrity. If you wish to visit a cultural site in Nuwara Eliya, the Seetha Amman Kovil temple is one of the best choices in Sri Lanka.
Adam's Peak
When it comes to places with a mystery element, Adam's Peak is one of the few interesting places not only in Sri Lanka but the entire world. This is a 2243-tall mountain with a bunch of different origin stories behind its most interesting feature, the footprints embedded on a rock.
According to Islam and Christian beliefs, the footprints originate from Adam, the first man ever created by god in Abrahamic texts. Buddhist believers believe that the footprints originate from Buddha, the main deity of Buddhism, and Hindu followers claim that the footprints originate from the god Hanuman when he was searching for Mata Sita.
The trek of this mountain is through concrete roads cut into the mountain, surrounded by lights and shops at every corner to allow tourists a place to take breaks during their climb to the peak. The peak provides an excellent view of the natural cover surrounding the mountain.
The Hill Club
Aside from the strikingly similar weather experienced by the Nuwara Eliya to that of England, the main reason behind this city s nickname, "Little England" is the buildings that are created around the city in the British settler style created by the British planters that once resided in the city.
In modern times, efforts have been made to preserve these buildings in their original state.
One of these old-school-style buildings is the Hill Club. This building was once used as a traditional hub where British planters socialized with each other and engaged in activities like horse riding, golfing, billiards, and other leisure activities. The building still has all its luxurious facilities intact and unlike old times, even allows women to enjoy themselves in the club as well.
Bale Bazaar
Tourists who like to take trinkets and memorabilia with them to remember every trip or just love to shop will find Bale Bazaar an ideal place to spend time. This market is popular for its winter collection ranging from jackets, sweaters, gloves, and hats. If you are comfortable with haggling, you can score some amazing deals in this place.
While Sri Lanka is never extremely cold or hot due to its proximity to the Indian Ocean, Nuwara Eliya is known to be a very cold place which is why it might be worth your time to visit this place and get yourself some nice looking winter wear.
Laxapana Falls
Located in the town of Hatten, this is the 8th largest waterfall in Sri Lanka, The waterfall is surrounded by green cover. In Buddhism, it is believed it is this place where Gautam Buddha wore his saffron robes before he visited Sri Pada which is another name of Adam's Peak.
Tourists are also allowed to take a bath in the pool of this waterfall, but the force of the waterfall is very strong, so caution is advised.
Best Time to Visit Nuwara Eliya
Because the city experiences heavy rainfall for half a year, the best time to visit this place is between March and June as the rain should not hinder your exploration too much. Make sure to carry an umbrella with you just in case and shoes favorable for wet surfaces. Ideally, a visit of 2 days is usually enough for you to experience the best places Nuwara has to offer.
Sri Lanka is a great tourist destination in the Southeast region of Asia. It has plenty of places for you to enjoy with minimal issues with travel due to the country's short size. Among these places, is the city of Nuwara Eliya. This central town has all sorts of places for you to enjoy from tea plantations to cultural sites.
So, pack your Sri Lanka Visa and other necessary things and enjoy your time in Nuwara Eliya.
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