Nuwara Eliya

Even 50 years after independence, Nuwara Eliya still feels like Edwardian England with its race track, golf course and bungalows fronted by neat gardens. It is Sri Lanka’s only hill station and still attracts crowds from Colombo at the weekends who come for the cool climate. Surrounding the town are dozens of tea estates and their antiquated processing plants which you may visit. The process from start to finish is surprisingly simple and a few boxes of tea make excellent souvenirs. Golfers can try their luck on the town course for very reasonable green fees. Those who enjoy walking can leave early in the morning for Horton Plains National Park, about an hour’s drive away. Here you can walk to World’s End,a dramatic ravine which drops over 300 metres. Continuing your journey from Nuwara Eliya will bring you back to the coast and Yala National Park.