A short glance on the City
Nuwara Eliya is located in the heart of Sri Lankan hill country. Home of the famous Ceylon tea and the rolling mountains are carpeted of velvety green tea plantations, interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls. The cellubrious climate, misty glens and similar to the British climate, make the place a must to include in your travel itinerary. Located at the height of 1890 meters above sea level. Temperatures are 140C-210C (Jan- April) 160C-180C (May-Aug) 150C- 180C (Sept-Dec).
History
Discovered by a hunting party led by Dr. John Davy in 1818 and was established as a summer retreat in 1828 by Sir Edward Barnes, the Governor of Ceylon.
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Today, with its neat old gable roofed houses with front gardens, tree lined avenues and buildings like the Post Office and the War Memorial give the impression of an old world flavour, retaining its status as a popular summer resort.
Is it safe?
I would say yes. In fact, it is probably one of the safest parts of the island these days. It is far removed from the war battlefronts and it is not as likely a target for terrorist attacks as Kandy or Colombo.
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Getting around the town - Nuwara Eliya is a small town and everything is within walking distance. However, three-wheelers are available near the Post Office and at Cargill's.
Day Trips - You can go by bus to just about anywhere or you can rent a van. Most of the taxis are available "downtown" - if you come up from the bus stand, you'll find a row of them on the left side of the street, from the temple to the market area. |
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Roads to Nuwara Eliya |
From Colombo, there are two main routes to get to Nuwara Eliya - via Kandy or via Hatton. Both roads are narrow, bumpy and winding but both have incredible views. If you're coming by car or van, I would recommend the Hatton way. The road itself is a bit better, it's less busy and the climb is not quite as steep. Plus, you get to see the spectacular view from the St. Clair's Tea Centre in Talawakalee. The Kandy road is neat too - the switch-backs at Ramboda are enough experience. |
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| Travelling in the train - The train from Colombo goes through Kandy as well but actually takes longer time than the bus. Even if you get travelsick, I recommend the train since it doesn't have to do all the winding along the bumpy roads. |
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| Buses there and away - Most buses from Colombo go via Kandy. For a trip that long, to go by Inter-city bus, will land you at and leave from the Private Bus Stand. The Public bus stand, where all the big yellow buses go is a bit closer to town |
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