Nuwara Eliya: City of Light and the Black Tea. Sri Lanka's attractions
Whatever your primary goal for the Sri Lanka trip is, seeing Nuwara Eliya should be added to your “to do” list. Tasting the most authentic black tea, visiting National Parks and taking a little break from searching the air conditioners.
Literally, Nuwara Eliya stands for “city of light”. If you spend some time on the island before going to Nuwara Eliya, you will notice the significant difference in climate. It’s like travelling miles away from equator, a good place to hide from tropical heat. No wonder europeans, who lived here quite long time ago, escaped to Nuwara Eliya every time the climate went back to tropical, which happens in April here. Nuwara Eliya is located in the mounts, and offers a moderate climate - just like the Foggy Albion can boast about. We even suggest that you book a room with a fireplace, because it could become really cold at night.
Turns out, this kind of climate combined with the tropical sunlight is terrific for growing tea. Spectacular varieties of tea, by the way. If you’re lucky enough to have time and opportunity, go to see the plantations where the tea is grown. Most of them still belong to people from Britain, which can be read in their names - Estate Rotshild, Estate McDauel, Mackwoods.
Don’t forget to buy some packages of locally grown product as a souvenir for your friends, they won’t forgive you if you come back without it. Remember, not more than 2kg of tea is allowed to have during the customs control when you’re leaving the country.
Drinking a cup of a local grown tea in the atmosphere of London in good weather doesn’t make you feel English though. The surrounding still reminds you’re in the middle of an island in the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lanka is rich in natural attractions, and Nuwara Eliya region has something to offer as well. Visiting the located near the city Horton Plains National Park is a must. Plan this trip ahead, so that you will have an extra day to spend in the National Park. And we strongly recommend that you go there by train. Travelling by train is obligatory. It’s not exactly like the Hogwarts Express route, but it’s just as breathtaking.
As the city was mostly inhabited by the English, the golf course and the racecourse appeared. It is still a popular tradition to come to Nuwara Eliya in april, just like the British did. Though we strongly doubt that you would travel to Sri Lanka to see a golf game or a horserace, having a possibility to explore what island’s nature and culture has to offer. Come to see the waterfalls, the hills and the plantations.
