Pickup 7.45AM In Kandy ➔ (2km) Asgiriya Stupa➔ (2km) Wood Carving Family Workshop ➔ (50km) Ramboda Water Autumn ➔ (8km)Ceylon Tea Factory ➔ Nuwara Eliya Post Office (15km)Gregory Lake ➔ (5km)Seetha Amman Hindu Temple ➔ (1.5km)Hakgala Botanical Garden ➔ (34km)Ramboda View Point ➔ (49km)Drop-off Your Hotel

Nuwara Eliya is Sri Lanka’s highest town and a favourite hill station during British colonial times. The town is still touted as ‘Little England’, an illusion maintained by the presence of the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, a racecourse, the Victoria Park and excellent trout fishing in nearby lakes and rivers. The temperature can drop close to freezing at night, and log fires are a common feature of the many Tudor-style houses. Adding to the atmosphere is the spectacle of its townsfolk wrapped in winter jackets and woolly hats, carting incredible bundles of turnips, leeks, marrows and cabbages to the markets.

Due to the high altitude, Nuwara Eliya has a much cooler climate than the lowlands of Sri Lanka, with a mean annual temperature of 16 °C. But the temperature changes, and sometimes it can be as low as 3°C. It is pretty cold at night in the winter, and there can even be frost. Although it rapidly warms up as the tropical sun climbs higher during the day.

Among the most iconic vistas of Nuwara Eliya are the rolling estates with their vast swathes of terrain carpeted in an emerald sea. Women draped in colourful saris resemble butterflies as they work their way along the bushes, deftly picking just two leaves and a bud from each branch and tossing them into baskets slung on their backs. The British introduced tea to the island in the late 19th century, which was vital to the economy. Some of the finest in the world is produced in the hill country. Visit a factory and see how they are plucked, dried, crushed, fermented and fired using machinery that has remained unchanged since Victorian times.

Nuwara Eliya comes alive in April for the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year, and it is difficult to find accommodation as Sri Lankans holiday in the region during this period. The festive “Nuwara Eliya Season” starts on April 1 annually in a proper manner. The ceremony consists mainly of a band show in which all the local school bands participate.

Main attractions in Nuwara Eliya during the April season include the numerous motor and horse racing events. Motor racing comes alive with the Mahagastotte and Radella Hill Climbs, the former being run since 1934. The Nuwara Eliya Road Race and the 4X4 Lake Cross on the edge of Lake Gregory attract a fair share of enthusiasts. Parties are held nightly in the hotels, and the season culminates in the nine-furlong (1811 m) Governor's Cup, Golf Tournaments and the flower show at the end of the month.

The town's attractions include the golf course, trout streams, Nuwara Eliya Victoria Park, and boating or fishing on Lake Gregory. Victoria Park is an attractive and well-used oasis. It is popular with birdwatchers at quieter ti