Fluke. Nuwara Eliya. By train from ella to nuwara

Single Tree Hill, Nuwara Eliya. Photo credit: Nuwan Liyanage, Flick

Nuwara Eliya is one of the most picturesque, although one of the coldest places in Sri Lanka. Here you can rent a room in one of the old mansions turned into hotels and hostels, and plunge into the unusual atmosphere of colonial Sri Lanka.

Plan at least one full day in Nuwara Eliya plus one separate day if you want to visit and return to Nuwara Eliya.

what to go for

Don't miss in Nuwara Eliya

Walk to Victoria Park and on to Lake Gregory, admire the old colonial buildings, picturesque golf courses, blooming city gardens and the park's tall eucalyptus trees.
Visit a tea plantation, visit a tea factory that still has colonial-era equipment, have a cup of good tea on a cozy terrace with a picturesque view of the plantation, and buy the same good tea for home and/or as a gift to friends.
Take a tuk tuk and spend the whole day exploring the beauties around Nuwara Eliya which include spectacular waterfalls, an absolutely lovely tiny Botanical Garden Hakgala and atmospheric Seetha Temple.
Climb to the top of Single Tree Hill on the trail that winds up the mountains along the tea plantations and get a bird's eye view of Nuwara Eliya.
Feel like an English colonial by settling into one of Nuwara Eliya's colonial mansions and/or dining at the very expensive and ostentatious gentlemen's Hill Club. If you didn’t bring a business suit and tie with you, you can rent them here) Playing golf is no less expensive than a gentlemen’s club, an alternative to the “colonial experience” in Nuwara Eliya. Or at worst, put on a white shirt and a straw hat and slowly sip a cup of morning tea in the elegant Tea Lounge at the Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya.
Be sure to try how they cook red curry in Nuwara Eliya!

colonial architecture

The history of Nuwara Eliya, as the tea capital of Ceylon, stretches from the end of the 19th century, when this area was discovered by the British explorer and naturalist Samuel Baker. The colonists, languishing from the unusual heat, adored and enthusiastically upset the cool Nuwara Eliya.

The modern city surprisingly perfectly preserved the appearance of "little England" of the 19th century - the city has many old buildings, including the City Post Office, Grand Hotel l and Hill Club (gentlemen's club in colonial Nuwara Eliya). In addition, newer buildings and mansions are often built in the style of "colonial English mansions" with characteristic architecture and English gardens.

hill club. Photo credit: escandio, Flick

tea factories

Pedro Tea Estate is located 3.5 km from the city, you can get here from the city by tuk-tuk, local bus or even on foot. At the factory, you can take a tour (about 200 local rupees) and see the historical equipment installed in the 19th century, which is still used for tea production.

Bluefield Tea Gardens is a tea factory located 24 km from Nuwara Eliya on the way to, it is worth stopping here if you are traveling by car from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya or vice versa. On the way from Nuwara Eliya to Horton (k), between the two picturesque waterfalls St Clair's and Devon Falls, there is the St Clair's tea factory, where you can also stop, walk around the plantations, drink tea.

Tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya. Photo credit: ZoraHolidays, Flick

Nuwara Eliya waterfalls

In the vicinity of Nuwara Eliya, there are about a dozen picturesque waterfalls, most of which are fairly easy to get to. Lovers Leap is a waterfall located 2 kilometers from the road connecting Nuwara Eliya and the tea factory. Part of the way can only be done on foot; the waterfall offers a wonderful view of the city.

St Clair's and Devon Falls are two incredible picturesque waterfall located on the way from Nuwara Eliya to Horton (k), which can be seen from the observation decks.

Coming to Sri Lanka and not driving around the country is a real crime. Sri Lanka is literally filled with places where you can have a great time and get unforgettable emotions.

Toward the end of our holiday in Hikkaduwa, we decided on a two-day tour of Kandy + Nuwara Eliya (I wrote about other excursions in other reviews).

And again we used the services of our favorite company. As in the case of the Sigiriya + Dambulla tour, we left the hotel at 6 am.

This time we came across an extremely taciturn driver (we didn’t even recognize his name. An hour and a half later we arrived at the first point of our journey.

Elephant nursery. Behind additional fee it was possible to take an extended version, which included the second elephant nursery, where it was possible to watch feeding and bathing, but there it was necessary to be in time for a specific time. If we didn't, the money would be wasted. So we decided not to take this option, but just ride an elephant on horseback.

After a couple of trips to Thailand, I expected to see the usual picture: an elephant with a bench for tourists on it, a mahout. However, the reality turned out to be different. Just an elephant. They threw a small black oilcloth over him and told him to sit down. Immediately the question arose: how to hold on and not crash? It turned out - as it turns out. The elephant's legs were chained, the same chain was connected to the neck. It was the only thing to hold on to at all. There were two of us, respectively, life depended on who sat closer to this chain. And here we are, finally, planted.

Oilcloth turned out to be slippery, and the terrain is very hilly - sometimes uphill, sometimes downhill. More often from the hill, which is why we slipped on the elephant's neck. And where the neck is, there are the ears. Elephants hate having their ears touched. Accordingly, with the same ears we properly received on the legs, so that it would be discourteous. In short, the elephant was unhappy. We were also dissatisfied, because the elephants have a very sharp protruding ridge, and we sat, let me remind you, only on oilcloth. Yes, and he had more horse sides, so that was another test.

We tortured each other for about half an hour. The finale was a small puddle, where we were safely to be poured with water. We yelled in two voices that it was not necessary, the mahout yelled at the elephant - come on, it's supposed to be! But…. It was an elephant with female solidarity. She honestly took water into her trunk and released it forward, and not at us. And so attempts ten. In the end, the driver got tired of yelling, and we returned to the starting point.

Unlike in Thailand, the farm did not sell any treats for elephants, and we expected to buy something on the spot and did not take anything with us. It was a pity. So if you go skiing, take it with you. Most likely, there will be nothing on the spot. And elephants are very fond of bananas and corn.

Our next stop was the Royal Botanic Gardens. We walked along it for three hours, but, to be honest, you need to go there for the whole day. This is a beautiful place with an incredible collection of plants!

The park is neat. There you can find many places for good photos. Cards are issued upon entry. I advise you to bypass everything that is noted there, you will not regret it. Trees with bizarre fruits, bamboo thickets, palm alleys and a beautiful collection of orchids are all here.

The garden, according to the information at the entrance, is home to many tropical birds. But, alas, we managed to see only a few parrots, but even then from afar. But who managed to admire enough, so it's not flying foxes. There are tens of thousands of them. Foxes don't sleep, but they don't fly much in the park either. They cluster around the trees in clusters and yell in unison. The hubbub is incredible. If you want to see foxes, just go to the sound. You can hear them all over the park.

Monkeys are rightfully considered the second largest inhabitants of the garden. Maybe not thousands of them, but certainly hundreds. Monkeys are evil, it is better not to approach them. Feeding is simply dangerous, they will attack the whole flock. We were lucky enough to witness the internal disassembly of monkeys in the pack. An impressive sight. Monkeys not only fight, but also swear.

Food is sold only at the entrance to the garden. But there is no ban on its carrying. While walking, we saw several picnics (without fires, of course). No snakes or spiders were found. The grass is very low, so you can safely sit on the lawn without fear of hitting some dangerous animal with your ass.

After walking around the garden, we went to the third and last sight of that day - to the Temple of the Tooth Relic. According to legend, one of the four teeth of the Buddha preserved after cremation lies in this temple. This place among the Sri Lankans is perhaps one of the most important in terms of religion. And the most protected.

This is the only place in Sri Lanka where we went through security! Upon entering, we were assigned another guide. From the first moments we did not like it. No, he honestly talked about the temple and even tried to answer questions, but he was somehow ... slippery or something.

We walked around the temple itself and its grounds. Here, as elsewhere in religious places the rule applies - closed shoulders and knees, an open head (we changed in the car, the shoes were hidden in bags, otherwise they would have to be taken to the storage room for an additional fee).

The temple itself is pretty, but nothing more. There are a couple of richly decorated places, gilded statues, and a gilded ceiling. The tooth itself can be seen only at a special time (it seems, at sunrise and sunset), when it is presented to believers. The rest of the time it is in the center of the temple behind glass, a fabric curtain and in several caskets.

There are quite a lot of true believers in the temple. They sit in the corners and actively pray.

The inspection did not take long, we were there for no more than an hour. When we were already leaving the temple, the true nature of our guide surfaced here. He said: the whole tour is over, let's tip, you can dollars and euros. For a moment we thought it was a joke, but it turned out not to be. We gave him 100 rupees each, to which he said that it was not enough. Naturally, we refused to give more, he was too arrogant. The guide spat and left, cursing under his breath.

We didn't have anything else planned for the day. When we booked the tour, we were also told about an evening performance with folk dancing and walking on hot coals, but upon arrival at the hotel it turned out that this was for an additional fee. We refused.

We arrived at the hotel very early, it was not yet five in the evening. At the reception you need a passport or a copy. Do not forget, the travel agency does not warn about this.

And then it turned out that we had absolutely nothing to do. The hotel is located high in the mountains, overlooking the jungle. And no civilization nearby, just a couple of dilapidated shacks. To get at least to some kind of civilization, it was necessary to go down the mountain for a long time. steep road, where cars and bikes periodically passed at superspeed. We did not dare to go far, walked in the visibility area of the hotel. And in general they did the right thing. When we went down by car the next day, only a small village was found below, and something normal was only a few minutes drive after the descent. A bit far for walking when the sun is already starting to set.

Gradually it began to get dark, and we arranged a tour of the hotel. It was called something like Kandy Panarama View. Yes, we must give him his due, the view from the balcony and from the windows at the reception was gorgeous. But that's where the advantages of the hotel end. The rooms are small, repairs and furniture are not fresh, there is no hot water in the evening (apparently, it heats up from the sun, and after consumption it is no longer replenished). But the toilet and shower have a transparent wall. So you sit on the push and look into the distant distances, spreading somewhere down there, thinking about the eternal. This, I confess, is original.

The Internet is bad. I regretted that I didn’t take a tablet, it’s completely boring there. Occasionally, parrots flew past the balcony.

It got colder as the sun went down. Very sharp and very strong. If during the day it was under +30, then at night in the mountains the temperature drops to +16. We were glad that we had thought to take warm clothes with us. They slept with everything they had on.

The food was tasteless. Some kind of falling apart fish cake, french fries and carrots and beans. After they brought melted ice cream. They didn’t give a drink - for extra. payment were ready to bring a colla or alcohol. Even tea was refused.

It was cold at night. And after a cold shower it got even colder. It was worth a little doze - mosquitoes were activated. The final touch of our sleepless night was the gecko, who made his way to our room while the windows were open. Everything would be fine, they are very cute animals, but our friend decided to yell. And they do it well, very loudly! Quiet in the morning. Tired, poor thing, I guess.

The breakfast was not varied. Omelet or scrambled eggs, toast, butter, jam, pineapple, bananas, papaya and tea. Tea without asking was brought with milk, but we do not drink it. I had to wait another 20 minutes for the regular one to be brought.

Then we waited another 20 minutes for our driver to have breakfast, although the departure time was agreed in advance.

And so our second day began. To begin with, we settled on a tiny observation deck overlooking Kandy. The town is tiny but picturesque. After taking a couple of photos, we moved to the tea plantations.

On the way we came across a snake. Finally! It was the first and last snake we saw in Sri Lanka (although many tourists write that there are a lot of them, especially on tea plantations). Well, how did you see it? .. so, something flashed before my eyes. The snake saw that something was about to happen, and with the speed of an arrow it rushed off into the nearest bushes, we didn’t even have time to get out of the car.

And then the Nuwara Eliya region stretched with its tea plantations. Every hillock is planted with tea there, and the whole thing is strictly divided between the plantations.

According to the program, we had just a tea plantation (not only production, but also the plants themselves). We expected that they would show us all this, tell us, we would see how tea is harvested .... And suddenly! The car stops. The driver says: we have arrived, go up the path.

Okay, we honestly went for it. And the path, to be honest, was not easy. Narrow, slippery from moisture, very steep and with stones. So impassable that in some places I had to squat down and connect my arms to the descent / ascent so as not to screw up.

The driver didn't come with us. We got up and waited to be met and the show started. But this never happened. Then we decided to just climb up to a more or less flat area, where at least we could stand normally, and take a couple of photos.

The descent was even more difficult due to the fact that the slope was very steep and the ground was wet. However, there were no casualties. I was terribly angry with the driver, he simply categorically had no right to do so. Moreover, while we were driving further, we came across many more paths leading from the road deep into the tea fields. Moreover, most of them were quite civilized and convenient for lifting.

The driver was not going to stop anywhere until the tea factory itself, like they looked, and that's enough. It angered me. And now we no longer asked, but demanded to stop where we wanted. If we didn't, we wouldn't see anything.

Nuwara Eliya is a high mountain resort in Sri Lanka, located at an altitude of 1884m above sea level. A favorite place for tourists who are tired of the heat and decide to cool off and look at the picturesque landscapes of mountains and tea plantations.

Weather in Nuwara Eliya.

The word "cool" means a temperature of 16-18 degrees Celsius during the day. At night, it expects you, all 12 degrees. And the endless rain is great weather for a break from the beach heat. I don’t advise you to go to the mountains without a good jacket, but if you don’t have at least a sweatshirt with you, then it doesn’t matter. In the city itself, there is a small bazaar where they sell warm clothes of famous brands. Here you will see the brand Columbia And north face and nike etc. for quite reasonable price. The fact is that in Sri Lanka there are many factories for sewing high-quality clothes for export, but not all quality items are sold on the market, I would say culling or replacing expensive material with a cheaper one. So, we got dressed and, of course, bought an umbrella, rain is an integral part of Nuwara Eliya.

How to get there.

Nuwara Eliya can be reached in 3 ways: by bus or taxi.

By taxi.

Let's start with the most comfortable, but expensive - a taxi. 1 kilometer of a local taxi ride costs 0.66 USD, that is, wherever you are on the island, calculate the distance from the point of stay to the destination and multiply by 0.66. It will not come out cheap, but if you are a company of 4 people and you do not want to waste time on the road, then this type of transport is quite suitable for you.

Bus

The second, not very popular, but convenient in terms of transportation, is the bus. The bus network in Sri Lanka is very well developed, from almost any resort or city, by bus, you can get to Nuwara Eliya, and the price will be around 300 rupees. All buses start running at 6 a.m. and end at 10 p.m., so you can always customize the trip for yourself, and not vice versa. Direct bus connections to mountain resort are made from the cities: Colombo - the capital of the country, Matara - if you eat from the beach, in the area of \u200b\u200bthis city, for example, from Hikkaduwa, and Kandy - the cultural capital and a very beautiful city of the island.

Train to Nuwara Eliya.

The third, best and most beautiful mode of transport is the train from Colombo to Badula. This trip, I think, is simply a must for everyone who travels to Sri Lanka. More beautiful route You won't see it anywhere in the world. You can start from Colombo Fort or from Kandy and follow to railway station in Nanu Oya, which is 8 km from N. Eila.

There are 4 trains a day from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya: 3 of them are morning express trains and one night passenger train. The schedule is shown in the table:

Kandy - Nuwara Eliya train timetable

As you can see, one starts at 3:30 at night and takes 6 hours on the way, the other at 8:47 in the morning and the third at 11:10 - two express trains take 4 hours.

It is not difficult to notice that the trains that go from Kandy to Nuwara Eila are all the same trains that go from Colombo to Badula.

I recommend that you choose daytime trains. You will never see such beauty again in your life. The train travels through the highlands, the most beautiful views of nature, powerful waterfalls, of which there are a huge number in the mountains, the air is sweet and rings from the purity and smell of vegetation. Repeatedly, from the window of the train, you can see tea plantations stretching for hectares, covering all the slopes of the mountains. Among the tea bushes, women roam with huge bags - backpacks, in which the top 3 leaves of tea are collected.

IMPORTANT: You need to understand that when we talk about the train passing through Kandy, you need to clearly understand that the train from Colombo does not enter Kandy. It passes through Peradeniya Janction where the train runs from Kandy. those. For you to understand, you need to take a train to Kandy, drive no more than 20 minutes to Peradeniya (you can travel this distance by bus) and get off there, waiting for a passing train.

Sights of Nuwara Eliya.

The post office building in the city center is a legacy of colonial history, with an exclusively British style of architecture.

He will take you straight to the doors of the factory in all mountain slopes from which, as far as the eye can see, everything is planted with tea. At the factory, you will be shown how women collect tea leaves, then they are unloaded from bags onto a large conveyor - a sink and thoroughly watered. The next stage is the drying of the leaves, then they are sent to special chambers for fermentation, where they are dried to a black color. The size, fraction of the leaf also matters, the finer the tea leaves are crushed, the more intense they taste.

After the entire production process, at the factory, tea is packed in huge bags and sent to a guest company in Sri Lanka, which already packs it in the usual multi-colored packages. The export of tea is strictly controlled by the state, the factories themselves do not sell anything abroad. After the tour, you will be given fragrant tea to drink, and several varieties will be prepared for tasting, and they will also offer to buy souvenir packages for yourself or as a gift.

Not far, 10 km southeast of the city, is the Hakgala botanical garden. It is considered the highest mountain garden, located at an altitude of 1750m above sea level and covers an area of 28 hectares.

Also from Nuwara Eliya they visit the Horton Plateau, Adam's Peak, waterfalls that surround the city and delight with their power due to constant rains.

Nuwara Eliya hotels.

As soon as you arrive at a stop in the city, you are immediately greeted by joyful locals and ask if you have a place to live. If the answer is no, then they will gladly offer you an apartment and tell you the price. I will say that it is not very customary to bargain here, as on the beach, therefore, from what has been said, the price does not go down much. As described above, it gets very cold in the city at night and there is no heating in the rooms. But most of the villas have a fireplace, and for an additional fee, you can organize dinner and relax by the firelight.

Hotels and hotels are not exactly a cheap pleasure, the price starts from $ 35 and does not end at $ 500, depending on the location and amenities provided in the rooms.

On a note: Nuwara Eila is a very expensive resort. It is very loved for the climate by the British. Also in - there are quite a lot of rich people from here who are fleeing in the mountains from the heat, which at this time covers almost the entire country. Here the temperature is very comfortable. Therefore, when planning this trip, keep in mind - Nuwara Eila is expensive, it is elite, it is designed for wealthy Englishmen and local businessmen.

Food and nutrition.

Food in Nuwara Eliya is fundamentally different from the beach. Firstly, no seafood, they are not here, and secondly, the size of the dish. If in restaurants on the beach we are used to ordering one serving for two, and if you take two, then you can already be taken out of the restaurant, then English restraint prevails here. Somehow after the beach portions, here I want to order a double for everyone. Well, the price of food is much higher than the usual price on the beaches of the island.

Riding the slopes of the mountains around Nuwara Eliya, interacting with people living at such an altitude, I got to know Sri Lanka, which I had not seen before - and, frankly, I did not expect to see. It is almost never hot here, but there is always something to do. The surroundings of Nuwara Eliya are a treasure chest, where the main jewel is nature of unimaginable beauty. Tea plantations, mountains, rocks, waterfalls... And that's not all you can see here!

But not only this little one can hook on this, but interesting city in the middle of the island. At the entrance to Nuwara Eliya, you can immediately see that it was built by the British. In this region, almost the whole year there is pleasant, not hot weather with regular fog, which created associations among the colonists with their native Great Britain. In addition, the city is in close proximity to the main income of the once British, and now the country - tea plantations. Therefore, Nuwara Eliya is strewn with beautiful and colorful houses with carved facades and neat gardens.

Even when I was on the coast, I rested at indian ocean, I was told: "when you come to the mountains, you will know the real Ceylon." And the truth is that here they don’t run after you like that, there are much fewer beggars, aggression, and the desire to “cash in” at the expense of the tourist. All this together gives Nuwara Eliya its own certain charm, and the memory of this place remains forever.

How to get there

Since Nuwara Eliya is located in the heart of the mountainous expanses of Sri Lanka, the path here can be quite long and difficult. But don't let that scare you - trust me, it's worth it!

Due to the large number of steep serpentines, narrow roads and often foggy weather, trains have become the most popular means of transportation in the mountainous region of Ceylon. They are the safest to ride. I got this impression after I started to get pretty sick with pressure drops and on sharp turns in the bus on the way to Kandy. At the same time, whether by car, by bus or by train - the road takes a lot of time. Nevertheless, all three of these options are quite relevant, and we will consider them below.

By plane

The only international gate countries are located in Colombo - the largest city in Sri Lanka. You can read about how to get to the country at. You can compare flight prices, for example,. In Nuwara Eliya public airport with regular flights no, there is only a small airfield used either by the military or wealthy people for private flights. For example, such services are provided by Cinnamon Air.

By train

There are no comrades for the taste and color, but I am convinced that the train is The best way to get to Nuwara Eliya in all respects: in price, in comfort and in the beauty of natural views in the window.

How to get from the station to the city

At the same time, the railway station itself is not located in the city, but in one of the villages that surround it - Nanu Oya.

The drive from the station to Nuwara Eliya is only 8 km, in time it will take no more than 25 minutes. Buses stop right at the station, almost all go through Nuwara Eliya, but, of course, it makes sense to clarify this point with the driver or conductor. The bus ride costs approximately 0.2 USD (25 LKR, Sri Lankan rupees). Now the question still arises - how to get to Nanu Oya by train?

How to get to Nanu Oya by train

There is only one in Sri Lanka railway route runs through this inconspicuous mountain village- Colombo-Badulla. There are 4 trains a day from Colombo to Nanu Oya: at 05:55, at 08:30, at 09:45 and at 20:00. The journey will take you about 7 hours. At the same time, the first two also pass through Kandy (on the way 4 hours from it). In addition to these two trains, another one leaves Kandy at 03:30 (6 hours on the way).

Tickets and carriage classes

In each of those trains that I have listed, there are certain gradations in terms of comfort level - 1, 2, 3 class. On a night flight from Colombo, there is our reserved seat instead of the 1st class, and after traveling in this sleeping car, I considered our Russian Railways a gift from above in every sense, and the fare was 8 USD / 1250 LKR. In other cases, you will need to sit all the way.

1st class is always equipped with more comfortable seats and Wi-Fi. In some cases, you can stick out of it, taking photos mountain beauties. The fare in 1st class carriages (there is also a certain difference between them depending on the level of service) is from 8 USD to 15 USD (1250–2250 LKR).

In the 3rd class, usually unpretentious Sri Lankans travel around Sri Lanka, who can crowd there in crowds - after all, the fare is only 2.6 USD (400 LKR). I definitely would not recommend 3rd class travel to tourists, especially girls. This is simply not safe - you can easily be robbed or insulted. If your budget is tight, then it's better to take a ticket to the 2nd class. There are significantly fewer people there, there are fans in case of heat (although they almost always do not work), the seats are a little better, and the interior is cleaner. For such a pleasure, you will have to pay 4 USD (600 LKR).

All prices above are for travel from Colombo.

By bus

Located in the heart of Nuwara Eliya bus station. It is a very important transport hub in the mountainous region of Sri Lanka, because buses arrive here from the largest cities in the country - Colombo and Matara and many other less touristy villages. The bus station itself did not make the most pleasant impression on me in terms of cleanliness and safety of the place, but there is nothing to be done about it. In any case, you will have to visit it if you want to explore the area and you don't have your own vehicle.

Wherever you get to Nuwara Eliya, if the distance is more than 100 km, I will not advise you to take a bus, even if it is at night. Whether it's dark or sunny outside, it doesn't matter. The driver will turn on loud Sri Lankan music, the people will push in the aisle, and you will not have to wait for comfort.

Even such a short distance, as I said above, 100 km, you will overcome in no less than 3 hours due to winding narrow serpentines, where the speed of buses rarely exceeds 35 km/h. Therefore, if possible, take the train. It costs a little more, and you can relax and enjoy the views in peace. Personally, my heart stopped when the bus rolled over the cliffs.

From Colombo

To get to the beautiful expanses of Nuwara Eliya from the country's largest city by bus, you will have to spend about 2 USD (300 LKR) and 5 hours of precious time. Buses depart both during the day and at night, but after 8 pm and up to 5-6 am, fares are slightly higher. The girls will need to be extremely careful at night - in any case, this advice was given to me by the locals themselves. They justified this by the fact that in small villages since the war, men have not yet had time to change their habits, and it is through such seedy places that your path will run.

From Kandy (also from Trincomalee, Anuradhapura, Jaffna and Dambulla)

But if you are a fan of savings and budget travel, then it costs nothing to book in advance, except during the high season - from December to February. I looked for accommodation locally, using the advice of local residents and bargaining with the owner. You may well immediately upon arrival go to the area that is located behind the Grand Hotel (purple circle on the map above), and there go around the house by house. If the risk is not about you, then I will advise you, in addition to Booking, to use the services of, for example, this service.

What are the prices for holidays

In Nuwara Eliya, everyone can find a leisure option for their pocket. For people who are accustomed to relaxing in a big way, there is a whole range of establishments in which employees have a good idea of how to serve foreigners since the time of the colonial conquests. For budget tourists, there are plenty of options for both housing and food and everything else! So Nuwara Eliya will satisfy the needs and whims of everyone.

Housing

In areas in Nuwara Eliya, price gradation is practically not observed. I was very pleased that the air conditioning in the rooms is not a necessity. In the mountains, the temperature at night may well drop to + 10 ° C and even a little lower, so you will have to overpay not at all for A / C, but for warm blankets. You can find a room for 6 USD (850 LKR) with almost no amenities either in the center or in some shabby house where the owners will live behind the wall.

If you want to raise your level of comfort by settling in a clean, restored house with hot water in the shower and duvets on the bed, you will have to pay about 13 USD (2000 LKR). Most expensive numbers in Nuwara Eliya they can cost up to 100 USD (15000 LKR), and maybe even higher. Naturally, the level of service in such places will be very high.

Food

The rule in Asia for those who like to eat cheaper is to eat where the locals do it. This also applies to Nuwara Eliya. I managed to find the most delicious dishes of the national cuisine of the country in the form of huge portions for only 2 USD (300 LKR). And this could well be enough for two tired tourists.

Of course, there are also many more expensive establishments. They tend to be located closer to the outskirts or even in the Nuwara Eliya district. There are places where a buffet of Sri Lankan dishes is offered for 26 USD (4000 LKR).

Nuwara Eliya has two markets, one of which sells meat, fish and vegetables, and the other - fruits. Fish and fruits, which have to be transported for a long time from warmer regions, are a little expensive by Sri Lankan standards. For example, a pineapple that can be bought on the coast for 0.6–1 USD (100–150 LKR) can cost 1.3–1.6 USD (250–300 LKR) here.

In the city center there is a large hypermarket where those who want to cook for themselves can buy groceries. Imported food products (such as pasta, for example) are very expensive. Yes, and in hotels and guesthouses they are reluctant to provide a kitchen for use, as if forcing guests to pay extra for dinner and breakfast.

Transport

Without this item of expenditure here, unfortunately, can not do. To see all the sights of Nuwara Eliya, you will definitely have to spend money either on a tuk-tuk, or on a bus, and sometimes on both modes of transport - in turn.

The bus is much cheaper than a tuk-tuk, the prices there are fixed for travel over certain distances, but in the mountains such transport may be impractical. However, as an example of the cost of the trip, I can give 0.3 USD (40 LKR) for the journey from Nuwara Eliya to one of the tea factories, the journey took 30 minutes. For the same tuk tuk trip, we would have spent about 2 USD (300 LKR, and 10 minutes less time).

Main attractions. What to see

Nuwara Eliya is a gem mountainous Sri Lanka. I, as a person who grew up in the city's stone walls, was stunned by the abundance of greenery in the vicinity of this place. In addition to the world-famous tea plantations that are scattered here and there around Nuwara Eliya, you will see here tall loud waterfalls, high mountains, the tops of which are hidden by clouds, sheer cliffs, plateaus, plains ... Nuwara Eliya is usually chosen as a kind of starting point, from which they leave early, early in the morning, and return to the onset of darkness without the strength to sleep and the next day again go to explore the natural beauties.

Top 5

Tea plantations

When I first saw pictures with plantations, I decided that it was photoshop - there is no such bright and saturated green color in life. And what was my amazement when I arrived in mountain region. Everything is exactly as in the photo, even in cloudy weather.

Tea is what Ceylon is primarily known for, and this is probably the main thing National treasure countries. It is in Nuwara Eliya that you can best get acquainted with the process of collecting and producing tea, and at the same time enjoy great views. You can read more about Nuwara Eliya plantations.

Mount Pidurutalagala (Pidurutalagala Mountain)

This huge majestic mountain more than 2400 meters high can be seen from anywhere in the city - it towers menacingly over Nuwara Eliya, and on the top, on a cloudless night, the lights of a TV station flash somewhere high, high. Unfortunately, hiking enthusiasts will have to be upset - even if there is a path to the top, but in the middle it is interrupted by a wire fence. All because of the radar, which is important for the government, located at the very peak. Nevertheless, it is worth walking along the path, especially during the day - a great view of the beautiful Nuwara Eliya, surrounded by hills with emerald plantations, will open up.

Waterfall Jump Lovers (Lover's Leap Falls)

Despite the fact that this waterfall is far from the highest in the country, it is one of the most famous. And all because of the legend that envelops him. The story tells about the love between a prince and a simple peasant woman, who was not approved by the society that surrounded the royal person. Not wanting to spend their lives apart, the couple committed suicide by jumping from a thirty-meter waterfall. The flow of water takes its origin somewhere closer to the top of Pidurutalagala. The waterfall is very easy to find - it is located about 500 meters from the highway that starts in the center of Nuwara Eliya.

Hakgala Botanical Garden

This is one of the five botanical gardens in all of Sri Lanka. It does not differ in scale and some frills, and cannot be compared with the most famous at all. Hakgale is over 100 years old, and originally there was a plot of land for experimental tea planting. Like many other places, Hakgala is surrounded by various myths.

Horton Plains

This national park-reserve is a must-see place for lovers of natural views and long-term hiking. Laid across the plateau walking route 11 km long, which captures some waterfalls and places such as the big and small Ends of the World. The ends of the world (World "s End) in this case are deep rocky cliffs, which tourists are allowed to approach, taking breathtaking photos. Entrance to the park is paid (15 USD for a single visit, if you wish, you can stay in the park overnight with a tent for 30 USD).

Churches and temples. Which are worth a visit

Nuwara Eliya is not a place where people come to get acquainted with religion. For these purposes, I will advise you to go to - it is there that pilgrims mainly come to study the main religion of the country - Buddhism. Mostly in the Nuwara Eliya region, Christianity is practiced, but residents in the villages here are more likely to turn to Hinduism than to Buddhism, as in the southern part of the country, for example. In addition to the two places that I will tell you about, Nuwara Eliya has a lot of pagodas and temples hidden from the eyes of tourists. Only the locals know about them.

Holy Trinity Church

This is a fairly ordinary Anglican church, built a long time ago (in the 19th century) by the colonists. In those days, religion meant a lot to people who left their homeland for a long time - so they could feel their native life, even being somewhere deep in Asia. In the 20th century, Queen Elizabeth visited this church, making several donations to improve the place.

Temple of Sita (Seetha Amman Temple)

In general, this temple is not much different from other places dedicated to Hinduism - the same multi-colored, with many figures, not the cleanest, but surrounded by some kind of mysterious aura. The most interesting thing here is the legend behind the temple of Sita. Sita is a character in the Hindu saga Ramayana, a girl who was kidnapped by the demonic king Ravana. Hindus believe that it was here that she was held captive and it was here that she prayed for the hero of the epic Rama to save her. The temple is located in the shade of trees, in the jungle.

Museums. Which are worth a visit

Best museums Nuwara Eliya are those dedicated to tea plantations and tea production and processing technology. I personally was very interested to hear about it all. Somehow it never occurred to me what the scale of tea harvesting was or what subtleties there were in the processing process until I was told about it.

A very nice bonus of visiting these factory museums is that it is absolutely free, and you will also be provided with a guide who speaks excellent English. In any case, this is exactly what they do at the Mackwoods tea factory (I judge from my own experience), and after a walk around the factory, where the air is saturated with the aromas of exquisite types of tea, you can taste the result of the work of hard-working Sri Lankans. You can read more about tea factories here.

parks

There is only one park within the city, and this Queen Victoria Park. Its arrangement was started at the end of the 19th century by a German princess visiting Sri Lanka, who planted a tree here. The park is located in the heart of Nuwara Eliya, separating the bustling city center from the colonial houses that are now used as tourist hotels.

Many young Sri Lankans bring girls here on a date, spreading a blanket somewhere in a quiet corner and having a picnic. This is not forbidden, tourists can also spend lunch or breakfast, enjoying the birdsong in this small oasis. One nuisance - the entrance to the park is paid and costs 2 USD (300 LKR). Tourists love to compare the botanical garden in Peradeniya with this park. Of course, Victoria Park definitely loses in many ways. However, if you have nothing to do, or you are just tired of the hustle and bustle, come to this park with a book and snacks for a couple of hours. I assure you - you will have a great time.

What to see in 1 day

Of course, it is very sad if you cannot spend more than one day in Nuwara Eliya. In fact, in one day you will see almost nothing there, you can just put a tick: I was there. However, you can try and get enough of the beauties of the city in just a day. In addition, due to the unpredictability of the weather in the mountainous region of Sri Lanka, the program will have to be changed.

The rest of the time you can dispose of at your discretion. Unfortunately, in the city at night there is practically nothing to do.

What to see in the surroundings

Adam's Peak

One of the main attractions in Nuwara Eliya is Adam's Peak, or the second highest mountain in Sri Lanka after Pidurathalagala. main reason to climb this peak - a beautiful sunrise, which is definitely worth seeing. This is a place visited by a mass of pilgrims every day at any time of the year. It carries a certain religious significance for people of different faiths.

How to get there

Getting to the village of Dalhousie, located at the foot of the mountain, is very, very simple. The only difficulty is that you need to make a transfer in the city of Hatton. You can take the train from Nanu Oya Station (approximately 2.5 hours) and I strongly recommend that you take this route due to the comfort and beautiful views on the plantation. Another option is a bus, the time is similar. And the last one is a car, and here everything will depend on your driving skills, since the distance is only 40 km, but you will have to drive about serpentines. And about how to get from Hatton to Dalhousie, I told in, there you will read about all the nuances associated with planning a trip.

Ella

In the architectural and cultural sense, it is an ordinary, unremarkable village located between two mountains. Naturally, as in the entire mountainous region, the main attraction of Ella is the surrounding nature of amazing beauty. The main places in the vicinity of Ella are the mountains Little Adam's Peak and Ella Rock, nine-arch bridge in the jungle, waterfall and Ravana cave. To be honest, due to the comfort and the peace and quiet that reigns in Ella, I liked this place even more than Nuwara Eliya. But everyone has their own opinion, and in order for it to form, Ella must be visited!

How to get there

You can get to Ella by train, car or bus. The most convenient and cheapest option is the train, the trip will take a little less than three hours. The views that will open from the windows are another attraction of Sri Lanka, about which all guidebooks write. By car and bus, the journey will be exactly the same in duration, although the distance between the towns is only 60 km.

Food. What to try

In addition to the spicy Sri Lankan cuisine, Nuwara Eliya offers an excellent and wide selection of sweets! Perhaps this is what I remember most of all in the menu of almost every cafe in Nuwara Eliya, because we are already so tired of the eternal burning sensation in the mouth from spices. In addition to national dishes, you can also find places in the city where you can eat seafood, drink fresh smoothies or eat something from continental cuisine.

As elsewhere in Sri Lanka, food in the city can be both very, very cheap and insanely expensive. The average check for two in a cafe in the city center will be approximately 3 USD (400 LKR) for a meal for two with drinks. By the way, a nice bonus is that almost all budget establishments are located in the center, literally one at a time through the door from each other. And here are the places buffet, European level of service and haute cuisine are located either at hotels, or somewhere on the outskirts of the city, or maybe even beyond its borders - near some famous landmark.

By the time we arrived in Nuwara Eliya, we were already so tired of Sri Lankan cuisine that we wanted to start cooking ourselves, so we basically bought groceries in the supermarket, having a kitchen at our disposal. And yet, in some places we managed to eat, and where exactly we liked it the most - read below.

Milan Restaurant

Arriving in Nuwara Eliya early in the morning, the first thing we did was to look for breakfast. It was in this place that we first tried Sri Lankan sweets, which simply conquered us! Right outside the door to the restaurant is a glazed counter, behind which are donuts, cakes and other goodies that beckon them to purchase.

Grashia Restaurant

I definitely won’t advise you to stay in this place - the atmosphere here is not the friendliest. Basically, this institution is designed for local residents, and the back door, through which muddy personalities scurry in the evenings, goes to the market. We took takeaway rice here - there are no doors in this "restaurant", and a shop behind which there is immediately open kitchen, goes directly to the main street of the city. They cook quickly, a lot and tasty.

De Silva Food Center

Out of all the places I've listed, this one looks the most like a decent restaurant. But the prices here are somewhat higher. We came here for fresh juices and smoothies. What I really liked about this place is that they don't dilute their freshly squeezed juices so much with water and they don't get greedy on the fruits from which the drink is made.

Budget

Bake House;
Sri Ambaal;
White Tea Pot;
Thaj Hotel and Bakers.

Intermediate level

Magnolia
Salmiya;
Grashia Restaurant;
Glendower Hotel.

Expensive

Grand Thai;
Hill Club Restaurant;
St. Clair's;
TCK 6685;
King Prawn Restaurant;
Old Course Restaurant.

Safety. What to watch out for

Nuwara Eliya is a city of contrasts. At the entrance to the city, you are simply stunned by neat, beautiful, cozy houses built by British colonists. This architecture is so drastically different from other popular cities in the country that the abrupt switch to the typical muddy Sri Lanka in the center of Nuwara Eliya is not so strongly felt.

Otherwise, Nuwara Eliya is a mountainous place where people live with a different from the inhabitants coastal zone mentality. They are much friendlier and more peaceful towards tourists, always ready to help and not so often looking for benefits in this.

Things to do

When exploring the beauties of the region in which Nuwara Eliya is located, you may come across the fact that, alas, there is practically nothing to do in the city in the evenings. The city does not offer any night activities, most of the population gets up before dawn to go to work, and after dark, many disperse to their homes. If you want to explore the city during the day, then all that Nuwara Eliya can offer you is a tour of beautiful houses and shopping at the bazaar.

As I remember, in the evenings we walked along main street city, and the purpose of these promenades was to find a decent dinner. Those Sri Lankans that we saw either worked in clothing and souvenir shops for tourists, or sat in groups in cafes and pastry shops, gobbling up food on both cheeks. However, I have something to tell you about the entertainment that you can do in this town, even if there are very few of them.

Shopping and shops

Some people (and I am guilty of this) choose shopping as one of the main reasons for visiting Nuwara Eliya. Local markets sell clothes for ridiculous money good quality, and many things belong to famous brands - Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Jack Wolfskin and so on. This is because they sell crookedly sewn products that do not meet the standards of the company enough to sell them in a store.

The place you need to visit for shopping purposes is called Bale Bazaar. This market consists of several narrow streets, hidden from the eye in the depths, between old houses. It is worth paying attention to the fact that some shops are located right on the street, and some are inside buildings. Sri Lankan sellers, only when they see you, will be happy to tell you right direction. Unfortunately, most of the goods are aimed at men, since all the representatives of the stronger sex in Nuwara Eliya and the region are purchased here. Seeing a homeless person in branded clothes in this city is a common thing.

Please note that there are also a lot of such shops on the main street of Nuwara Eliya, but the prices in them are two or three times higher than in the bazaar. Be sure to bargain! I managed to bring down the price for the item I liked from 40 USD (6000 LKR) to 16 USD (2500 LKR). So everything is in your power if you show charm and persuasiveness.

Bars. Where to go

Somehow it so happened that there are practically no pubs and bars in the city where you can hang out in the evening, drinking a bottle of cold beer or savoring wine. In Sri Lanka, in principle, this part of the infrastructure is very poorly developed - apparently, this is simply not typical of their culture. While in Nuwara Eliya, I found only one place where you can sit and relax for a reasonable price, and this Windsor Bar. It is located in the very center of the city. A pint of light beer, for example, costs about 2.6 USD (400 LKR). At the same time, there are a couple of pubs within Nuwara Eliya, but the choice of drinks in them is so narrow, and the prices are so high that I would not advise anyone to waste time on them.

The Sri Lankans themselves, who love to drink, go to special alcohol shops. Only they (and some certain supermarkets) are allowed to sell alcohol at all in the country. Therefore, if you want to drink in your room, ask the locals in advance where you can buy a bottle or two.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

Typical souvenirs from mountainous Sri Lanka will be gastronomic gifts.

Tea

And the first thing that comes to mind is, of course, tea. In Nuwara Eliya and its surroundings, tea can be found for every taste - black, green, fruity, royal white ... And many other varieties. It is best to buy gift tea of good quality and in beautiful packages at the factory (from 2.6 USD / 400 LKR for 200 g of loose tea). In Nuwara Eliya itself, if desired and with the advice of local residents, you can also try to find something decent.

Cheese

This gift is much less obvious. Of course, I am far from a cheese gourmet, but I sincerely love this product. The best cheese in Nuwara Eliya is offered by the Ambewela Dairy, which is one of the largest on the island. Price - from 5.3 USD (800 LKR) for 400 g. It is stored for a long time. If the duration of your holiday in Ceylon does not exceed 3 weeks, you will successfully bring the souvenir home.

How to move around the city

Nuwara Eliya in size, of course, cannot be compared with major cities countries such as Colombo and Kandy. However, you can't see the whole city and all the sights in the area on your own two feet. So, to make it easier to get acquainted with the beauties of the region and the city, you can use the following modes of transport:

by bus;
tuk-tuk and taxi;
rented car.

Here, as on the whole island, the cheapest mode of transport is the bus. For certain distances, travel can cost mere pennies in terms of the dollar. In general, the bus is the only type in Nuwara Eliya public transport.

And I will tell you more about everything, everything, everything below.

Taxi. What features exist

Home Service taxi in Nuwara Eliya, as in the whole country, is a three-wheeled car - tuk-tuk. These colorful cars with no less colorful and sociable drivers will take you wherever you need to, to any park, waterfall, and so on. Of course, you will have to pay for their work. Tuk-tuk is a more expensive mode of transport than the bus, which I will write about below.

Here are some examples:

from the bus station in the center to the area of colonial houses in the south - 1 USD (150 LKR).
from the city center to Horton Plateau with waiting and back - 27 USD (4000 LKR)
from the center to the waterfall Lovers' Jump -1.3 USD (200 LKR)
from the bus station to the railway station in Nanu Oya - 4 USD (600 LKR)
tour of hotels and guesthouses - 1.3 USD (200 LKR)

The main advantage of traveling by tuk-tuk is that it is much faster and more comfortable than a bus. If on the bus there is a high probability that you will not sit down, then in a tuk-tuk you can be the only passenger in the entire back seat.

The only ways to save money on a trip on this wonderful machine is to bargain and catch a tuk-tuk in the direction that you will need to go. Then you can drop the price very significantly (especially if you smile and have a friendly conversation with the driver).

Buses

In the very center of Nuwara Eliya there is a bus station, from which buses depart both for long distances, up to Colombo or Matara, and to the villages of the entire region. The city itself can be walked around in 40-60 minutes. But to see all the beauties of Nuwara Eliya (without spending a lot of money), you will have to use the bus.

Buses are the cheapest mode of transport in all of Sri Lanka. It is divided into two types:

comfortable minibuses (Intercity), which have air conditioning that works too well and the music is not so loud.
ordinary buses, on which the entire poor population of Sri Lanka travels, and with which you will already get to know well by the time you arrive in Nuwara Eliya.

Prices for minibuses are almost 2 times higher than for regular ones, while it is they who, for the most part, serve the mountainous region of Sri Lanka. They are much more nimble, and they do not skid so much on narrow serpentines. However, if every coin counts, then large multi-colored buses depart in the same way in all popular tourist destinations (but not as often).

Transport rental

Personally, I did not see any places where you could rent a scooter or moped in Nuwara Eliya. But I've met a lot of mountain bikers zipping through the narrow plantation paths and trails.

There are several places in the city where you can rent bikes, but the most popular are Alpine Lodge and Single Tree. These places provide an excellent and extensive selection. The cost is 6.6 USD (1000 LKR) per day. If you love cycling, but have any doubts about renting this mode of transport in Nuwara Eliya - mark them aside! You will get a lot of impressions and will be able to explore so much that you would not be able to travel by bus or tuk-tuk.

Motorists in the very heart of the city are unlikely to be surprised by anything, since by that time they will have rich experience of traveling in other cities of the country, where there is much more traffic. At the same time, one should not forget that the one who has the largest car is the main one on the road, and he (in most cases, the bus) should definitely give way.

At the same time, drivers here are much more courteous to each other than on the coast, and all because of the crazy serpentines, on which sometimes cars cannot disperse. Be careful and keep your eyes on the road. On rainy days, I advise you to think carefully about whether to drive at all, as it can be very difficult to drive on a slippery road in sharp turns. Do you need it, these nerves? Nevertheless, the main thing is not to be afraid, to assess the traffic situation sensibly and not to rush anywhere. Then everything will be all right.

Nuwara Eliya - holidays with children

From my own experience I can say that I have not seen a single tourist with a child. Maybe they just didn't cross paths. But, in principle, I can understand why people rarely come to Nuwara Eliya with children.

The city center is quite dirty, and it did not cause me a sense of security. Of course, there will be excellent, suitable housing for a family near the outskirts, where everything is clean and prepared for tourists. However, if you don't have your own rental vehicle, you will most likely have to travel to and from the city for the buses. In addition, in the main park of the city (Victoria Park, about which I wrote above) there are excellent playgrounds, they are regularly cleaned there, and for the sake of the child’s leisure, you can have a good time there.

In addition, children under a certain age can be quite difficult to interest in examination. natural beauties. A child can also get very sick on sharp and steep turns when moving between, say, waterfalls and plantations.

However, I am sure that if you are traveling around the island with children and want to see the beautiful surroundings of Nuwara Eliya, these difficulties will not stop you!