Nuwara Eliya Activities

There are plenty of things for young ones to occupy their time with in Nuwara Eliya. Parents travelling with children will find the city’s natural resources provide a plethora of family-friendly activities, and those booking into reputable hotels will generally find a variety of entertainment facilities at their disposal.

Boating
At Gregory Lake in the centre of town, parents can supervise their kids while boating. The lake’s boat house provides everything necessary with hourly rental of vessels and essential equipment.

Horseback Riding
Children upwards of 10 years old might want to try getting in the saddle astride a horse or pony for a spot of pleasant supervised riding around the city environs.

Hotel Facilities
The city’s better hotels offer a variety of facilities that young visitors can make use of. Typically, there are swimming pools and tennis courts, plus games rooms, televisions with music channels and live evening entertainment.

Walking
Nuwara Eliya’s natural surroundings are colourful and filled with interesting wildlife to entertain most kids. Get out and about on some of the area’s walking trails where children are sure to be enthralled by the birds, insects and other specimens of indigenous fauna on display.

Nuwara Eliya is a fascinating town, combining colonial history with traditional Sri Lankan cultural influences. Additionally, as the country’s highest habitable destination, Nuwara Eliya benefits from some fantastic natural assets, with awesome scenery at every point of the compass. Culture seekers, nature lovers and anyone looking for a destination where the pace is slow and the visual treats are plenty, will relish everything that Nuwara Eliya has to offer.

Adam's Peak
Lying southeast of the city, Adam’s Peak is a major pilgrimage destination for Buddhists and devotees of various other religions. The sacred mountain is also known as Sri Pada and its peak stands a lofty 7,360 feet above sea level, making it clearly visible from Nuwara Eliya and other towns and villages in the surrounding area. The mountain is considered sacred to Buddhists, Muslims and Hindus, and every year many pilgrims (and tourists) make the taxing hike to the peak to observe what is known as ‘Hirusevaya’, a process involving the honouring of the Buddha, the affirmation of religious vows and the witnessing of the sunrise.

Bambaragama Falls
These picturesque waterfalls are located along Ella Wellawaya road, to the south of the city. Besides their obvious aesthetic value, they are of interest due to local legend which holds that Ravana, the nemesis of Lord Rama, once bathed in the falls and held Sita, the wife of Rama, prisoner in the gigantic cave nearby.

Hakgala Gardens
Situated just over six miles along the road between Nuwara Eliya and Badulla, Hakgala Gardens is another destination that combines religious legend with natural beauty. Events from the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Ramayana, are said to have taken place in these beautiful gardens which feature winding pathways, lush green shrubbery and foliage, and a large collection of indigenous flower species. Of particular note is the rose garden which features more than 100 varieties of one of nature’s most beautiful flowers.

Haputale
A 26-mile journey south of the city brings you to the sleepy little destination of Haputale. The town sits some 4,736 feet above sea-level and consequently offers some stunning views of lower locales in the region. A series of Hindu temples can be found in the town reflecting the significant Indian Tamil contingent of the local population. The Haputale Forest Reserve close to the town has some excellent areas for camping.

Horton Plains
As the highest plateau in the country, the Horton Plains is an extensive national park covering around 3,160 hectares. The area received national park status in 1988, affording its large collection of indigenous flora and fauna protection from poachers and developers. A precipice known as ‘World’s End’ is one of the most famous points in the park, where the plateau drops sharply for 880 metres. Visitors are advised to lie on their stomachs and edge their heads over the precipice’s edge to experience the awesome drop that lies beyond.

Pidurutalagala
Pidurutalagala is the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka with its peak reaching an impressive 2,524 metres above sea-level. It’s possible to hike up the mountain; however, the peak is off limits as there is a state-owned television tower situated there. The views from the highest point that it is possible to reach are awesome all the same.

Seetha Amman Temple
Named after the wife of Lord Rama, this Hindu temple is located just less than a mile before Hagkala at Sita Eliya. The structure is built on the site where the legend of Ramayana holds that the demon king Ravana made Sita his prisoner.

Tea Factories
Tea provides an inescapable aspect of Nuwara Eliya’s local culture, as many of the city’s residents are employed in the industry and much of the land surrounding the city is devoted to tea plantations. Visit one of the many factories and get to see how the raw tea crops are transformed into the finely cut tea leaves that are eventually packaged and sent to destinations around the globe.

Cuisine in Nuwara Eliya is typically Sri Lankan, with dishes with both India and colonial influences. Locals eat three meals a day and curry is commonly eaten at breakfast, lunch and dinner. While rice is the staple carbohydrate accompanying meals, pancakes known as hoppers are also commonly eaten with breakfast and lunch.

A meal generally consists of rice with some variety of curry, as well as various side dishes and chutneys. ‘Curry’ is a broad term in Sri Lanka and refers to a wide variety of dishes, the common characteristic between them being the use of herbs and spices such as garlic, ginger, fennel, cumin, coriander, turmeric and chilli. Curry dishes can be vegetarian, or meat, fish or even fruit-based.

The city has a good selection of eateries with the restaurants at the top hotels perhaps offering food of the highest quality, but also at the greatest expense. There are cheaper options, but Nuwara Eliya is not really a budget traveller’s destination and cheap and cheerful establishments may be hard to come across. Western food is easy to find if you tire of the pungency and spiciness of the local fare, and Chinese cuisine is also available in a number of restaurants.

For shopping, Nuwara Eliya’s shopping scene features traditional local retailers selling locally produced goods rather than branded or imported products. Visitors hoping to take home some of the world’s finest tea will not be disappointed by the variety on offer with plenty of small shops selling locally grown blends and, of course, the factories themselves having their own retail sections.

For local handicrafts, silk goods, masks, carved figurines, sarongs and leather products, the city has a good selection of retail outlets with the popular Laksala Gifts perhaps offering the most reasonable prices for tourists. The Grand Hotel also offers a selection of shops; however, you can expect prices to be significantly higher here.

A branch of Cargills, Sri Lanka’s main grocery chain, can be found in Nuwara Eliya and is the best place for tourists to find Western food, alcoholic beverages and pharmaceutical goods. Behind Cargills, there is a large outdoor market on Sundays which is aimed primarily at locals but also offers plenty of chances for tourists to pick up interesting and unusual souvenirs.

Surrounded by mountain ranges and lush green nature, Nuwara Eliya is the ideal holiday destination if you are the outdoor type. Purpose-built facilities for organised sports or pursuits are limited, but the natural environment offers countless opportunities to enjoy either leisurely or taxing physical activity. The Horton Plains National Park, located within easy driving distance of the town centre, is perhaps the most popular destination for those wishing to appreciate the great outdoors during their stay.

Bird Watching
Victoria Park offers some good ornithological opportunities with an interesting selection of indigenous bird species available for sighting. Among the more interesting species you might see are the pied and scaly thrush, Kashmir flycatcher and Indian blue robin. Bird watching can also be enjoyed at Horton Plains National Park, where species such as purple-faced langur, dull-blue flycatcher and yellow-eared bulbul can be spotted.

Fishing and Boating
Gregory Lake is an artificial lake in the middle of the town where activities such as fishing and boating are available. Facilities are available seven days a week and equipment can be hired at the site

Golf
The Nuwara Eliya Golf Club is located just a short walk from the centre of the town and is an 18-hole facility that has been a part of the local sporting scene for over 100 years. The international-standard course covers 90 acres and although it describes itself as a members-only club, visitors can apply for temporary membership to take advantage of its facilities. Clubs, shoes and caddies are available for hire. Phone: +94 223 4360.

Trekking and Hiking
Nuwara Eliya offers some excellent opportunities to test your endurance over a varying selection of terrain. The Horton Plains National Park is the obvious place to head for trekking, with established routes and English-speaking guides with a good knowledge of the area available for hire. Pidurutalagala, the country’s highest mountain, can also be hiked up. While the peak is off limits, it’s possible to reach points as high as 7,000 feet from the base.

Walking
Victoria Park is located in the centre of Nuwara Eliya and is the ideal place to enjoy a leisurely stroll or vigorous walk while taking in some pleasing natural sights and clean mountain air.