This article is about the ten best things to do in Nuwara Eliya, the ten best things to do in Nuwara Eliya was chosen based on the reviews collected by seerendipity tours from its customers.
Nuwara Eliya is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Sri Lanka and attracts hundreds of thousands of local as well as foreign travellers every year.
The documented history of Nuwara Eliya goes back to around 7000 years and the city is closely connected to Ramayana. Even though it has such a long history, Nuwara Eliya loses out its importance as a historical city compared to places like Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Dambulla due to the absence of monumental evidence. Therefore most tourists have no idea about the rich historical past of Nuwara Eliya. However, with correct planning and knowledgeable tour guide, you will be able to learn the historical past of the city.
Whether you wish to explore Nuwara Eliya with a group or have a private tour with a guide, seerendipity tours would be able to get you an interesting tour itinerary at an affordable price- there are few things to do in Nuwara Eliya, that you should not miss during the Nuwara Eliya Tour.
Hanuman Temple
Hanuman temple, which is one of the few temples in the world dedicated to Hanuman. Hanuman temple is located near Ramboda, about 40 km from Nuwara Eliya. The temple is located on the Kandy-Nuwara Eliya highway and just 1-hour drive from Kandy.
This sacred temple is closely related to Ramayana. Hanuman is the monkey god that helped Rama to rescue Sita from Ravana. You might not see thousands of local devotees here, but a large number of foreign travellers can be seen here, especially Indian travellers who take part in Ramayana trail organized by seerendipity tours.
Visiting Sita Amman Temple one of the best things to do in Nuwara Eliya
Sita Amman temple, sacred Hindu temple just south of Nuwara Eliya, is dedicated to Sita, the wife of Rama. This is a signature sight in Nuwara Eliya. In terms of the number of visitors, Sita Amman temple attracts a large number of visitors, which surpass the number of visitors of Hanuman temple, because Sita Amman temple is believed to have some kind of spiritual power, that brings you luck.
The history of Sita temple is as old as the Ramayana. It is believed that Ravan has abducted Sita and afterwards Sita was kept at the same place where the Sita Amman temple to be found today. Sita Amman temple is included in all Ramayan trail tours.
Explore Galway Forest
Galway forest, a forest reserve just outside of the city, is one of the important tourist attractions in Nuwara Eliya. This forest reserve accommodates a large number of bird species as well as few animals such as wild boar. Galway forest is one of the best places to see a large number of avian fauna species that live in the cool clime of Sri Lanka. Therefore, this forest reserve is included in most bird watching tours.
Visit Horton Plains, National Par-a must things to do in Nuwara Eliya
Horton plains national park, undoubtedly this is the most important wildlife reserve in the mountains of Sri Lanka. The forest reserve lies about 28 km from Nuwara Eliya and it takes around 1 hour to reach the park from Nuwara Eliya. Norton plain’s national park is a patch of forest that has one of the highest biodiversity in the country and categorized under strict nature reserves. Horton plain’s national park is one of the very few wildlife reserves, where you can have trek.
Sip a Cup of Tea
The history of tea in Sri Lanka is going back to many centuries and attributed to British colonial rule (1796 to 1948). Sri Lanka is one of the biggest tea producers in the world and it is one of the important hard currency earners for the island.
A large extent of the mountainous terrain of Nuwara Eliya is covered with tea and it looks like the mountains are hidden under a green coloured blanket. Visiting tea factory will be a very interesting experience for the visitors, where the visitors are allowed to see the entire process of tea manufacturing in the real environment. Perhaps you will be able to sip a cup of freshly brewed Ceylon tea with sugar or honey.
Visiting Victoria Park
Right in the heart of Nuwara Eliya, Victoria Park offers a wealth of tropical park pleasures. Victoria Park named after Queen Victoria is another inheritance from the British colonial rulers. Victoria Park is one of the most attractive tourist attractions in Nuwara Eliya and loved by locals as well as foreign tourists.
The park is just walking distance away from the city centre. Compared to most other parks and botanical gardens, Victoria Park has a stunning collection of flowering plants and trees and blooms smile in all possible colours. The park is very attractive and beautiful due to the multi-coloured flowers, especially during the flowering season from March to June. A visit to the Victoria park must with kids, it’s a rewarding day out for adults as well.
Stroll the Waterfront
Gregory Lake, whose existence is going back to the beginning of the 18’s, is founded by then British Ceylon governor Gregory. Flood controlling was one of the main functionality of the lake at the beginning, while the lake was a popular source of fish and teamed with trout fish. Today the lake is an important attraction with the well maintained picturesque surrounding.
The lake occupies the southern part of the city and has a well-maintained waterfront. This waterfront has been refreshed, cleaned, and renewed in the recent past. A stroll along the river bank with a touch of cool breeze would be an unforgettable experience for any visitors who value natural beauty and privacy. Don’t miss out this activity if you are with kids, because a spacious waterfront garden is a nice play area.
Feed Your Face with Delicious Food
From classical rice and curry to wade, Thosai, hoppers, Nuwara Eliya’s multicultural population makes the town heaven for food lovers. Nuwara Eliya is one of the best places on the island to try authentic Tamil food, due to the large Tamil speaking population in Nuwara Eliya. Same times the city has a large number of Sinhalese city dwellers as well and therefore all food outlets prepare authentic Sinhalese food specialities such as string hoppers, roti, kiribath.
Visiting Lovers Leap Fall
Lovers leap fall is a waterfall near the city of Nuwara Eliya. It is called lovers falls, after a tragic incident, in which a couple died after falling off from the waterfall. Nuwara Eliya is dominated by the mountains and escapements, which comply with the best geographical conditions for waterfalls.
A large number of streams begins their journeys way up on the mountains and bring crystal clear, clean water along the ravines. These streams make many dozens of cascading waterfalls in the area. Trekking to waterfalls is one of the main activities of the leisure travellers in Nuwara Eliya.
You need to travel around 10 km to reach lovers leap waterfall and subsequent walk is also required in order to take a closer look into the waterfall. Even though visiting lovers leap fall demand your precious time on travelling and a walk, it is a highly recommended tourist attraction in Nuwara Eliya, after all, there is some hard work when you need to get something valuable, isn’t it?
Boating
Unlike other boat tours in Sri Lanka, where you see mangroves, avian fauna species, animals such as water monitor, crocodile, monkeys in Nuwara Eliya it is highly unlikely to see any of them, due to the cool and wet climate. The boater takes you around the lake enabling you to see the plants and trees that reside on the bank while enjoying the cool breeze on the lazy ride. Here you can do water skating, boating and fishing as well.