LookimWant to visit the tea plantations in Sri Lanka? We planned to stay only 1 day in Nuwara Eliya. We wanted to see the tea plantation in Sri Lanka. I was more interested in getting to Ella. This was quickly changed when we drove in to this town and we both immediately fell in love with it! The tudor style buildings set around the lake make it feel like you wandered in to an English town.
On your drive in to the outskirts of Nuwara Eliya you will feel the cool change in the air, it is your first sign you are getting close. I was so happy to feel that change! After many dry and hot towns this was exactly what I was looking for. The windy roads brought us closer and suddenly tea plantations sprung up all around us. We were driving through mountains covered in green fields!
Driving through town you get that small town feel but it really isn’t that small. It is the perfect spot to explore the area and we ended up spending 2 days here.
Where to stay Nuwara Eliya
Budget: Medalin Lake Gregory, Green Gregory Villa Nuwara Eliya
Midrange: La Luna Cabins
Luxe: Seasons Villa – Nuwara Eliya, Kent Cottage,
Where to eat:
Most of the great food is found in the homestays. There is also the Hela Bojun ladies who will cook up some really cheap delicious traditional food.
Another really great restaurant called ‘The Kitchen’ is along the lake. The people who run it are lovely and their food is amazing! Everyday they change their curries, we ate the vegie ones each day and were obsessed with the leek curry and the jackfruit curry. They were absolutely delicious! Their prices were really reasonably priced and service was really quick.
1. Explore the Sri Lanka tea planations…one is not enough!
Tea plantations in Sri Lanka is something you really should see. Start doing it on your way into town because you really don’t want to have to drive back the way you came. Plan it so you will arrive in the area around mid morning so you have time to pull into the plantations such as Dambro/Mackwoods and Heritance. These are all really big tea plantations and they have free tours. You can even stay at Heritance which looks amazing.
Another tea plantation you can explore that is close to town is Pedro Tea Factory. It is a really cute boutique tea factory and is really sweet to visit. You can go inside and taste some of the teas. Then head outside and follow the path down in front of the tea room and as it goes down take the first left when it separates to walk into the tea plantation. You can meet the pickers and get a close up of the tea field. We visited on a Sunday and they weren’t doing the guided tours and there were no pickers working but we were free to wander around the fields as we wished. We went up to the tea room and had a pot of Lovers Leap tea and took in the views, such a serene spot to spend some time.
2. Victoria Park Gardens
Not only are the tea platations beautiful in Nuwara Eliya but right in the centre of town is the Victoria Park gardens. These are incredibly pretty and definitely worth a stroll through. There are different areas, a rose garden, a water garden and loads in-between. Take lunch and have a picnic or purchase some from their cafe.
3. Nuwara Eliya Hela Bojun for lunch
These ladies are awesome! Their food is delicious and so cheap. Seriously you have to try it, stop by before you head into the park as it is right between the markets and the park. These ladies are empowered through the Department of Horticulture to use skills they have to create an income. They are also taught about money management and running a business. Not only is the food great but it is a really nice way to support the ladies.
4. Lovers Leap Waterfall.
As well as the beautiful tea plantations of Sri Lanka, Lovers Leap waterfall is really close by to town and almost opposite to Pedros Tea Factory. It is pretty but when we visited it was a dry spell and there was not much water running.
5. The Nuwara Eliya Post Office
I am not in the habit of recommending you visit post offices but this one is actually quite good. It is the oldest post office in the country and it’s really cute! It is built in the tudor style and you can even get your photo put on a stamp! It is lovely to stop off at while looking at the tea planations in Sri Lanka.
6. The Lake.
It is not just tea plantations in Sri Lanka
The lake is a really lovely place to wander around and enjoy the view. It is huge and the views of the hills with all the tudor buildings sit sweetly in the hills. You can do water sports or boat rides on the lake or just enjoy the scenery. You will have views of the tea plantations of Sri Lanka across the lake.
7. The Royal Turf Club.
There is a Royal Turf Club which is huge in the centre of town. It is also used by the locals as a cricket pitch and soccer field. You can watch the games and the horses as they practice.
8. The horses.
They may be a pest to the locals but the wild horses that wander around the town are really cute! They walk around town and honestly you can’t move them if you tried, they just don’t care!
Check out our itinerary and how to fit Nuwara Eliya in to your trip!
9. Climb Adams Peak.
This hike is awesome, it is a little hard but so worth it for the views. It is revered as a sacred mountain and important to Buddhists in this way. It generally takes about 2-3 hours to go up and half that to go down.
Where to next:
Ultimate self drive Sri Lanka itinerary
Best way to spend one day in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Pidurangala Rock, Sri Lanka – The ultimate guide!
What to do in Sigiriya when you don’t climb Sigiriya Rock in Sri Lanka
Why Theva Residency is the best hotel in Kandy, Sri Lanka
Nuwara Eliya – home of tea plantations Sri Lanka
Lime & Co Kaba – perfect beach hotel in Sri Lanka
Midigama & Kabalana – two perfect little beach towns you should visit
Tuk tuk hire Sri Lanka – Renting and driving a tuk tuk around Sri Lanka!
Your go to Sri Lanka packing list
Dambulla and the Golden Buddah Temple
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