Nuwara Eliya, which means the City of Lights, is a town in the highlands in central Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya is located close to Pidurutalagala, the highest peak in Sri Lanka. I visited Nuwara Eliya, together with a small group of AsiaExplorers members, when we explored the sights in Sri Lanka. I love the cool weather, even though it was rainy and windy when we visited. The road to Nuwara Eliya is winding - it reminds me of Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, but on a much bigger scale.
Mist shrouded mountain landscape of Nuwara Eliya.
Like Cameron Highlands, Nuwara Eliya is a major tea producer. The hills as Nuwara Eliya are carved into undulating hillocks carperted by a thick blanket of tea shrubs. In Nuwara Eliya, we stayed at the Tea Factory, a former tea factory that has been restored and turned into a 5-star hotel. It won a prize from Unesco for heritage conservation.
Nuwara Eliya was founded by English explorer Sir Samuel White Baker, as a hill retreat during the British colonial era. some of the best and most luxurious hotels in Nuwara Eliya dates from the colonial era - they are a watering hole for those with fat wallets who want to indulge in a spot of nostalgia.
While in Nuwara Eliya, my group and I visited an actual tea plantation to learn how tea was processed. We also relaxed to an English tea, to the roar of the many waterfalls in Nuwara Eliya. Our stay here is far too short and I look forward to coming back. It is truly a most relaxing destination.
But what I like best about Nuwara Eliya was the hotel that we stayed in. It is called Tea Factory Hotel, and it was indeed a former tea factory.
Picking tea at Nuwara Eliya.
The tea pickers, who are mostly women, use wooden sticks to measure how much they have picked.
The hill road through the tea plantations.
The tea shrubs are gown is varius pattens on the hills. In the distance is the Tea Factory, a luxurious hotel where we stayed.
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