A drive of 180 km from Colombo brings you to the city of Nuwara Eliya meaning “City of Light” in the central highlands of Sri Lanka with a picturesque landscape of breathtaking views of valleys, meadows, mountains and waterfalls with a temperate climate. It is located at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) above sea level.
The city was founded by Samuel Baker, the discoverer of Lake Albert and the explorer of the Nile in 1846 and was also then known as “Little England”.
Many of the buildings retain features from the colonial period such as the Queen’s Cottage, General’s House, Grand Hotel, the English-country-house-styled Hill Club and the Victorian style old pink-brick Town Post office. Many private houses still maintain their old English Tudor style architecture, lawns and gardens.
The finest tea in the world, Ceylon Tea, is cultivated and processed in Sri Lanka. Since the introduction of tea to Sri Lanka in mid 19th century, Nuwara Eliya has been the capital of the tea country highlands of Sri Lanka.
