Nuwara Eliya
A hill town at 1,868 metres, founded in 1846, where a governor's holiday house became the Grand Hotel and April brings races, golf and a flower show.
- Arrival
- Bandaranaike International, Colombo · CMB
- To the town
- About 100 km from the airport as the crow flies
- Private jets
- Colombo, then by road into the hills
- Best time
- February to April
The city
Cool air at 1,868 metres.
Samuel Baker laid out Nuwara Eliya in 1846, high in the central hills, and the town kept the habits of its first residents: a golf club, a racecourse, a park for birdwatchers and a lake for boating, all under Pidurutalagala, the highest mountain in Sri Lanka. Barnes Hall, built in 1828 as the holiday house of the Governor of Ceylon, is now the Grand Hotel, its Tudor-style upper floor added in the 1930s.
Afternoons rarely pass 23 °C in any month, so it is the rain you plan around. February and March are the driest weeks, and Sri Lanka Tourism names March and April for the hill country; April is also the town's own season, opening on the first of the month with races and closing with a flower show.
- Horton Plains Grassland and cloud forest in a UNESCO-listed highland, ending at World's End, where the land falls away 1,050 metres.
- Gregory Lake The lake on the edge of town, with boats for hire and anglers along the shore.
- Victoria Park Lawns and old trees in the centre, a favourite of the birdwatchers.
Arriving
Colombo first, then the climb.
The hills have no runway long enough for a jet, so every international arrival lands at Bandaranaike International, north of Colombo, about 100 km from Nuwara Eliya in a straight line and further by road.
- Malé 1 h 30
- Mumbai 2 h 25
- Phuket 2 h 50
- Lagos 11 h 20 long-range jet
- Lisbon 12 h 35 long-range jet
When to go
February to April.
Cool all year, with highs of 20 to 23 °C, and rarely dry for long. February and March bring under 90 mm a month; from April the totals climb, and October and November, the wettest months, each pass 240 mm.
- 21° J 107
- 22° F 90
- 23° M 86
- 23° A 178
- 22° M 161
- 20° J 175
- 20° J 158
- 20° A 144
- 20° S 162
- 21° O 258
- 21° N 244
- 20° D 211
Where to stay
In town, and among the tea estates.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Araliya Green City One hundred and ninety-two rooms close to the town, some of them apartment-style suites for longer family stays.
- The Grand Hotel Barnes Hall, the governor's retreat of 1828, grown over a century into a hotel of 154 rooms.
-
Ceylon Tea Trails Three MICHELIN Keys for twenty-one rooms in four planters' bungalows, with every meal and drink included.
- Araliya Green Hills A modern hotel by Victoria Park, with a fifth-floor bar looking over the town.
Where to dine
Where to book in the hills.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Sri Lanka. There are two high-end tables within reach: the Relais & Châteaux kitchen at Ceylon Tea Trails and the seven-course dinner at Heritance Tea Factory, well rated on Tripadvisor.
- Ceylon Tea Trails Relais & Châteaux Farm to table Ceylon Tea Trails, Dickoya, about 25 km west
- TCK 6685 Rated 4.6 on Tripadvisor International $$$$ Heritance Tea Factory, Kandapola
Elsewhere in Sri Lanka
More reasons to come.
- Colombo Colonial hotels on the Galle Face Green, by the Indian Ocean.
- Galle Ramparts, churches and small hotels inside the old fort.
- Kandy The Temple of the Tooth, in the hills.
- Sigiriya A palace on a rock, at the heart of the island.
- Trincomalee A deep natural harbour, and blue whales offshore in season.
Flying to Nuwara Eliya?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.