Nuwara Eliya

At around 1,868 metres above sea level, Nuwara Eliya sits noticeably cooler than the rest of the island — a difference the British noticed too, building the town in the 19th century as a hill-station retreat, complete with a golf course, a racecourse and buildings that still carry a distinctly colonial character. It's often nicknamed 'Little England' for that reason.

The surrounding hills are where much of Sri Lanka's tea is grown. Estates roll across the slopes in every direction, and several working factories around the town open their processing floors to visitors, walking through the withering, rolling and drying stages before a tasting.

Beyond the tea, Nuwara Eliya is a good base for waterfalls (Ramboda Falls is a short drive away), Gregory Lake for a walk or a boat ride, and — for hikers with an early start — Horton Plains and World's End, a sudden cliff drop with views across the southern lowlands on a clear morning.

The colonial character runs deeper than the buildings — strawberries, a crop the British also introduced, are still grown on small farms around the town and sold roadside, alongside the tea that made the region famous. The Hill Club and the old post office are two of the more distinctive reminders of the town's origins as a retreat from the coastal heat.