Nuwara Eliya, the city on the plains, which is situated at the heart of the country, is one of coldest cities in Sri Lanka. This laid-back city is surrounded by the mountains and is one of the hotspots of the foreign and local tourists. However, Nuwara Eliya wakes up from its deep sleep during April. The festive mood spreads all around the metropolitan at this time of the Year. The Sinhala and Hindu New Year and the school holidays are the main contributing factors for the partying of the visitors.
For those who are expecting to pay a visit to this little England, there are four equally beautiful routes to reach Nuwara Eliya. If you are coming from the North, take the road from Kandy to Gampola, Via Pussalla to Nuwaraeliya and the easiest way to reach Nuwara Eliya from the West is through the route via Ginigathhena, Hatton, and Thalawalkele. If you are coming from the South, the best way is to take the road via Bandarawela and Welimada. Coming via Hanguranketha and Ragala is the optimum way to come to Nuwara Eliya if you are planning to start from the East.
While you travel along the road from Gampola to Nuwara Eliya, you can witness the beauty of the Ramboda falls, Garandi Falls and Kotmale Resvoir. Out of the three, Ramboda Falls has a secret many of us do not know. In fact, this falls consists of three stages. First 100m of the fall flows inside the forest and the second part can be seen near the main road. When you drive towards Kandy this falls is situated around three meters above the ground to your left. Many foreigners mistakenly believe that this as the real Ramboda Falls, but this is not. If you look towards your right, you will realize that you are on top of a waterfall. What is seen below is the third and the most beautiful part of the Ramboda Fall. There is a narrow path, which you can take to see this part of the fall, and if you ask a villager, they will guide you on that. The next spot after Ramboda is the Labookellie Tea Estate. Here you get the opportunity to enjoy a fresh cup of tea and a tour around the tea factory. After this point, a short drive on a scenic route will take you to Nuwara eliya without difficulty.
Then let us tell you about the road from Hatton, Thalawakelle via Avissawella to Ginigathhena. The road up to Hatton from Nuwara Eliya is in the super condition; however, the road from Hatton to Nuwara Eliya is a bit difficult. Whatever that is, it is still in the condition to be used by any vehicle, and however to be on the safe side, anticipating a delay is the wisest. This is also one of most beautiful routes in the country. Kithulgala is the first picturesque spot we meet on this way. You can have a bath from the thotupola to freshen up yourself. There are waterfalls everywhere beside the Ginigathhena road. Another important building of this town is the Ginigathhena Police station, the interesting fact of this place is that the rainwater collected from one part of the roof falls onto the Kelani Ganga, and the other part is to the River Walawe. Out of all these, the best view of this road is the view of the Devon falls and the view of the St. Claire Falls. The tall Devon falls and the wide St. Claires is sure to steal the hearts of the tourists. Not only that, you can enjoy a great cup of tea from St. Claire tea shop and reach Nuwara Eliya by passing Thalawakelle, Nanu Oya and the lake Gregory.
Now, let us have a closer look at the road from South. It is very popular among the tourists this as a magnificent road, which passes Banadarawela on the way. However, since the road is under construction these days, travelling on this road is a bit difficult. There are more vegetable farms by the side of this road compared to the other routes. Haggala Botanical Gardens is another famous tourist attraction situated along this way. This is one of the lovely contrasts of Sri Lanka, a home to plants and trees from around the world, making them seem to be a part of the scenic beauty. Soon you will reach Nuwaraeliya along the boundaries of the forests of Hava Eliya.
The route via Hanguranketha, Valapane and Ragala is not famous like the others. However, there is no big difference in the scenic beauty when compared to the other routes. The specialty of this route, as I understand, is that one cannot experience the cold weather until he/she is very close to Nuwaraeliya. Lover’s leep waterfall, the Peedru estate, and the biggest tea bush in the country can be witnessed if you take this route to Nuwaraeliya.
Now it is the time conclude the narrative on roads. We will tell you about some places to go on sightseeing in Nuwara Eliya from our next post.
