Sri Lanka: Ella > Nuwara Eliya

Apr 3-5 2025 |

After a fairly ho-hum 2-day stay in Ella, featuring rainy weather and too many tourists, I set out for Nuwara Eliya (NE), another famous Sri Lanka mountain destination.

Ella to NE is a short 2-hour ride. I left early to avoid rain, which was coming. The ride is ok, some nice views of the mountains and tea plantations. The road is busy and trafficked by insanely driven tourist minivans.

Arrived in NE. The one thing that jumps out is just how British this place is. Like Cameron Highlands in Malaysia, this was a major hill station for the expat community back in the colonial days. But NE really takes it a step further, featuring a horse racing track, golf course, and Victorian architecture. The town is nicely preserved and a unique place to visit.

Unfortunately, it rained almost non-stop for the 2 days I was there. And it was cold. So I didn't explore much, places such as Horton Plain and Land's End.

I stayed at Travellers Nest Inn, a big family homestay up the hill above town. It had a bright common room upstairs, and I managed to crank some work out over the 2 days.