Tucked away into the southern heartlands of the teardrop island, the hill country offers a refreshing escape from the blistering heat of the coastal lowland. The gentle green hills, rugged peaks and verdant tea gardens are often blanketed by mist. Some of the not-to-be missed spots here are Kandy, Ella, Nuwara Eliya, Haputale, Hatton and Adam's Peak. Scenic Kandy, the second largest city in Sri Lanka, boasts some endearing historical attractions, lush botanical gardens, tea plantations and an overall spectacular natural beauty. Kandy is also home to the deeply revered Buddhist Temple of the Tooth. Other prominent attractions are the Royal Botanical Gardens, Gadaladeniya Temple and Lankatilaka Temple. The wooded hills and tea plantations are also...
Tucked away into the southern heartlands of the teardrop island, the hill country offers a refreshing escape from the blistering heat of the coastal lowland. The gentle green hills, rugged peaks and verdant tea gardens are often blanketed by mist. Some of the not-to-be missed spots here are Kandy, Ella, Nuwara Eliya, Haputale, Hatton and Adam's Peak. Scenic Kandy, the second largest city in Sri Lanka, boasts some endearing historical attractions, lush botanical gardens, tea plantations and an overall spectacular natural beauty. Kandy is also home to the deeply revered Buddhist Temple of the Tooth. Other prominent attractions are the Royal Botanical Gardens, Gadaladeniya Temple and Lankatilaka Temple. The wooded hills and tea plantations are also full of wonderful walking and hiking trails.
Endearingly called Sri Lanka’s ‘Little England’, Nuwara Eliya is the country’s highest town. While ‘Little England’ is a bit of an exaggeration, Nuwara Eliya does has some oddly scattered structures from the days of ‘the Raj’. All said, it’s a nice base to explore the countryside and tea gardens. While here, visit Hatton, the tea capital of Sri Lanka.
Largely untouched by time, the appealing Ella village is still full of old-world charm. Blanketed by green hills and tea estates, it somewhat resembles an English countryside village. There’s a small but deeply revered Buddhist temple here.
Precariously perched on the crest of a ridge, the little town of Haputale commands sweeping views of the plains and the coast in the south as well as the rugged peaks of the north. There are some lovely walking trails here and quite a few attractions such as the Diyaluma Falls, the old country mansion of Adisham, and St Andrew’s Church.
At an altitude of around 2243 metres, Adam’s Peak or Sri Pada boasts an astounding natural landmark – a gigantic footprint. It’s said to be the Buddha’s footprint. Other’s attribute it to Adam and even Lord Shiva. Nevertheless, it largely remains a prominent Buddhist pilgrim site and offers some indescribably stunning views.
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