Hills beyond Hills

Nuwara Eliya

The mountain slopes are covered with acres and acres of tea with it’s fragrant aroma mingling with the fresh air. Nestled among the mist covered central hills in a cool basin is Nuwara Eliya the hill resort, resembling a little English village. Nuwara Eliya has a height of 1890 m and 77 km away from Kandy. The first glimpse of the town will take it clear that this had been the favorite hill station of the British ; for it has an assortment of old English style houses and a golf course . The route to Nuwara Eliya through mountainsides coverd with green tea plantations winds through miles and miles ‘green carpet’ of tea bushes where tea pluckers are seen busily picking the ‘ bud and two leaves’that go to form the most popular brew in the world , the ‘Cyelon Tea ’ . Hortain Plains located 20kms South of Nuwara Eliya offers opportunities for trekking trips . It is a strict nature reserve located at a higher elevation than Nuwara Eliya . See the beautiful rolling plains ,a wide range of flora , gushing streams , etc, . walk to a sharp precipice which is known as World End for a fantastic view of the surrounding region (on a clear day ). Beautiful waterfalls cascading down the mountain slopes enhance the beauty of the hill country . Ramboda Falls (100 meters ) is seen on the way to Nuwara Eliya . Devon ( 86 meters ) and St . Clair’s (73 meters) are three waterfalls seen close to Nuwara Eliya . The temperature sometimes drops down to 9 OC . In the month of April every year Nuwara Eliya assumes a festival mood with thousands of holidaymakers ( foreign and local ) retreating to the Hill Station to escape the busy life . The 18 hole golf course is very popular with the locals and the foreign tourists . Hakgala Botanical Gardens a few kilometers away is added attraction. The highest peak Pidurutalagala ( off Nuwara Eliya ) rises to 8200 ft . and Horton Plains to 2016 m .The scenic beauty of the hill country has captivated the mind ad heart of many a foreigner .

KANDY

The historical center of Buddhist power is built around a peaceful lake and set in a picturesque bowl of hills. It is only 115km away from Colombo but its elevation around 500m gives it a relaxed feel and a very pleasant climate . It has a distinctive architectural character. Its standout attraction is the octagonal Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth ) on the side of the lake, a temple that houses Sri Lanka’s most important religious relic- the sacred tooth of Buddha . There are daily ceremonies of homage to the Tooth Relic , which attract white-clad pilgrims carrying lotus blossoms and frangipani .During July / August ,under the full moon , the relic is carried in the middle of the night on the elephant with dancers and drummers leading the procession .This “big night” is the culmination of 10 days of festivity and is called the Esela Perehara is the most spectacular annual event to be seen in Sri Lanka and has been so since several centuries . Other sights include the small but excellent National Museum , the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens , and the Udawattakelle Sanctuary , a peaceful haven for bird life . There are plenty of lovely scenic walk around Kandy , one of which leads is the Mahaweli Ganga River , where you may see elephant being bathed .
The Florentine globe-trotter Francesco Carletti wrote , “It (Cyelon ) provid to be a delicious country , well –formed of smiling , completely green hills that make as attractive a sight as that of any country I ever have seen .