Blogs from Nuwara Eliya, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

We left Kandy on Sunday morning and the traffic wasn’t too bad thankfully. We were driving to Nuwara Eliya (set at an altitude of 1900 meters) which is in the centre of Sri Lank’s renowned tea plantations. Once referred to as ‘Little England’ it was the favoured cool weather destination of the early British settlers. The road twisted and turned through very pretty countryside and we were soon surrounded by vibrant green tea plantations rising above us. Through the plantations were narrow stone steps used by the tea pickers. Lots of stops to admire the view and a great tour of the Blue Leaf Tea Factory. We’ve visited tea plantations in other parts of the world but the young man we had as guide on this tour was great - very enthusiastic and informative. Unfortunately there ... read more

Yesterday was a travel day, with the possibility of some sightseeing along the way, the route being Kurunegal-Kandy-Nuwara Eliya, about 5 hours of driving as well as whatever stops we made. I had some places on my wish list, but we weren‘t going to have loads of time if we wanted to arrive at a reasonable time. At no point along the route would it be described as easy driving. It was not for the faint hearted, anyone prone to carsickness or with a weak sphincter. I did my best to look relaxed and not hyperventilate or clutch the door handle. It was busy all the way and the last part was a long climb up with hairpin bends. The first stop was Kandy. I managed to finally persuade Anton I didn’t want to actually go ... read more

It was raining and quite cold so we decided there was no point in trying to get to viewpoints ! So we thought we'd check out the Grand Hotel for coffee. So a quick walk around Victoria Park, via a new shopping complex, with a "factory shop" and then back in time to the colonial days at the Grand Hotel. It was warm, comfy and made a decent latte coffee - so all good. There were quite a few good looking restaurants in the complex so decided to go for the Thai option later. After a quick lunch, Victoria Park gardens looked a good bet for a leisurely stroll. Of course we were picked up by " the head gardener" Tony who proceeded to show us all the plants, Latin names and all, and was amazingly ... read more

R: Next day was train day. We took one last opportunity to go up on the roof of our hotel to marvel at the impressive view that Hotel Topaz had to offer and then we were off. We headed to Peradeniya Junction, a pretty station in amongst a chaotic car park close to Kandy. We left so much time for the traffic chaos that is Kandy but sailed through, meaning we had extra time to experience the very small, but pretty station that was Peradeniya. Train travel is still very much a popular method of travel here, as we could see from the trains passing that were packed to the rafters with Sri Lankans heading in different directions, though this could have been increased by the impending religious festival about to start in Kandy. The station ... read more

One last adventure before we begin our journey home is a train trip to the Hill Country. It consists of a 6 hour journey and a 13 degree difference in temperature. We go to the station for our 9.45 train. The rolling stock looks like it belongs in a museum. However, at 9.46 a whistle blows, and we’re off. One minute behind schedule – how often can Southern Rail manage that? We have tickets in Observation Class, which is supposed to offer a good view, but the seats are facing backwards, so looking out of the window for too long makes me dizzy. Once out of Colombo we start to climb, a total of 1889 metres in total. The scenery is stunning but the journey is like something from a nightmare. We are crammed into a ... read more