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Sign in with FacebookLatest Nuwara Eliya hotel reviews
Pro
Cool climate, great scenery, colonial feel
Con
Can't think of any.
In a nutshell
a must visit.
abi_maha Says: We stopped over at a strawberry farm enroute to Nuwara Eliya. A quaint restaurant within served us some amazingly yum fresh strawberries, cream and crepes. We couldn't stop at that and went ahead and gorged on some fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream too. This is a must...
h.ghabra Says: A very nice waterfall can be seen on the way to Nuwara Eliya ( Ramboda Waterfalls). there is a famous hotel there called ( Ramboda falls hotel). Actually to reach the waterfalls, you need to go through the hotel down till you reach the water
Ramonq Says: There's no train station in Nuwera Eliya. You have to catch the 9:30 am train from Nanu Oya which is around 8 kms from here. When I took it, there were only third class wooden coaches ie hard seats, stinky toilet and in poor state of repair. It's dirt cheap though and you...
Shalika Gayan Amila At Nuwara eliya
shalika999 Says: Nuwara eliya is a beaultiful city where you can find many places to visit including horton plains,Hakkagala garden,Victoria Park,Lover's Leap,Gregory lake,and many water falls.Its one of my unforgettable trip i have even gone.I started our trip with two of my best friends on...
tim07 Says: The gardens are situated 10km southeast of Nuwara Eliya at the foot of Hakgala Rock. They were originally established in 1860 as an experimental plantation of cinchona trees. This is the tree from which quinine is derived. Today the gardens cover 27 hectares. They are...
wrangler_blk Says: Somewhere in the center of Nuwara Eliya - Negombo road we found a place named Katulgala.There was a small mountain cold water river.The hardness level was 3 out of 6, as I remember. We had about 2 heart beating moments while our rafting.. but everything was passed nice and...
Mackwoods Labookellie Tea Centre - N. Eliya
chizz Says: Our driver made a stop at the Mackwoods Tea Centre, so that we could see the tea making process and buy some products (as my husband is a big tea drinker!).Mackwoods was founded in 1841 by Captain William Mackwood, a British ship's Captain and manages 27,000 acres of tea and...
kentishgirl Says: They call Nuwara Eliya "Little England" which I would agree and disagree with. To be honest I was not overwhelmed with Nuwara Eliya, it is pretty and the train journey there from Kandy and away to Ella were both spectacular, but I felt that the town itself had very little to...
7 Reviews and 582 Opinions I stayed in one of the 49 Standard rooms. It was tastefully furnished & had a beautiful luxurious...
4 Reviews and 396 Opinions It is a pricey hotel but the colonial charm is undeniable. The staff are very well trained and...
tea Factory Restaurant: Those ice-creams...
call_me_rhia Says: The restaurant is spectacular: it was once the room where tea was sifted and graded, and wood abounds in the decor. The nearby kitchen is where the tea factory's engine room was. There are two menus: a sri-lankan buffet or a-la-carte western food. The buffet is the most...
h.ghabra Says: just a note first ... There is not metro station in the airport... if you want to use the metro, you need to go from the airport to FORT(the main metro station ) then get the train.Public transport are not recommended at all i Sri Lanka, as they are not very helpful in...
freya_heaven Says: We hired a car & driver for a few days, who sorted out all our accommodation & entrances. We gave a list of the places we wanted to visit. He whittled that list down to a realistic size & off we went. I would definately recommend doing this rather than hiring a car. the...
Cargils Food City!: Shop for less
shawnbrito Says: Its a Mini Super market, which has all your basic facilities. From toiletries to sausages & apples! Everything you need on a day to day basis. 1. Lunch (Rice & Curry)2. All general food items.3. Perfumes.4. Batteries. And a million other stuff I cannot put down !! - duh...
Tea Plantation: Tea of Course!
freya_heaven Says: Most of the tea plantations & certainly the ones open to the public have shops where you can by their tea. I dont actually drink tea, but you just have to buy a box of tea if you are in a Tea Plantation ! (~_~) It is not expensive
Helpfulness
All tea pickers in Sri Lanka come from India - and more in particular from Tamil Nadu. Their family were brought from India by British colonisers between 1820 and 1840 to work on coffee and tea plantations, and their children and grandchildren are still stuck in their ancestors' jobs. Picking tea is hard work: women have to pick 20 kilos of tea leaves a day, yet very few are looking for a better job. Why? It's because these people are still stateless: the are no longer Indian and in many cases not yet Sri Lankan, which means a general lack of right. No right to vote, no right to work officially, no right to obtain state land. So they are stuck in the only job that's available for them.
Written Dec 4, 2004
evianz Says: I always carry my camera,cell phone,money. but beware, anything valuable can be lost & the crazy side would be from the hotel management. 99% of hotels never care about your security. they will do anything to upsell, so be very careful. Yeah its beautiful, cool during day &...
tim07 Says: The weather here is perfect for growing tea, but not always for sightseeing. The few days I spent here followed a similar pattern. I awoke to beautiful blue skies & sunshine which remained all morning. During the afternoon the clouds and mist began to envelop the hills. Then...
Helpfulness
Watch out for the locals standing outside near hotels. They certainly look cheesy!
Since they don't give you what they promise, you might need to look elsewhere! - Accommodation is a bit tight during April ->June, so be well informed when booking.
For example: Some hotel might look good from outside, but the bedding & furniture might not be up to standard (So check the rooms first)... In my case I need my big bed in the middle of the carpeted room, with lamp stands & hot water and big window to poke my big head through PLUS clean bathroom :-)
Unique Suggestions: If you fall into these traps and find yourself in a crappy hotel, leave immediately (you might loose 20$ or 40$ for the stay) - But its worth the trouble.
There are plenty of good cheap hotels nearby, that are Clean/Comfy & Respectable!
Traveling to places also consists of traps, many would ask for double (especially if your a foreigner) The normal rate is 1$ for every 2 Km within a limited area (5 km radius). Longer journey by Van would cost less (around 8$ for 20 km)
If your going with a Tour Guide(local), ask him to do the negotiating, while you stay totally hidden from view :-)
Fun Alternatives: Down almost every lane there will be several hotels. And likewise there will be a proportional number of traps.
Go for hotels that have stuff price marked, like room rates/ bar rates / food rates /drink rates /travel rates/ rates rates :-) If they dont, look closely at the Reception Area. If the people are professional & friendly, then your set. If they look friendly and not professional - GET OUT ASAP!!
Most decent hotels will look very colonial from the outside.
Always remember to check out the rooms & surroundings. Do Not Trust some of the weird locals since they would LOVE to have you stay there, and will paint a VERY BEAUTIFUL picture!
However quiet employees in nice suits are the ideal candidates to maintain a good relationship! (some might be incompetent, but my policy is: Rather incompetence than a Cheater)
Most of them are pleasant! And you will come out a Happy Camper!
Updated Mar 29, 2007
Little England's charm... or not?
call_me_rhia Says: Nuwara Eliya, which means the City of Lights, is also known as 'Little' England', supposedly because of the many turn-of-the-century English-style buildings. To be fair the city is really grey concrete heaven, and the only English buildings were the Grand Hotel and the old...
freya_heaven Says: One of the most moving things about Nuwara Eliya is that I was following in my Grandfathers footsteps. He had been here & taken this photo in 1943 or 1944.He came to Nuwara Eliya for a weeks holiday with a friend during army leave in WW2, from Trincomalee in the north east...
call_me_rhia Says: Tea picking starts early in the day and it is done only by Indian women. Tea needs a lot of rain to gorw, and if it's grown at higher altitudes, its taste becomes even better. Nuwara Eliya, which was founded by the Britishin the 19th century, is located at 1800 metres...
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The higher up you go in Sri Lanka the more beautiful it gets,the scenery is spectacular,the air is crisp and cool.Great if your coming from the coastal area's where the humidity is so high.
Nuwara Eliya (pronounced Nurailia - I believe it means City of Light) is the highest settlement in Sri Lanka - a slow-paced hill town of tea estates, wide country lanes and cool nights. It was...
I like Nuwara Eliya for its cool weather most of all. Took the 5.55 am "Podi Menike" train from Colombo Fort Station to Nanu Oya via Kandy. Was really bushed from lack of sleep (landed in the middle...
This former British Hill Resort lies on 1890 meters above sea level. If you arrive in the evening then come prepared with a sweater and long pants. Around Nuwara Eliya there are lots of tea...
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