|
|
|
|
|
About the hill country region of Sri Lanka
|
| Other Regions: ancient-cities | capital-colombo | east-coast | north | north-west | south-coast | west-coast |  | | When you travel due east of Colombo heading inwards the interior you automatically come to Sri Lanka’s invigorating Hill Country. Here you will be greeted by some really outstanding scenery which will take your breath away. | | Cities: Belihul Oya | Ella | Kandy | Kegalle | Kitulgala | Nuwara Eliya | Ratnapura | Sinharaja | Tours to the hill-country Region, Sri Lanka |  | Sri Lanka Mini Cultural Heritage Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1029 | | Discover the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka inclding Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Tour, The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage with time on the beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Mini Colonial Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1009 | | Discover the colonial past of Sri Lanka in this unique tour while staying at some of the finest colonial style hotels. Tour includes The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Nuwara Eliya Tour, Capital Colombo Tour and Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage plus time on the beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Mini Cultural Triangle and Wildlife Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1059 | | Discover the world renowned Cultural Triangle and the wild life of Sri Lanka in this tour while staying at some of the finest hotels. Tour includes Anuradhapura Ancient City Tour, Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Caves, The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Peradeniya Botantical Gardens, Minneriya National Park, Negombo Village Tour, and Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage plus time on the beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Mini Central Highlands Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1089 | | Marvel at the spectacular scenery, history, archaeological sites, tea plantations and so much more in this very special mini tour incorporating all the best highlights that Sri Lanka’s highlands has to offer. You will be staying at some of the finest hotels that gives the spirit of this holiday but still retain the modern comforts. |
|  | Sri Lanka Luxury Heritage Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1439 | | Discover the cultural heritage of Sri Lanka with luxury inclding Polonnaruwa Ancient City Tour, Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla Cave Tour, The Royal City of Kandy Tour, Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage with time on a luxurous beach to relax at the end of your trip. |
|  | Sri Lanka Royal Kingdom Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1059 | | Discover the cultural past that dates back to the 5th century BC and the proud history of Sri Lanka. This unique holiday will take you to the most prominent historical ancient royal kingdoms in Sri Lanka give time to experience Sri Lanka's charming people, culture and diverse landscape. You will be staying at some of the finest hotels that give the sprit of this holiday but still retaining the modern comforts. |
|  | Sri Lanka England 1st and 2nd Test Discovery Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1459 | | Come and watch England taking on Sri Lanka this March and April at Galle and Colombo and also, discover Sri Lanka’s culture, history, wildlife and its people. Watch BOTH Test Matches live from the Galle International stadium in Galle on March 26th 2012 and Colombo R. Premadasa International stadium in Colombo on April 3rd 2012. Experience the breathtaking sceneries of the stadiums and carnival atmosphere of Sri Lankan cricket while staying at some of the best cultural, wildlife and beach resorts in Sri Lanka. |
| | Sri Lanka England 2nd Test with Discovery Tour and Beach Holiday | from £1059 | | Watch England taking on Sri Lanka 2st Test Match live from the stadium at Colombo on April 3rd 2012. Experience the breathtaking scenery and atmosphere of Sri Lankan Cricket, as well as discovering Sri Lanka, Perl of the Indian Ocean. Discover its culture, history, wildlife and its people while staying at some of the best resorts in Sri Lanka. |
|
| Excursions of the hill-country Region, Sri Lanka |  | Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage | Kegalle | hill country | | Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is home for nearly 84 young and old orphaned elephants. Feed the baby elephants and watch them play and plod down to the river for their daily bath. | | |
|  | Royal City of Kandy Tour | Kandy | hill country | | Kandy is Sri Lanka's last royal kingdom and is a World Heritage site. The tour will take you to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, a magnificent golden roofed temple, Kandy Museum, Kandy Dance show, Botanical Gardens, Market Place and gem & jewellery shops. | | |
|  | Nuwara Eliya Tour | Nuwara Eliya | hill country | | Nuwara Eliya is at the heart of the southern hill country, Sri Lanka’s highest town and a favourite hill station during British colonial period. Nuwara Eliya is renowned for its perennial spring-like climate, carpets of lush green tea, 18 hole golf course, Little England, Victoria Park and more. | | |
|  | Singharaja Rain Forest | Sinharaja | hill country | | Sinharaja Rain Forest’s biodiversity makes it one of Sri Lanka’s seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Sinharaja Rain Forest is a great location for general wildlife enthusiasts and a must for bird watchers. | | |
|  | Horton Plains | Nuwara Eliya | hill country | | Horton Plains is one of the most popular and a unique natural attraction in Sri Lanka. It is located 2000m high plateau 28km south of Nuwara Eliya and its known for its beautiful landscapes, rare plants, animal life and World’s End where the plains comes suddenly to an end. | | |
|  | Adams peak | Ratnapura | hill country | | The 2,243 m (7,360-ft) high summit is situated in the middle of a wildlife sanctuary called Peak Wilderness. According to Buddhist history the footprint at the summit of the mountain is of Lord Buddha, left during his third visit to Sri Lanka. | | |
|  | Peradeniya Botanical Gardens | Kandy | hill country | | Peradeniya Botanical Gardens is the foremost of its kind in Sri Lanka in both size and splendour. It was created by the Kandyan King for the enjoyment of the aristocracy. Today the gardens have an orchid house, spice garden, Japanese garden, picturesque lake filled with water lilies and more. | | |
|  | Kandy Evening Cultural Dance Show | Kandy | hill country | | In the late evening be escorted to a performance of the energetic traditional Kandyan Cultural Dance show, accompanied by tumultuous drumming and climaxes with the amazing fire-walking show. | | |
|  | T20 Super Eight Day 1 Matches | Kandy | hill country | | | | |
| | T20 Super Eight Day 3 Matches | Kandy | hill country | | | | |
| | T20 Super Eight Day 5 Matches | Kandy | hill country | | | | |
| | Ella Gap | Ella | hill country | | Ella Gap offers one of the most spectacular vistas in the south of Sri Lanka through a narrow cleft in the hills down to the plains below. This road which was opened in 1968 plunges 2,500 feet down from the crisp mountains to the warm coast. The whole route is amazing but none more than Ella Gap. | | |
| | Rawana Ella | Ella | hill country | | The spectacular 25m-high Rawana Ella waterfall cascades from an oval-shaped concave rock outcrop is known to be one of the widest waterfalls in Sri Lanka. Its main drop is 30 feet in height and the grandest aspect of the Rawana Ella waterfall is its wild look amidst the wilderness. | | |
| | Belihuloya | Ella | hill country | | Belihul Oya is a very picturesque little hamlet of untouched wilderness, bordering two streams - Weli Oya and Kosgam Oya. The region is famous for its biodiversity | | |
| | Wilpattu National Park | Ella | hill country | | Wilpattu is one of the oldest National Parks in Sri Lanka, spanning from the northwest coast inland towards the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. The park consists of willus (Natural lakes), dry-lowland forests, scrublands, open grasslands and the coastal belt. | | |
| | Knuckles Mountain Range | Kandy | hill country | | The Knuckles Mountain Range is located towards the North East of the City of Kandy and offers one of the most breathtaking climbs among the Sri Lankan hill country. The region is a paradise for all outdoor mountainous activities. | | |
| | Canoeing at Samanala Wewa | Belihul Oya | hill country | | If you are visiting Belihuloya, Canoeing at Samanala Wewa is a must. The still calm waters of the Samanala Wewa reservoir are perfect for canoeing. | | |
| | Trekking at Belihuloya | Ella | hill country | | Thanks to the untouched wilderness of Belihuloya and the two streams that surround the borders, Weli Oya and Kosgam Oya, it is a great place for trekking. | | |
| | White water rafting at Kitulgala | Kitulgala | hill country | | Kitulgala is one of Sri Lanka’s main rafting locations. Come and experience White Water Rafting in the picturesque Kelani River, covering 4 minor rapids to 5 major rapids. | | |
| | Belilena Cave | Kitulgala | hill country | | Belilena cave situated in the forests of Kitulgala is a very large cave, in which the 12,000 year old skeletal remains of the prehistoric man have been found. Trek through the forests in order to reach the cave. | | |
| | Train Journey to hill country | Ella | hill country | | Arguably there is no better way to experience Sri Lanka’s incredible hill country than to take to Sri Lanka’s iconic rail network that dates back to the period of British colonial rule that is still as charming as it was then. | | |
| | Highlands Tea Plantation and Tea Factory | Nuwara Eliya | hill country | | Drive through the stunning highlands of Sri Lanka, you will realise why Sri Lanka is one of the world's largest exporters of tea and is where the renowned standard of ‘Ceylon Tea' comes from. | | |
|
|
| Other Information | | This area: ICC WORLD TWENTY20 SRI LANKA 2012 | Nuwara Eliya Golf Club | Sri Lanka Bird Watching | Sri Lanka Golf | Sri Lanka Veddas (Aborigines of Sri Lanka) | The British Touch in Sri Lanka (Colonial Heritage) | More on the hill-country Region ☟  | Nuwara Eliya - You cannot avoid Nuwara Eliya if you are travelling to the Hill Country. Nuwara Eliya is surrounded by hills and tea plantations. It is of course here that the island's world famous tea is grown and produced. The town of Nuwara Eliya is the perfect getaway from Sri Lanka's tropical heat. The town enjoys spring-like weather throughout the year. A favourite retreat of the British during colonial times, Nuwara Eliya is dotted with English country style houses and sprawling gardens, earning it the name Little England. Stop by the well-maintained Central Park, which is awash with flowers between March and May. Make time for an evening stroll on the numerous walking paths around Gregory's Lake, which is located just south of the town. |
|  | Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage is a must for any visitor. Established to save abandoned or orphaned wild elephants it now provides a sanctuary for over 60 elephants whom are able to wonder freely. Visitors have the unique opportunity to not only touch the magnificent animals but also to feed the baby elephants with huge bottles of milk. Then are able to follow the herd out of the sanctuary for a short walk to the refreshing river to watch them bath. |
|  | Adams Peak (Sripada) - The place where Adam first set foot on earth is a beautiful and fascinating place and has been the object of worship and pilgrimage for over a 1000 years. The 'pilgrim season' begins on a poya day in December, and runs until the start of the April monsoon when pilgrims and tourists make the 7km ascent to the top to be met by the first rays of dawn as it lights up the holy mountain. The summit of the peak treats the visitor to tremendous views across the hill country as it rises to the east and the land to the west as it meets the sea and allows visitors to view Colombo on a clear day. |
|  | The Horton Plains National Park is a misty grassland plateau at an elevation of more than 2000 m (6,500 ft), about 20 km from Nuwara Eliya. It consists of grasslands interspersed with areas of forest and some unusual vegetation that grows only in high altitudes. From here rises Sri Lanka's second and third highest mountains. The plains afford some excellent walks, the silence is strange and mysterious. The most amazing feature of Horton Plains is the World's End where the southern part of the plains comes to a sudden end and drops almost straight down for 700 m. Dawn is the ideal time to view this site when the mountains are free of mist and the sun is just rising. The dense forests are home to deer, jackal, the shaggy bear-monkey, sambhur and leopard. The plains are popular with birdwatchers. |
|  | Hakgala Botanical Gardens is situated at the base of the Hakgala Peak south of Nuwara Eliya. Established in 1860, the garden is famous for its roses, ferns, the orchid house and the summerhouse. The rock of Hakgala rises 450 m above the gardens. |
|  | The Hakgala Natural Reserve can be found at the end of the gardens and is home to a variety of wildlife including bear, monkey, sambhur and bird life. |
| | Sita Eliya Temple - The Temple is located about 1km away from the Hakgala Gardens. According to legend the temple is believed to mark the spot where Sita, the heroine from the Indian epic Ramayana, was held captive by her abductor, King Ravana. |
|  | Waterfalls - There are beautiful awe-inspiring waterfalls cascading through the countryside surrounding Nuwara Eliya including St. Clairs Falls, Kurundu Oya Falls and Bambarakanda Falls and mountain passes such as Kadugannawa, Balane and Ramboda thrilling visitors with breathtaking scenery. |
|  | Kandy - Only 115km away from the bustle of Colombo lies the lush town of Kandy. The focus of this town is its picturesque lake set amid rolling green hills with the town itself displaying a delightful mix of old shops selling crafts and batik and antique and gemstone specialists. |
|  | Adjacent to the lake is the magnificent golden roofed temple, Dalada Maligawa Temple, which houses Sri Lanka's most important Buddist relic - the sacred tooth of Budda. The temple has a constant flow of worshippers and visitors in awe of the spectacular golden architecture and energetic Kandyan drummers who signal the start and finish of the daily pujas. |
|  | Kandyan drummers also feature with the famed Kandyan Dancers each evening around Kandy who provide a vigorous and athletic performance of dance culminating in a display of fire-walking making this a truly breathtaking show that cannot be missed. |
|  | Set 6km out of Kandy is the tranquil Peradeniya Botanic Gardens, the largest botanic gardens in Sri Lanka offering the visitor 60 hectares of serene walks among an abundance of orchids and stately avenues of palms is a place of outstanding beauty. |
|  | Udawattekele Sanctuary - Situated to the North of the City of Kandy, this reserve has deep forests with many endemic birds, butterflies and plants. |
|
|
| - Relevant Cities
- Relevant Hotels
- Image Gallery
- Sri Lanka hill country Maps
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0208 099 9651
