Nuwara Eliya Travel Guide & Tips

Before you start planning your trip to Nuwara Eliya, go through the below Nuwara Eliya tour guide to familiarize yourself with everything that you need to know about this magical city.

Climate

Nuwara Eliya has a cool, temperate climate throughout the year due to its highland location. It has a mean annual temperature of 16 °C. In the winter months, it can be really cold at night but warms up during the day because of the angle of the sun.

Food in Nuwara Eliya

Restaurants in Nuwara Eliya caters to both local and international tastes. They serve all types of cuisines from Sri Lankan to Indian to Italian. Check out this list and discover the best restaurants in Sri Lanka:

1. Grand Indian - It is one of the most famous restaurants serving delicious Indian cuisine.

2. Queenswood Restaurant - The restaurant specializes in Asian fusion but also serves Western dishes such as beef curry and delightful pizza.

3. Indian Summer Nuwara Eliya - Indian Summer features stunning views of Gregory Lake. The restaurant specializes in Indian traditional cuisine serving delicious curries to tandoori chicken.

4. Grand Thai - If Thai dishes is what you are craving for head to this beautiful restaurant which serves traditional Thai dishes.

5. Salmiya - Salmiya, a lovely restaurant serves Italian food with menu highlights including wood-oven fired pizza.

Culture

Nuwara Eliya, often referred to as little England, has a diverse culture. They have a mixed culture from the elite British class to the migrant labour force. It has a diverse population comprising Tamils, Christians and Muslims who celebrate their respective festivals like Mahashivratri, Christmas and Ramzan. The most popular festival of the city is Sinhalese New Year. One remarkable dish, Wattalapam is prepared during festivals. It is a pudding prepared using eggs, cashew nuts, jaggery, spices and coconut milk. The dish is served on a lotus leaf which will enhance your experience to eat this food.

Languages And Festivals

The two major languages which are widely spoken in Nuwara Eliya are Sinhala and Tamil. Locals also speak English but is used mainly in academics and most importantly in tourism sector.

The major festival of the city comes in April for the Sinhalese and Tamil New year. It starts on April 1 annually and mainly consists of a band show in which all the major school participates. The town really comes alive during this time and the main attractions include motor and horse racing events. If you want to visit Nuwara Eliya during this time, make sure to book your accommodations earlier as the city is really busy during this time.