Nuwara Eliya, the coolest area in Sri Lanka is a city in the hill country of the Central Province. Its name means "city on the plain (table land)" or "city of light". It is at an altitude of 1,868 m (6,128 ft) and is considered to be the most important location for tea production in Sri Lanka. The city is overlooked by Pidurutalagala, the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka.

The city was founded by Samuel Baker, the discoverer of Lake Albert and the explorer of the Nile in 1846. Nuwara Eliya's climate lent itself to becoming the prime sanctuary of the British civil servants and planters in Ceylon. Nuwara Eliya, called Little England, was a hill country retreat where the British colonialists could immerse in their pastimes such as fox hunting, deer hunting, elephant hunting, polo, golf and cricket.

The town's attractions include the golf course, trout streams, Victoria Park, and boating or fishing on Lake Gregory. Victoria Park is an attractive and well-used oasis. It is popular with birdwatchers at quieter times because of the good opportunities for seeing species, particularly the Indian blue robin, pied thrush or scaly thrush lurking in the denser undergrowth. The Kashmir flycatcher is another attractive bird species in the park. Galway's Land Bird Sanctuary, close to Lake Gregory, is an area of montane forest a few kilometers east of the town. Covering an area of 0.6 km2 it is home to many bird and mammal species endemic to Sri-Lanka, including wild boar and barking deer. The city is a base for visits to Horton Plains National Park. This is a key wildlife area of open grassy woodland. Species found here include the leopard, sambar, and the endemic purple-faced langur. Endemic highland birds include the dull-blue flycatcher, Sri Lanka white-eye, and yellow-eared bulbul. The plains have a well -visited tourist attraction at World's End — a sheer precipice with a 1050 m drop. The return walk passes the scenic Baker's Falls. Early morning visits are best, both to see the wildlife and to view World's End before mists close in during the later part of the morning. One of the distinctive features of Nuwara Eliya's countryside is the widespread growing of vegetables, fruit and flowers usually associated with temperate Europe. This "Little England" is covered with terraces growing potatoes, carrots, leeks, and roses, interspersed with tea bushes on the steeper slopes. The slow-growing tea bushes of this highland region produce some of the world's finest orange pekoe tea. Several tea factories around Nuwara Eliya offer guided tours and the opportunity to sample or purchase their products. 'Lovers Leap' is a spectacular waterfall set among tea plantation a short walk from the town of Nuwara Eliya. It falls a height of 30m in a long cascading sheet of water. It is said that it is named after a young couple who decided to be bound together forever by jumping off the cliff to their demise.

A must do activity while you are in this beautiful landscape is to take the scenic Train Journey from one part to another.

Uphill Journey
From	From / To	To
	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 09.20hrs / Train # 1126	Ella Railway Station @ 12.30hrs / Train # 1126
Kandy Peradeniya Station @ 09.00hrs / Train # 1001	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 12.20hrs / Train # 1001	Ella Railway Station @ 14.45hrs / Train # 1001
Kandy Main Station @ 09.10hrs / Train # 1005	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 13.00hrs / Train # 1005	Ella Railway Station @ 15.20hrs / Train # 1005
Kandy Main Station @ 11.10hrs / Train # 1015	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 14.45hrs / Train # 1015	Ella Railway Station @ 17.25hrs / Train # 1015
Kandy Peradeniya Station @ 12.30hrs / Train # 1007	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 16.00hrs / Train # 1007	Ella Railway Station @ 18.25hrs / Train # 1007
Downhill Journey
	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 09.20 / Train # 1016	Kandy Main Station @ 12.45hrs / Train # 1016
Ella Railway Station @ 08.05hrs / Train # 1002	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 10.25hrs / Train # 1002	Kandy Peradeniya Station @ 13.55hrs / Train # 1002
Ella Railway Station @ 09.25hrs / Train # 1006	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 12.20hrs / Train # 1006	Kandy Main Station @ 15.50hrs / Train # 1006
Ella Railway Station @ 11.55hrs / Train # 1008	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 14.55 / Train # 1008	Kandy Peradeniya Station @ 18.25hrs / Train # 1008
Ella Railway Station @ 12.50hrs (Weekday) @ 14.40hrs (Weekend) Train # 1596	Nanu Oya Railway Station @ 17.45hrs (Weekday) @ 18.40hrs (Weekend) Train # 1596