Places

Savour the many overwhelming forms of the purest of wild natural beauty, which grow in abundance all around Sri Lanka, but nowhere more enchanting than in the highlands. The hill country of Sri Lanka nestles in the middle of a classic tropical location, reaching sheer elevations of over 2500 m. With a climate that defies the tropical heat, the picturesque towns of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya draw their mixed heritage from the finest traditions of Sri Lankan culture, and the remaining touches of the colonial era (seen in English-style cottages and bungalows on plantation estates, beautifully landscaped gardens and the old English place names of ‘Little England’). Misty mountain ranges covered in pine forests or closely planted tea, interspersed with sparkling waterfalls and fresh water streams provide a most stunning backdrop to these quaint towns, while narrow mountain passes and yawning rocky chasms open up dramatic views and vistas of entrancing beauty.

There’s also diverse endemic flora and fauna for nature enthusiasts in the many natural reserves and landscaped botanical gardens, where visitors can wander undisturbed for hours amongst a foliage and flower haven that combines old English garden varieties with the wildest of tropical species. Neither is a trip to the highlands complete without witnessing the age-old traditions of tea-plucking, spice export and gem mining, which still take a time-honoured place in local industry.