Lanka's 'Little England'

Nuwara Eliya is a charming city for leisurely strolls, breathtaking viewpoints, and one of the most favourable climates in the country

- Kartikeya Shankar

As I entered Nuwara Eliya, the heart of Sri Lanka's southern hill country, the hot and humid climate of the island’s interior swiftly gave way to a refreshing chill. The roads started to twist and turn precariously up the lush green hills, leading towards the cool, misty clouds in between. The landscape transformed from palm trees and wetlands to majestic forests of delicate, towering eucalyptus trees.

Nestled amidst lush, tea-covered hills and beneath the towering Pidurutalagala Mountain, Nuwara Eliya is often referred to as Sri Lanka’s “Little England” due to its resemblance to a quaint English country village and its Victorian-era architecture. Although the Kandyan Kingdom once occupied the region, the town has a distinctly British flavour, established as a retreat by Sir Edward Barnes in the mid-19th century.

As I passed through the gates of the Damro Labookellie tea factory, 15 km from the city centre, I was met with the sight of a towering four-storey building made of concrete with a faded green tile roof. Despite the addition of a shiny new visitor centre, the factory seemed to have remained unchanged for the past several decades.