How to Discover the Beauty of Sri Lanka's Highlands - Best Ways to Uncover the Main Highlights of the Sri Lankan Highlands

The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka is often compared to the Scottish moors due to their wild and verdant landscapes and rolling hills and misty atmosphere. Offering locals and travellers a welcome respite from the heat of tropical Sri Lanka, this lush and mountainous region offers all those who visit a plethora of attractions and experiences found nowhere else on the island. Here's a rundown of some of the top things to see and do during a tour of the highlands.

Image via Wikimedia Commons - Suneendra A, Belihul Oya River - Horton Plains National Park (4), CC BY-SA 4.0

Explore the Fruit Farms

One of the only locations in Sri Lanka where one can go strawberry picking or pear picking is Nuwara Eliya. As a city in the Central Highlands, Nuwara Eliya has been famed for its fruit and vegetable farms since time immemorial. It is among the handful of locations where the weather and soil conditions for cultivating a whole host of fruits such as cherries, strawberries and other cold climate crops are found in Sri Lanka. The Adam Agro Farm, the Ambewela Farm and the Rose Garden are just some of the top spots for strawberry picking in Nuwara Eliya where one can also enjoy a meal or snack made with fresh fruits.

Tour the Tea Estates and Factories

The Central Highlands are also part of Sri Lanka's tea country, and its large number of tea estates and tea factories is a testament to its tea-producing prowess. Those who are heading to Nuwara Eliya on a domestic flight via Cinnamon Air will find that tea estates cover most of this region's mountains, hills, and even flat landscapes. Touring a tea factory is one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka whether you are a tea-lover or not as learning the processes involved can be fascinating for all. Hand-picked leaves are put through colonial-era machines in most tea factories in Nuwara Eliya. Organised tours also allow visitors to sample different varieties of Ceylon Tea and buy tea gifts to take back home as souvenirs.

Discover Horton Plains National Park

As the only national park in Sri Lanka's hill country, the Horton Plains National Park remains a natural wonderland like no other. Elevated at a height of nearly 3000m, the vast parkland occupied by countless deer and bird species is also where the World's End precipice is found. Dramatic inclines aside, the flora and fauna of this mountainous wildlife sanctuary alone warrant a visit as some of these plants and animal species cannot survive elsewhere on the island.

Uncover Botanical Hotspots

This region of the island is also where the finest botanical and horticultural highlights are located as the cold weather and rich soil provide the perfect conditions for cultivating blooms of a thousand hues. The Hakgala Botanical Gardens is perhaps the most popular among these botanical spaces as it is home to the largest collection of flower species.

Climb up Adam's Peak

Believed to contain the footprint of Lord Buddha, the Prophet Mohamed and Adam (depending on which faith you belong to), Adam's Peak is a spiritual epicentre that attracts pilgrims from far and wide. The trek up the mountain is considered a rite of passage for most travellers as the arduous and time-consuming journey guarantees more than just stunning views of the sunrise from the summit of the 2243m high hill.

Tee-Off in Style

Nuwara Eliya and the Central Highlands as a whole also boast the best golf courses in the island nation. Golf lovers, however, will find that the Nuwara Eliya Golf Club, which dates back to the 1890s is the best among these 18-hole courses due to its rich history and well-maintained grounds.