It is hard to imagine a small island with such geographical diversity and Sri Lanka’s tea-growing hills provide for one of its most breathtaking landscapes.  Situated over 5,000 feet above sea level, the dramatic scenery unfolds as you into the southern highlands, a land of gurgling mountain streams and steep hillsides cloaked luminous green tea, sweet-scented Cyprus and Eucalyptus trees.

The main tourist trail zeroes-in on the sprawling town of Nuwara Eliya, a summer hideout for the British, but we love the southern highlands beautiful scenery and the warm hospitability of the people.  Ella Gap offers wonderful views to the south coast on a fine day. Bandarawela, a centre for tea and fruit growing, is at the centre of Uva’s “Health Triangle”, a town that Sri Lankans believe has the perfect climate, dry and sunny with fresh and clean air. Haputale, on the far south of the highlands, offers lovely walking with dramatic views. Dickoya, Talawakelle and Hatton are all famous for their pristine tea plantations.

One fabulous way of exploring the tea country is to jump aboard the train. The journey from Kandy to Ella is one of the most enchanting railway journeys in the world. Luxurious Sri Lanka will purchase your tickets and transfer you luggage by car.

Close to Hatton is the sacred Adam’s Peak, a pilgrimage site to thousands of devotees from many faiths.  This 2,234m high holy mountain, traditionally climbed by pilgrims from December to April, is best climbed at night where you reach the mountaintop to see the sunrise and the magical view from the top.  It can be one of the most moving experiences in Sri Lanka.

The hills are extremely popular for those who enjoy the outdoors and active pursuits. The temperate climes and magnificent views provide some fine walking and, particularly in the Dickoya region, it is possible to go mountain biking, canoeing and whitewater rafting. An area is also famous for its numerous waterfalls, which cascade down vertical rock faces like white saris blowing in the wind. Some of the best waterfalls include Devon, Dunhinda, Baker’s, St Claire’s and Diyaluma.

Ceylon’s Tea, which was originally introduced to the island around 1850 by the British, now is famous worldwide for is high quality and has remained a major export crop for generations. The hill country has the perfect altitude and climate for producing the best grades of teas, which can be purchased following a guided tour around one of the Tea Factories.  Indeed, indulging in a hot cup of Ceylon Tea with a slice of creamy chocolate cake is an addictive hill-country pastime.

There are several quaint bungalows set amidst tea plantations that offer comfortable accommodation.  The Ceylon Tea Trails, a collection of four elegantly restored planter’s bungalows in Dickoya, offers some of the highest standards of accommodation in the island. Indeed, it is quickly building a reputation for being one of the best small luxury hotels in Asia. Kirchayan Bungalow is Banadarawela and Kelbourne Cottages in Haputale are also recommended.

• Horton Plains & World’s End - Horton's Plains is an undulating 2000-metre high plateau. The grassy plains, which are interspersed with small patches of forest, are home to leopards, sambur, deer, bear, monkeys and a rich array of birds, including some endemic species. The most dramatic feature of the national park is “World’s End” where the plateau comes to an abrupt end and drops 1000 metres. Visit in the morning.
  
• Adam’s Peak - Adam’s Peak (Sri Pada) is a 2,234 metre mountain famous as a sacred pilgrimage site for the four main religions in Sri Lanka – Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians.  The giant footprint at the top is variously claimed as an imprint either of Lord Buddha, God Shiva, Adam, or St. Thomas the Christian Apostle, who preached in south India.  The climb is best attempted at night where you reach the mountain top to see the sunrise. During pilgrimage season, from December to April, the stepped mountainside is lit by strip lights and rudimentary stalls offering refreshments.
  
• Nuwara Eliya Golf Club - Set amid the tea plantations of the central highlands, Nuwara Eliya Golf Club is a great golf course set in a charming hill station. This testing course was built by a Scottish soldier of the Golan Highlanders for the British serviceman and officials stationed here in 1889.  The British influence is clear to see, although the course holds many features unique to Sri Lanka. The clubhouse and bar is an atmospheric place to enjoy a drink and meal after your round. It is full of character and colonial history.
  
• Train travel - The morning railway journey from Kandy to the highlands of Nuwara Eliya, Ella or Dickoya, climbing uphill up to 6,000 ft above sea level, is one of the greatest rail journeys in the world.  The dramatic landscape of the highlands stirs the senses as you wind past lush tea plantations, majestic peaks and rushing waterfalls.
  
• Tea Trails Tea Experience - The Ceylon Tea Trails offers its guests a chance to learn more about Sri Lanka’s most famous crop. Start early with a visit to a working tea plantation factory to observe first-hand the different processes that combine, from plucking in the plantation to the withering, rolling, fermentation, drying, sorting and grading of leaves. You will also have the opportunity of tasting various types and grades of this great brew virtually from the leaf to the cup within 14 hours of that first pick. Along the way a visit to the Warleigh Church (1878) where the pioneers of this industry worshipped, married and some are buried, bringing nostalgic memories of a bygone era. The Darawella Planters Club, built in 1868, is also on the cards. This is where the Planters of yore and the present day planter “plays the game” where the tough get going and many a rounds of the “good old amber” is consumed liberally.
  
• Tea Factory visit - Sri Lanka is the second largest exporter of tea in the world, outdone only by India.  Local companies like Dilmah is modernizing tea’s image to counter coffee’s increasing domination. Tea was introduced to Sri Lanka around 1850 because of coffee blight. Bushes over 1000m produce the best flavours, so Sri Lanka’s hill-country is the ideal environment to grow the most flavoursome tea.  A guided tour around a Tea Factory is an enlightening experience, which explains the whole process of tea production before it reaches your cuppa. It also provides an opportunity to buy the best grades of tea.
  
• White Water Rafting - Kitugala, a sleepy village in the foothills of the highlands, is the main location for rafting in the island. The damn-controlled river offers Grade Three/Four rapids suitable for beginners and intermediates. A two-hour trip includes several sections of fast-flowing rapids and slower sections where you float past jungle-clad mountains. The beautiful setting is recognisable from the Oscar-winning classic ‘The Bridge Over the River Kwai’.
  
• Hakgala Botanical Gardens - Perched underneath the shadow of the Hakgala or Jaw Tooth rock, at an elevation of 1,670m, the beautifully landscaped Hakgala Botanical Gardens spreads over an area of 27 hectares.  With magnificent views of the surrounding hills and the jungles of the Hakgala Nature Reserve, the gardens are filled with roses and orchids, eucalyptus, pine and camphor, fruit and scented herbs and rare ferns – an array of flowers and foliage from Sri Lanka and different parts of the world.  An eminent British Botanist founded the Hakgala Botanical Gardens in 1860.