Hill Country
Certainly! Sri Lanka’s Hill Country is a captivating region with lush landscapes, misty mountains, and historical gems.
Let me introduce you to some must-visit places in this enchanting part of the island:
Nuwaraeliya
Often Called the Little England, Nuwara Eliya is a perfect place to stay in cold weather in the central part of the island. The city is surrounded by mountain ranges, tea estates with scenic views, and is a quiet place to relax. With its romantic beauty, Nuwara Eliya is popular among honeymooners and perfect for a family holiday. While you are travelling to Nuwara Eliya by land, you will pass many waterfalls and also the Most beautiful Sri Lanka’s widest waterfall Bomburu Ella waterfall is a site that you should not miss. Horton Plains National Park, a UNESCO heritage site is another main attraction here. The city built following English architecture by Britishers’ Victoria Park, The Post Office building, camping by Gregory Lake are few things in the town. Visiting a tea estate and a factory is another thing popular among tourists. The botanical garden in Hakgala, Moon Plains, New Zealand farm in Ambewela, Strawberry Farm, Piduruthalagala- the tallest mountain in Sri Lanka is few from many attractions.
Sripada (Adam's Peak)
Sripada, also known as Adam’s Peak is the third highest mountain in Sri Lanka, but according to the shape of it looks like the tallest. The Buddha printed his foot on the top of the rock during his visit to Sri Lanka for Buddhists to worship. Not only Buddhists, Christians, Muslims and Hindus also worship Sripada believing connected to their religions. It is 2,343m tall, and there are over 5,000 stairs built about 5 km long mountain route to climb to the top, and it takes a worth journey of couple of hours. It is best to start climbing in the night to reach the top by sunrise, and it is one of the most majestic things to see.
Ratnapura Rough Gem Market
Ratnapura is the commercial center of Sri Lanka’s gem trade. Its long-established gemstone industry has made it world-renowned for both precious and semi-precious stones.
The country very is famous for gems such as rubies, sapphires, star rubies, alexandrite cat’s eye, topaz, spinel, citrine, amethyst, moonstone, aquamarine, tourmaline, garnet, and zircon 1. Notably, Sri Lanka produced the Ceylon Blue Sapphire for Princess Diana’s engagement ring and the world’s largest sapphire gemstone weighing 1404 carats 2.
Rough Gem Market in Ratnapura is the place If you’re interested in buying good-quality rough gems directly by miners at lower prices. The market is active from 6:00 am to 9:00 am.