There’s a magical quality about Nuwara Eliya, a sleepy town in the heart of Sri Lanka, nearly 7,000ft above sea level. Swirling mists envelope the lush tea plantations, gushing waterfalls and stately colonial cottages. The name translates roughly to the  “City of the Plateau” in Sinhalese, but it was far better known as ‘Little England’ in colonial times.

Founded in 1846 by Samuel Baker, explorer of the Upper Nile and discoverer of Lake Albert, the town nestles in the Pidurutalagala Range, the emerald isle’s tallest mountain. The soaring peak forms a protective backdrop to this tea county in the Central province.

The town still clings to Raj-era nostalgia. The buildings are constructed along Georgian neoclassical and neo-Gothic lines. The quaint Post Office, the Queen’s Cottage, Grand Hotel, Hill Club and General’s House, among others, retain the colonial style. Even the newer buildings have Palladian and Baroque touches and its Golf Club is one of the oldest in Asia.

We drove from Colombo to the picturesque and touristy city of Kandy and then proceeded on to Nuwara Eliya the next morning. The 85km ride through hilly terrain, myriad hairpin bends — they would put the 36 Ooty-Masinagudi twists and turns to shame — and a tunnel took nearly three hours. Along the way, we stopped at a tea factory to sample the famous Serendip brew. It left us impressed enough to buy golden tips — comprising only the tea buds — before feasting our senses on the Ramboda Falls.

Chuckling over the Mackwoods sign on the hill — it’s a takeoff on the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles — we passed unending miles of Mackwoods tea gardens like in Munnar, Kerala, albeit at a higher altitude (6,850ft to Munnar’s 5,200ft).

It requires no effort to guess why the British found a home-away-from-home in Nuwara Eliya. Several Sri Lankan towns still have clock towers. Colombo has three while Kandy, Galle, Piliyandala and Jaffna, among others, have imposing ones. In this little town, the clock tower is part of the pink post office.

Another 15km later lay our final mountain destination, the Heritance Tea Factory at Kandapola, most of it along a steep gradient. The old factory of the Hethersett plantation, now converted into a heritage hotel, is today a much-sought-after locale.

Set in a meticulously landscaped garden is what was once the Hethersett factory (at one time this estate was able to fetch the highest price in the world for its silver tips tea).

We received a warm traditional welcome: Men in white headgear and sarong put a tika on our foreheads and offered a welcome drink of spiced tea. All we needed to complete this picture of ethnicity was a Sri Lankan drummer!

Lunch was all about Sri Lankan food like ambul thiyal (sour fish curry), parippu (which locals refer to as ‘dhal curry’) and kukul mas (chicken curry).

Manager Roshanth Selvaraj accompanied us to the fourth floor that boasts of the Flowerdew suite with a breathtakingly beautiful view of the landscape. Only when we tore ourselves away from the window did we notice the crystal bowl with luscious strawberries and a bowl of cream. Little England indeed!

The original parts of the factory have been retained in green while the reinforcements are in red. The dining hall table décor is neatly blended with the red-and-green colour scheme. The factory lofts are now the guest rooms while the tea-packing room is the bar over which looms a huge roller beam.

Outside the premises, an entire train bogey on tracks has been reincarnated as a fine-dining restaurant. A waiter even uses a lever to simulate the chug-chug rhythm of a moving train. In the absence of a platform, hauling oneself into the bogey from ground level is quite an adventure.

With the mist engulfing the pines and lush tea-covered hills, this destination was a sylvan dream. Each milestone on the drive spoke of landmarks in Sri Lanka’s tourist circuit: Yala 206km, Anuradhapura 230km, Bentota 258km and Trincomalee 273km. We decided on Bentota because after savouring the mountains, Sri Lanka’s palm-fringed coast and azure seas beckoned.

READY RECKONER

How to get there: There is a direct flight to Colombo from Calcutta. Trains, buses, taxis and cars link Colombo to Kandy. From Kandy, opt for rail or road. There’s no railway station at Nuwara Eliya but one can get off at Nanu Oya and take a bus or taxi.
Where to stay: Heritance Tea Factory is very well located. For reservations call: +94776903333