Journeys·6 min read·14 May 2026
Tea Country by Car: Nuwara Eliya & the Hill Roads
By The Ceylontecture Team
There are faster ways to see Sri Lanka’s tea country, but none better than a slow drive up through the Ramboda gorge with the windows down. This is a journey where the road earns its place on the itinerary.
The road up
From Kandy the highway climbs steadily, tea terraces stacking up the slopes on either side. Waterfalls appear around blind corners; roadside stalls sell corn and king coconut. It is the kind of route where you will want to stop often — and with a chauffeur, you can.
Nuwara Eliya
At 1,868 metres, Nuwara Eliya is cool, green, and unmistakably colonial — red postboxes, a racecourse, and bungalows with rose gardens. Visit a working estate such as Pedro or Mackwoods for a factory tour and a cup pulled from that day’s leaf.
- ✓Bring a jacket — mornings and evenings are chilly
- ✓Gregory Lake is a pleasant hour’s stroll
- ✓The best light on the terraces is early morning