Nuwara Eliya is only 40 miles from our last stop, yet somehow, it took us an entire day to get there. Our journey involved a bus from Delhousie to Hatton, a train from Hatton to Nanu Oya, another bus from Nanu Oya to Nuwara Eliya, and finally, a walk from the bus station to our hotel.
By the time we arrived, we were absolutely knackered. However, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we’d been upgraded from a five-bed dorm to a private hotel room with a stunning view of the mountains—making the long trek feel a little more worthwhile.
We had taken the bus to Hatton with Akarsha, the granddaughter of our previous homestay host, as she needed to buy school books for her siblings there. Unfortunately, the books were sold out, so she ended up traveling to Nuwara Eliya—just an hour behind us—to find them at a shop there.
Before she began her long journey back to Delhousie, we met up with her for a drink and had a chance to play with a cute puppy, which was a nice little bonus before saying goodbye.
Afterward, we wandered around town. Nuwara Eliya is nicknamed “Little England” due to its cooler climate and supposedly English-looking buildings. While it’s a nice town, it didn’t feel particularly picturesque or very English to us. The exception, however, was the 130-year-old post office, which did have a distinct charm. We stopped there to buy and send some postcards home.
We also strolled through Victoria Park, a peaceful patch of greenery in the middle of the bustling town. After that, we headed back to our hotel for an early night.
The next morning, we were up early for a hike. We decided to do more of the Pekoe Trail since we’d enjoyed it so much before, and once again, it didn’t disappoint.
The route took us through tea plantations, local villages, and loads of little sustenance farms where people were growing onions, cabbages, carrots, and even strawberries—making the most of the cooler climate. Everyone we passed was super friendly, calling out hellos, and the tea pickers in the fields waved to us from a distance. A few even helped us out when we accidentally went the wrong way—easy to do when some of the painted trail arrows had faded or were tucked away in spots you wouldn’t think to look!
We also spotted a drone being used to survey part of the plantation, which felt pretty strange in such a rural setting—especially since the tea was still being hand-picked the old-fashioned way.
The trail ended at the Pedro Tea Factory, so we popped in for a cup of tea—something I don’t normally drink, but hey, when in Rome!
We signed up for the factory tour, where they walked us through the whole process, from picking the leaves to drying, rolling, sorting, and grading them. We didn’t actually get to see the drying and rolling in action, as it’s all done at night when the temperature is coolest. Apparently, this helps create a lighter, more delicate flavor. I’m not much of a tea connoisseur, so I just took their word for it!
After the tour, we grabbed a very late lunch at a small restaurant with a beautiful view and spent the afternoon there chatting and relaxing.
Afterward, we headed back to our hotel for an early night—partly because of our early start that morning and partly to rest up for our early train ride the next day. One of these days I’ll remember I’m on holiday and have a lay in!
Ella is next up on our travels, I will tell you all about it soon, love Alice x