Situated at around 2000m above sea level and surrounded by lush tea plantations, Nuwara Eliya is the ‘city of light’, located in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. The city was created by Samuel Baker, the discoverer of Lake Albert and the explorer of the Nile in 1846. Once a pleasure retreat of the European planters because of its cool climate, Nuwara-Eliya, was called Little England and was the salubrious retreat for British colonialists. It was their playground for hunting fox, deer and elephant, and enjoying polo, golf and cricket. You can see the British influence in architecture, in buildings such as the Queen’s Cottage, General’s House, Grand Hotel, Hill Club and Post Office – nowadays, even new hotels are often built and furnished in the colonial style in keeping with the flavour of the place. Nuwara Eliya is surrounded by sprawling acres of tea plantations – tea estates as far as the eye can see. Sri Lanka produces some of the most fragrant teas in the world.