Nuwara Eliya is a city in the tea country hills of central Sri Lanka. The naturally landscaped Hakgala Botanical Gardens displays roses and tree ferns, and shelters monkeys and blue magpies. Nearby Seetha Amman Temple, a colorful Hindu shrine, is decorated with religious figures. Densely forested Galway's Land National Park is a sanctuary for endemic and migratory bird species, including bulbuls and flycatchers.

Nearby Gregory Lake, a reservoir created in the 1800s, offers boating and horseback riding. To the north is Pidurutalagala, Sri Lanka's tallest peak, ringed by a forest reserve. The surrounding countryside is dotted with waterfalls, including the multiple cascades of St. Clair's Falls. To the southwest, a trail climbs pyramid-shaped Adam's Peak, a pilgrimage place for several religions. South of Nuwara Eliya, Horton Plains National Park occupies a high-altitude plateau and is home to sambar deer and leopards. The park ends at the sheer precipice of World's End, which offers views of the lowlands.