The Heritance Tea Factory, Kandapola, near Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

A painstakingly and lovingly restored industrial building in the rolling hills around Nuwara Eliya,  the Heritance Tea Factory now serves as a upmarket hotel. In the foyer, basement and bars, the wooden floors and ceilings remain intact, as do the steel girders and the quaint window panes. These communal areas house numerous examples of the original factory equipment, as well as tea crates, vintage photos and other antique paraphernalia. Outside, are beautifully manicured lawns and wide-ranging vistas over the tea plantations, studded with the corrugated iron roofs of the pickers' homes.

Hakgala Botanic Gardens, near Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

Clinging to a hillside above the highway running south east out of Nuwara Eliya, Hakgala Botanic Gardens date back to 1861. For the modest entrance fee (2,000 rupees for an adult), you get fine views over the Uva Valley below as you wander around the terraces, flowerbeds and arboretums, complete with bands of monkeys. With about 28 hectares to explore, these gardens should occupy you for at least an hour or two.

Cycling around Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka

In the immediate vicinity of Nuwara Eliya, the family cycling options seem to be pretty limited. The roads in the town itself are the domain of maniac drivers, while the surrounding countryside quickly gets very hilly. There is one fairly safe, but quite short, ride you can make down the track, through the woods, to the Boburuella Reservoir, which is quite a nice spot. You can ride back past Lake Gregory, with its swan-shaped pedalos and other kitsch Victoriana, but you won't want to take your eyes off the road for too long.

Kandapola, Sri Lanka

Kandapola Kovila, a colourful Hindu temple, north east of Nuwara Eliya.

Train from Peradeniya to Nanu Oya, Sri Lanka

Surely one of the most scenic train journeys in the world, the three to four hour trip from Peradeniya station (close to Kandy) to Nanu Oya (close to Nuwara Eliya) climbs steadily through lush green hillsides blanketed with tea plantations and studded with golden temples. You pass through maybe ten timeless and timeworn stations, complete with vintage signal boxes, faded signage and pedestrians with umbrellas. The track dates from 1864 and some of the trains (the brown ones) are also pretty ancient, transporting you back to the colonial era, as well as up into the cooler hill country in the south of Sri Lanka. Even in the best class, tickets are cheap and foreign tourists can book in advance through one a hotel or tour operator, meaning you should get a seat. Although the carriages can be stuffy, particularly when you are at low altitude, and the train can be noisy and crowded, this journey really does conjure up the golden age of travel. 9/10 

Kandy, Sri Lanka

After working your way through the congested suburbs, the lake in the heart of Kandy is a welcome oasis of space and tranquility. It is overlooked by the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of the most important Buddhist sites in the world and the beating, bustling heart of the city.  This revered religious complex is surrounded by venerable colonial-era white-washed buildings. 

Hiking in the Knuckles Mountains, Sri Lanka

Although Sri Lanka is a relatively small and densely-populated island,  it retains some genuinely wild and dramatic scenery, such as that in the Knuckle Mountains.  Although much of the range is unmarked, there are a few hiking trails you can take - one leads up from Knuckles Peak Road (a minor road off the B205), past the Knuckles Falls, and up to a 1850 metre peak. It is about a 12km round trip involving some steep gradients and taking in some fine views, if and when the mist breaks. You are supposed to take a guide and pay the park entrance fee, so this can be quite an expensive, whilst rewarding, walk. If it has been raining, beware of leeches.

Jim's Farm Villas, near Pallepola, Sri Lanka

A quirky and charismatic hotel, combined with a working spice plantation, Jim's Farm is tucked away in a peaceful and hilly rural idyll a few miles off the busy road between Dambulla and Kandy. There are three main buildings, each some distance apart. They all have bedrooms, but one (Mango) has the restaurant, another (Spice Garden) has the reception and another (Hilltop) the pool. You can reach them by hiking up and down the paths or by calling a hotel tuk-tuk. From the Mango Villas and restaurant, the broad views of the sun sinking over the lush green countryside and distant mountains  are a bit special. The meals are also a delight. There is no choice of dishes, but the cooking is excellent and the ingredients, such as pork belly and king prawns, are top notch. The guests eat dinner together around a communal table, which is fun, particularly if the gregarious owner is at home. Breakfasts are also very good: be sure to order the Sri Lankan option, featuring tasty egg hoppers, in advance.