Is Nuwara Eliya Little England actually worth a night or just kitsch

A bit of both, honestly. Nuwara Eliya sits at 1,868m so the cool, misty air is a genuine relief from coastal heat and that alone is worth a night. The "Little England" branding can feel forced (the town centre is small, busy and not actually charming), but the surroundings are lovely: a walk around Gregory Lake, the Hakgala Botanical Gardens 10km south, the Pedro tea estate, and a proper afternoon tea at the colonial-era Grand Hotel or Hill Club. Use it primarily as a comfortable BASE for the dawn trip to Horton Plains and Worlds End, which is genuinely spectacular. Skip the kitschier attractions like the wax museum and the "mini world" stuff.