Thanks to its higher altitude, compared to surrounding locations, Bandarawela has milder weather conditions throughout the year making it a tourist destination for locals.

The town is influenced by its colonial history and rests among dense, lush forestation occupying a niche among visitors as a base for tourism.

Bandarawela is located at a high altitude and surrounded by a large number of mountains in Uva and the Central Province.

[9] The Bandarawela area consists mainly of red yellow Podzolic soil, which is strongly acidic and favourable for tea plantations.

There are sizable communities belonging to other ethnic groups such as Indian Tamils, Sri Lanka Moors and Sri Lanka Tamils.The peripheral areas are generally Sinhala majority neighbourhoods, estate regions (such as Liyangahawela and Nayabedda), have an Indian Tamil majority.

The urban areas of Bandarawela East and West are ethnically diverse, with small Malay and Burgher communities.

The main religions in Bandarawela are Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Catholicism.Locals depend primarily upon agriculture and livestock farming to make a living.

[15] Many people are directly involved in vegetable cultivation and some work as laborers in tea estates, mainly Indian Tamils.

There are a large number of tea plantations managed by both private and government run businesses that produce good quality tea for the world market.Apiculture is a niche economical activity in Bandarawela, with the Bee Development unit of the Sri Lankan department of agriculture being located here.

[16] Many types of vegetables are grown in this area throughout the year, such as leek, carrot, beet root, cauliflower and cabbage.