The very first steam trains were running in Sri Lanka to bring Tea, the greatest commercial export of the colonial Ceylon, to Colombo. Major Thomas Skinner was instrumental in setting trains up and he describes in his book “Fifty years in Ceylon” how he had to convince the British colonial government to spend approximately GBP 800,000/- to set up the network of railway lines, bridges/aqueducts, for Trains, today it stands as one of the most scenic journeys to be done on rail in the world. Board the intercity Train from Colombo to Badulla (10 hours ) making sure that you sit on the right side of the special observation carriage which will give you the best scenery, in Peradeniya your Train takes a right turn and starts the most incredible journey through the rolling hills covered with Tea estate after Tea estate. One could also takes a nostalgic journey in a Steam Train, The Viceroy Special, to Kandy and experience the reminiscent of a era gone by.
The Train trip will take you through 56 manmade tunnels, places to look out for are Nawalapitiya – Hatton, and Haputale – Ella, grey stone cliffs and rivers will flash past your window with occasional views of enormous waterfalls cascading down the mountainside, while the Train keeps climbing steadily through to Hatton then Nanu Oya, if you are going to Nuwara Eliya you need to break journey here, if not, passing “Adams peak” standing sentinel in the south an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, through the Horton plains National Park then Pattipola and Ohiya reaching its highest elevation of 1890 meters above sea level, the Train starts descending towards Ella and at the end of the line you will find the Badulla Train station sitting on top of the line, known as the “Demodara loop”, and the Trains passes underneath it before coming to rest on the platform.
The Train trip will take you through 56 manmade tunnels, places to look out for are Nawalapitiya – Hatton, and Haputale – Ella, grey stone cliffs and rivers will flash past your window with occasional views of enormous waterfalls cascading down the mountainside, while the Train keeps climbing steadily through to Hatton then Nanu Oya, if you are going to Nuwara Eliya you need to break journey here, if not, passing “Adams peak” standing sentinel in the south an important Buddhist pilgrimage site, through the Horton plains National Park then Pattipola and Ohiya reaching its highest elevation of 1890 meters above sea level, the Train starts descending towards Ella and at the end of the line you will find the Badulla Train station sitting on top of the line, known as the “Demodara loop”, and the Trains passes underneath it before coming to rest on the platform.
Nuwara Eliya to Ella
The Nuwara Eliya to Ella train ride in Sri Lanka is considered one of the most scenic train rides in the world. The original train system in Sri Lanka was introduced in 1864 by the British Colonial government to transport tea from the hills to Colombo but nowadays, the train is an extremely affordable way to see the beautiful countryside of Sri Lanka. The train trip, is not only taken by tourists but by locals themselves. This isn’t just a tourist attraction, it’s life for the people of Sri Lanka and I’m sure they must find is somewhat amusing how excited tourists are about a simple train ride. The lush green hills are purely breathtaking. The train takes you high into the mountains, through dense forest & vibrant green tea fields, over bridges, through tunnels, local villages and beside smiling faces. If you look closely every so often you’ll notice the colourfully dressed ladies pop their heads up amongst the tea fields as they carry on with their work. Every new corner there was a new photo opportunity. There is something so refreshing and magical about hanging out the door or window of a train as the wind blows in your hair! There aren’t a lot of places in the world you can do this. But Be careful though, the bushes come close at times. The journey takes approximately 3 hours from Nuwara Eliya to Ella. There are 3 types of tickets you can buy for the train and they differ in cost/comfort and compartment, 1st, 2nd & 3rd.
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Colombo to Galle
The journey in Sri Lanka will give you different views of traveling along the coastline from Colombo to Galle by train. Gradually the suburbs end and you are travelling past miles of untouched palm fringed beach, where fisherman go about their catch on their garish boats. On the trip you will pass through tourist villages and fishing villages, centers of Singhalese culture such as mask making, places of worship denoting the varied history of Sri Lanka and get to see firsthand the sleepy pace of life that prevails in southern Sri Lanka. Galle itself has a fascinating 16th century Dutch Fort and is surrounded by some of Asia’s finest beaches.
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