If you’re planning a holiday to Sri Lanka, I’m guessing you have already read screeds about the rail journey from Kandy to Ella. You’ve probably found headlines such as “the worlds most beautiful train trip”, “one of the most scenic rides in the world”, and ‘one of the best trips ever! And they are all right!
So why waste your time reading this blog??
As an Aussie expat who has chosen Sri Lanka as home, I believe I have some ‘insider’ knowledge that could help you to better plan your trip. Info that others (who don't live here) may have missed. So I hope you'll read on. . .
Q: Should your Sri Lankan train journey start in Kandy and end in Ella?
A: Probably not."
Why?
It's a 7 Hour Journey:
Do you really want to spend almost an entire day (upwards of 7 hours) on a train? The carriages are ok, but we found the seats a little hard and a tad cramped. The pic below was taken on a day where there were very few travelling, imagine what this carriage would be like with 'standing room only'? Oh, and 7 hours is probably the best time frame you'll get. As a commuter train that uses tracks and technology that are somewhat dated (circa 1950’s) there are many things that (if you’ll excuse the pun) derail the schedule, so be prepared for a longer journey
You DON’T travel over the famous 9 Arches Bridge!
Did you know that leaving the train in Ella means you DON’T get the thrill of travelling over the famous 9 Arches Bridge? The bridge is after Ella Railway station. I was so disappointed when I did the journey (yes I was taken in too!). I had visions of taking “the” photo; you know this one.
Sadly it wasn’t to be.
You can of course visit the bridge from Ella; you can walk or take a 3 wheeler to the site, but it’s not quite the same thing is it? You should consider riding through to the next station, Demodara, it is only 15mins past Ella and you can take a car or 3 wheeler from there back into town.
There are better, shorter journeys
Almost all the information available regarding rail journeys infers that you can only board and alight the train at major railway stations. This couldn’t be further from the truth.. You have a smorgasbord of choice. Here are the stations on the Colombo-Badulla line, you can get on and off at any of them.
** Note: Peradeniya is the primary stop for Kandy. Only some trains go into Kandy station.
You do have to book a ‘sector’. In other words you can only book from one major station to another, but you can get on and off wherever you want. So, for example, if you want to travel to say Ambewella (there’s a great farm there if you’re interested) then you would buy a ticket from Nauoya to Haputhale. To get off after Ella at Demodara you need to buy a ticket through to Badulla. Prices are so reasonable you really won’t feel cheated if you don’t use the full fare.
BTW: If you do want to divert from the general Kandy-Ella trip, take a less travelled route, and stay somewhere different I can help . . send me an email at srilankahiddentreasures@gmail.com and I’ll see what I can do to help you choose a ‘hidden’ route. Special prices for the first 5 people who use my service!
Here's just a taste at what some of these stations have to offer . .
DIYATALAWA - is home to Villa Nalanda; run by a very gracious host serving some fabulous local fare against a wonderful backdrop
WATAGODA - just 20 mins from Singha Sanasa, our luxury homestay.
So what is the best journey?
I believe the best views start around Hatton (which is the station closest to Adams Peak).
You’ll see beautiful tea country, wonderful undulating hills and journey past the spectacular St Clare and Devon Falls. Of course, (and here comes the second unashamed plug) if you stay at our homestay (www.singhasanasa.com) then Watagoda is the closest station and a great starting point for your trip. Anything past Watagoda and you’ll miss some fabulous tea country – which would be a shame.
And as I mentioned earlier, if you want to travel over the 9 Arches then your destination should be Demodara.
And now for the twist . . .
Depending on the rest of your itinerary, the better journey is from Badulla or Demodara to Hatton. Travelling the route ‘backwards’ is less popular and thus less crowded. Crowded carriages can be a real pain if you have chosen an unreserved carriage where seats are not allocated and they are almost always over sold. Even if you have a reserved seat, the less crowded the train, the lesser amount of time at each station, the more likelihood that the train will run to schedule (not guaranteed but you’re in with a chance).
How (and should) you book tickets.
Seat61.com does a great job at giving you all the details about booking – here are the highlights and some additions:
On-Line
The first thing you need to know is that Sri Lankan Railways do not offer an on-line service.
There are two agents that will sell you tickets on line:
I haven’t used either, however I’ve heard good things.
Please be aware that when you book with either of these agents, your seat won’t be confirmed until they have manually booked it. I am not sure what process they use, either they have an agent who physically goes to one of the main stations and purchases the ticket(s) on your behalf OR they use the only other option and that is to book by phone.
In either case, from the information on their websites it may take a couple of goes and you may not get your class or date of choice – however as trains book out very very quickly, it’s worth trying to secure a seat with them if you want to travel in a reserved class.
Once they have secured your tickets you can collect them from their counter in the arrivals hall at the airport; which is quite convenient. You will pay a premium for the service their websites indicate a ticket will cost around GBP 12 depending on your journey.
Over the phone
Phone carriers here (Mobitel and Dialog) offer what they call m-ticketing services over the phone. The catch is that you have to have a local phone account to do so as the
cost of your tickets will be charged to your account plus a service fee.
So, whilst this won't help when you're overseas, if you buy a SIM at the airport (which I highly recommend) and you have sufficient credit, then you could use this service upon arrival and secure your tickets. Just dial 365, select “3” and speak to an operator in english. Tickets are typically open for sale around 30 days prior to the date of your journey (you still have to collect your tickets from a major station Colombo Fort or Kandy so if you're not going to be travelling from either, then you'll need to make a special trip).
Buy at the station
You can buy tickets in advance for reserved classes (Observation, 1stand 2ndclass) at one of the major stations. At risk of repeating myself, it is unlikely there will be any available on the day - they sell out fast. You can buy a 2nd or 3rd class unreserved seat. Unreserved seats cannot be booked in advance, so even if you've heard the train is 'fully booked' these fares are still available, in fact they only go on sale about an hour before the train is due. They can be purchased from any station and appear never to sell out, regardless of how many people are travelling.
You can sometimes get packed in like sardines and jostle for a seat; it's not too bad for a short journey. The trick here is to buy your ticket and wait until the train arrives. If it looks to horrible . . . you can always forfeit your ticket and wait for the next train or if you have your car and driver following you (highly recommended) then you can do the trip by road – an equally pretty journey although not quite so ‘romantic.
On board the train
Luggage
Reserved seat or not, there isn’t a lot of room for luggage on board. A carry-on bag will fit on the overhead open rack but if you have more than that – then you’re likely to be where your luggage isn’t. In other words, you'll have to store your luggage elsewhere on the carriage and it may not be within sight. Probably not recommended.
Make it easy – have your car and driver follow you
If you fall into my demographic, my shoes wouldn’t fit into a carry-on bag let alone clothes, jewelry, makeup etc. So, if you travel like I do – then the answer is to have your car and driver drop you off at the station and follow you to your destination. It's nice to know you'll be collected on arrival and won't have to wander around looking for a ride.
Want to know more about booking a car and driver see my earlier blog "4 Things you should know before you hire a tourist car and driver in Sri Lanka".
What to take on board?
The essentials are your camera (obviously), a spare battery (there are no outlets on board), cash (in small denominations to pay for snacks etc.), water or something to drink and tissues and hand sanitiser (the loos are ok but don’t supply toilet paper or soap)
You can buy tea and snacks from the on-board sellers, just be aware that if your pallet is not acclimatised you may find some of the items on offer a little hot, even if they say it’s mild. Do try the Waday (a delicious Indian savoury 'donut' made from red lentils); and the freshly cooked peanuts with salt and chilli are a must!
Luxury Carriages
Up until just recently there were two ‘tourist’ carriages attached to the train, ExpoRail and the Rajadhani Express. Neither has operated for several months and there hasn’t been anything meaningful in the media to explain why. (I could speculate!).
There was a report in a local newspaper a few weeks ago stating that a “new” luxury carriage was to commence running between Kandy and Ella on Saturday and Sundays that can only be booked though the phone carriers m-tickelting service (365).
I called; they confirmed that the luxury carriage is currently in service, told me I could book for this coming weekend and the weekend after but that was all. They had no further information.
The report said the Train would leave Kandy at 7.40am (ouch!) and arrive in Ella at 1.28pm (just under 6 hours journey which seems ambitious) and the return train leaves Ella at 2.45pm and gets into Kandy at 8.05pm. The cost: LKR1250. I cannot find anything else about it.
Fortunately we (well my husband Sandy) is on first name terms with our local Station Master so we’ll give him a call to find out more and try and test it out. Stay tuned for more.
Finally, where should you stay?
That depends on your chosen route. If you do decide to go off the beaten track, then the options are to many to include here.
If you choose to stay in Ella, then here is a quick run down on where we stayed, Chill Ville.
Chill Ville was very nice. Small, quite, about 15 mins from town (the road is a bit of a challenge in places - looks like they are working on it though). The individual mini villas were well appointed and the pool lovely. I will do a full review of Ella, in a separate blog, meanwhile this is how Chill Ville rated on my 24 point scale. If you are thinking of booking, please GO DIRECT to the hotel. You will get much better rates than those offered via an on-line travel agent (they charge the hotel between 15% an 30% commission, some if not all of that cost is going to be passed on to you, the guest).
And finally, if you are looking for someone to help you plan your Sri Lankan holiday just ask! Whilst I’m not yet set up to take itinerary requests via my web/blog site, I am happy to work with you via email. Special prices for the first 5 people who use my service!
Email me at srilankahiddentreasures@gmail.com and we’ll take it from there.
I'd love to hear from you. Let me know if this has been useful and/or make any comments.
Happy Travelling!
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