Sri Lanka's mountains up close

One of the most beautiful train rides in the world - Part 1 Ella - Nanu Oya

Sri Lanka's mountains up close

For a long time, I have been dreaming of travelling by train on the route between Ella and Kandy. Sri Lanka's highlands offer breathtaking views of vast tea plantations, seemingly bottomless waterfalls and colourful temples, especially on rails. It is not without reason that the section between Badulla and Kandy is considered one of the most breathtaking train routes in all of Asia. Thus, during my trip through this wonderful country, an excursion to the highlands was not to be missed. Since I wanted to take my time, this blog contains everything about the route from Ella to Nanu Oya (aka. Nuwara Eliya, the Little Britain of Sri Lanka); and in another post, I will report about the continuing journey from Nanu Oya to Kandy. Have fun!

Ella

In the last ten years Ella has grown from a small mountain village to a very popular tourist destination in the Sri Lankan Highlands. From here, you can do some fantastic hikes, drink excellent tea, climb Little Adam's Peak and Ella Rock and even glide over the mountain slopes with Sri Lanka's first ever zip line. One of the biggest highlights, however, is a visit to the Nine Arch Bridge (literally, bridge with nine arches), an absolute masterpiece of colonial architecture. With a length of 90 metres and a height of 25 metres, the structure skilfully hides between the rolling hills of the village. After a short walk through the jungle, every curious adventurer will find a sight that is second to none. In the right place at the right time, you can watch one of the approximately 6 trains per day crossing the bridge from a viewing platform disappearing into a tunnel. The best view you'll get at Asanka Café (just buy a soda and enjoy the view!). A little tip: If you want to take the train over the prominent Nine Arch Bridge, you have to get on the train one stop before Ella.

Since I made my way from the Udawalawe National Park in the south of the country to Ella by private transport, I will start the route in reverse order, since most of the travellers come directly from Colombo. I am staying in a beautiful, spacious and modern bungalow, at McQueen's Homestay, and can absolutely recommend it there. The deluxe accommodation including breakfast costs only 50 € for 2 persons per night and the owner really does everything to make sure you feel welcome (including organizing the train tickets, but more about that in a moment).

Timetables, train classes and ticket prices

There are a total of 6 train connections between Ella (in Sinhala "Elle") and Nanu Oya (the closest station to Nuwara Eliya), of which five operate daily and one only weekdays.

The latter is the local train and has only 2nd and 3rd class. Departure is weekdays at 12:48 pm with arrival at the terminus Kandy at 10:38 pm.

The other 5 trains provide 1st, 2nd and 3rd class and run at 6:39 am, 8:03 am, 9:23 am, 11:56 am and 6:53 pm. These trains all operate all the way through to Colombo, with a total journey time of about 9 hours. To Kandy, it takes about 7 hours and my journey to Nanu Oya took about 3.5 hours. As with all trains in Sri Lanka, these times are not a guarantee, but rather rough orientation points. Current timetables and departures can be found here

On my journey with the Express Train, there were 3 classes in total; 1st, 2nd and 3rd class. In addition, on this route, it is possible to buy a 2nd or 3rd class ticket with seat reservation on all trains - except the Local Train - for an extra charge. If you want to learn more about train classes and especially ticket reservations on Sri Lanka, you should have a look at this blog post.

Due to the popularity of the route, I strongly advise you to make a reservation a few weeks in advance. In my case, I got very lucky, because due to my rather loose travel planning, I decided to contact my freshly booked guest house only one week before the planned departure, to help me to get the ticket. Within a few minutes, my future host asked me for my passport number and the exact travel dates and told me, that he would be on his way to the train station immediately. Reservations in 1st class had been fully booked for a long time, but he managed to get me a 2nd class ticket with seat reservation. Upon arrival in Ella a few days later, he proudly handed over the ticket (a small tip and my eternal gratitude were definitely appropriate here). For my nearly 3.5-hour journey I paid the equivalent of 5€.

Ella station

During my three very relaxed days in the mountain village, I did not miss the opportunity to visit the station one day before departure. In the small town, one can only manage to get lost with great effort, and so I found myself without further ado in front of the small, brightly white building. The station in Ella is very straightforward, but extremely charming. Right in front of the entrance you will find - besides over-motivated tuktuk drivers - a small temple and a cash machine.

Apart from the immaculate white colour, the station also stands out for another striking feature. Its excessive signage. Never have I seen so many display boards, posters, signs and billboards in one spot. Right at the narrow entrance, you can find an overview of Sri Lanka's train routes, departure times, prices and - Oh wonder! - the wagon order! In the corridor, there is a gloomy ticket counter with a little interested railway employee sitting behind bars. The ticket counter as well is lined with all kinds of notes and instructions. Since I already have my ticket, and moreover, a rather long queue with tourists asking in vain for free reserved seats has already formed, I decide to continue my exploration tour the next day.

Departure in Ella

Our train is scheduled to leave Ella at 9:23 am sharp. After a rich breakfast, our host offers to drive me to the station, located on the other side of town. Shortly before 9am we drive up to the cute building, where already numerous tourists are waiting. The station of Ella has only 2 tracks that are connected by a small concrete bridge. In order to get to the tracks, you first have to show your ticket at the entrance. The much better-tempered Sinhalese - compared to the grumpy railway employee the day before - greets me friendly and announces, that I have a 2nd class ticket with seat reservation, and I can take a seat right at the entrance, where my designated carriage will stop shortly.

I still have about 20 minutes left to look around and go on an exploratory tour. To the right of the entrance, there is a small aquarium and a tree-shaped bookshelf, where you can help yourself with reading materials for your journey. Very innovative! If you walk a little further, you reach the toilets and the end of the station. On the left side, there is much more to discover. What still catches my eye at this station - apart from the wild signage - are the numerous colourful flowers everywhere. Thus, those who have some time until departure can practically have a walk through the stations garden. But please make sure not to pick them! I squeeze through the mountain of passengers that gets bigger and bigger, not finding any more space on the few benches at the track, and stroll alongside the nicely arranged station garden, which is also covered in countless signs and instructions in each of the three languages (here, you can see a small selection).

And just like that, I have arrived at the end of the station again. I go back to my designated boarding point and wait patiently for the arrival of the eagerly awaited train. And indeed: Almost punctually at 9.25 am, our blue vehicle arrives. Compared to the other two trains I have taken in Sri Lanka, this one is in a completely different league. It shines in a blue and white modern gloss with a contemporary interior - I am curious. A uniformed railway employee with a serious face makes a gesture that tells me and some others to step back from the platform. He seems to be getting ready for something, because he is holding a strange, round leather ring in his hand. While the train has now almost reached walking speed, I can watch the engine driver stretching out and grabbing the dubious ring. What it's good for, I will probably never know.

Glancing at the car numbering, I quickly grab my ticket again and try to find the corresponding numbers on it. Nothing. It gets a bit hectic, crowds of people form around the boarding area, which is directed to us by a railway employee. But as soon as I can see something, I realize, I'm in front of the 1st class carriage and turn around. The car behind it, seemed not to have been cleared for boarding until now, but suddenly a frantically waving, uniformed train attendant stares at me. I follow the instructions and after a second (and not final) check of my ticket, I am allowed to enter.

The train

As already mentioned, our train is a real show-piece. The blue Chinese trains have been operating since 2012 and are extremely new and a little more reliable than the other trains. All ventilators are fully functional (as long as you can find and operate the appropriate switch), the interior looks fresh and new and the windows invite you to look stare into the distance. Apart from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd class, our vehicle also has a bistro car (which is not absolutely necessary, as there are always snack and drink vendors running around the train looking for hungry passengers). The seats covered with brown faux leather are arranged 2x2 and provide a small luggage net, a generous folding table with drink holder and a footrest. Unfortunately I could not find any sockets and Wi-Fi is not available on Sri Lanka's trains anyway. The interior, which is covered in shiny, light-coloured wood, offers a lot of space, has a - in my case - non-functional digital display and large luggage racks above the seats. If you don't want to lift your 20 kg backpack over your head, you can also use a more comfortable luggage rack at the entrance if you're quick enough. There, you can also find a bin, a clean toilet and a place for two non-existent fire extinguishers (as shown here in the picture). And if you are a bit wobbly on your legs during your carriage exploration tour, you can find get a grip with handles dangling from the ceiling. By the way, our whole trip is accompanied by "elevator" music sounding from small loudspeakers. But don't worry, it is neither too loud nor annoying in any way.

The ride

Looking at my ticket, I unfortunately have to realize, that none of the numbers printed on it corresponds with my car number and therefore, I rely entirely on the train attendants. With great pleasure, I see that I have managed to book a seat on the right side, from which the view is supposed to be best during our journey. By the way, there is no choice of seat when buying a ticket, so you'll have to rely on your luck. Tensely, I walk down the aisle in search of my seat and subsequently have to realize with great disappointment, that my seat is indeed on the window side, but does not feature one. Once again (as it already happened to me on my trip to Chile) I obtained a seat, located directly in between two windows and consequently my view is limited to the grey dotted pattern of the wall panelling.

Fortunately, the 2nd class from Ella is apparently not fully booked (I strongly assume that the respective ticket holders will get on at a later time of the trip) and I just sneakily sit down on the empty seat with free window view directly behind my respective seat.

With about 10 minutes delay we finally depart. As soon as we are on the move, some exploratory passengers - among them me - have to realize that our wagon has been locked, and that it is no longer possible to move freely around the train. I feel a bit uneasy about this, but I have no choice but to give in. I guess it's for our own comfort, so that passengers without reservation can't sneak in during the trip. Still, a little strange. If you really insist on leaving the car, even if only to go to the bistro, you can tell a train attendant and the doors will be opened by an Allen key, no problem - but coming back might be a little more difficult. Meanwhile, I make myself comfortable on my seat and look out into the countryside. Leisurely, we wind our way up the hills. By the way, we will conquer over 800 meters of altitude on our journey! At first, we crawl through lush green tea plantations with a breathtaking view as far as the eye can see. As the windows of the 2nd class open without any problems, one can really take absolutely fantastic pictures of the train puffing through the mountains. As one can see, I simply could not get enough of it. But please be careful, there are some narrow tunnels and nearby masts on the track, which should be observed carefully to avoid unpleasant injuries - especially if you let yourself hang out the door like some Instagrammers.

We pass tiny villages, get a peek at rural life, catch a glimpse of tea pickers at their daily hard work and can let the atmosphere wash over us. Soon, my stomach starts rumbling and its call is immediately followed. A salesman with a big basket full of goodies like sandwiches, samosas, rotti and much more, makes his way to the 2nd class. I don't have to be begged twice and place my order. For the equivalent of 2.50 € I get four delicious, fiery hot fried pieces. A little later, the kind man suddenly has chai tea on offer, that you should definitely try. Again, I strike with a good conscience. It goes on and on up the mountains, until the bright blue sky gives way to a dense fog. One can hardly see the train in front of your eyes and poof - we are in the middle of the clouds. Shortly afterwards, we reach the highest point of our journey, which - Oh, wonder - is signposted. 1898 meters above sea level.

As if by some kind of magic, the clouds divide and give a clear view of the expanse landscapes below us. Shortly afterwards, we pass a bridge and another salesman with an unbelievable energetic charisma enters the carriage and fascinates everyone with his wonderful mood. Before he starts to praise his delicious smelling Dhal-Fritters, he points all passengers to a waterfall, which we will be able to see after the next bend. After a lot of pictures have been taken of the waterfall, he starts to offer his goods with a broad grin and is, to no surprise, highly successful. What a sales talent! In the meantime, tickets are checked for the third time - it seems to be wildly important to make sure that there are no fare dodgers on the train.

During the whole trip, I stared out the window. Much more entertainment is not needed at all. Additionally, one can at least move freely inside the carriage in order to take the best possible pictures. A truly wonderful journey, that I can only recommend from the bottom of my heart.

Arrival in Nanu Oya

After about 3.5 hours we reach Nanu Oya, my destination station for today. By the way, many tourists get off and on in Hatton, because from there, you can climb the famous Adam's Peak. I save that for another time. Also, Nanu Oya, and/or the nearby city Nuwara Eliya is very popular with tourists. If you want to know more about the station of Nanu Oya and the small town Nuwara Eliya, you can visit my follow-up blog, in which I write about my journey from Nanu Oya to Kandy.

Once again, there is a medium-sized chaos and as always, overzealous tuktuk drivers are ready to take tourists to their destination at questionable prices. By chance, I am approached up by someone ,who is actually a friend of my relatively new, remote accommodation in the tea plantations, and who also seems to know the directions immediately. I can negotiate a good price and spend the 20-minute drive in a small van. After passing through Nuwara Eliya, we take the road towards the San Pedro Tea Factory and turn into a small dirt track. I find myself under a bright blue sky between green hills in front of my small accommodation and I’m looking forward to the upcoming days in "Little England".

Verdict

Even though the journey by train from Ella to Nuwara Eliya takes more than twice as long as if you were travelling by car, it is well worth it. The seemingly endless tea plantations and a view where you just can't get enough of is definitely worth the train ride. I really enjoyed my very comfortable trip in the 2nd class with reserved seat, even if one hopes in vain for a cosy chat with the locals. If you want to get in touch with the Sinhalese and their culture, you should rather go by 3rd class. All in all, I would like to recommend this trip to everybody who ever comes to Sri Lanka. Best with a seat reservation in 2nd or 3rd class. You can read my personal opinion about Sri Lanka's 1st class trans in the blog post about my onward journey to Kandy.

I hope you enjoyed my contribution, and we will meet again in my next report. If you still have any questions, please feel free to contact our friendly forum, where you will get help from real travellers. See you next time!

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