The Most Scenic Train Ride In Sri Lanka
Train from Kandy to Ella
Written by Arijana Tkalčec
Mesmerizing green scenery, wind in your hair, sun warming up your face, smiling people along the way. Sounds perfect, right? Although at the beginning it may not be that perfect, this is how you will remember this train ride at the end, trust me. One of the best experiences in Sri Lanka and definitely the one you SHOULD NOT miss.
Hanging out from the train was the favorite thing to do.
We took a train from Kandy to Ella. Our train was leaving at 9 am and we showed up at the train station at 7 to be sure we'll be able to buy tickets as it usually gets really crowded. If you're buying tickets this late you can buy it only for 2nd class and seat reservations are not possible. If you want seat reservation, you have to book it at least 45 days in advance. As the train was coming we tried calculating where it would be the best to stand to catch a good spot, but the crowd was too big so all of our calculations fell apart. We ended up at the beginning of 3rd class where the locals are. We stayed there as they were all so kind and gave us spot at the doors which we wanted from the beginning.
The spot next to doors are the best for a full experience.
It took us 7+ hours to get to Ella. But the time passed so fast. We were sitting at the doors all the time hanging freely. My neck really hurt as I was watching all around so much trying to take it all in. The scenery was so beautiful, from green fields to the hills and little villages with people greeting us along the way. Although the train was so crowded and we had to sit on the floor, I've never been so happy. This is definitely a ride you'll remember forever.
Views from the train.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- Come to the train station early enough to avoid crowds waiting at the row for tickets.
- We paid our tickets for 2nd class 240 LKR ~ 1.35USD
- If you want to get the most out of your ride, don't book seat reservation. Instead, buy tickets the same day and get in 3rd class. There will be fewer tourists and locals are kind enough to give you a place you want. Or you can get lucky and take a great spot at 2nd class too. But there will definitely be much more tourists.
- Places next to the doors are always the best.
- The train ride from Kandy to Ella lasts 7+ hours, but you can buy water, food and some snack on the train. Someone is going around all the time with stuff you can buy.
- We expected that most people will go out at Nuwara Eliya. And that was true, but also many people came in and the crowd was even bigger from there and almost everyone got out at Ella. So maybe you can take a ride from Ella to some other place in the south of Sri Lanka too. We later took one more station from Ella so we can ride through Nine Arch Bridge to take some photos and videos and there was no crowd at all. Either way, you can't make a mistake as the whole country is full of beautiful and photogenic scenery.
- Enjoy the ride and take many photos! 😊
Enjoying the view and wind in the hair. :)