Sri Lanka is know as the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” and historically known as Ceylon. The official name is the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian peninsula by the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait.
- Sri Lanka Tourism ~ The Official Website of Sri Lanka Tourism
- Sri Lanka Railways
I only had a couple days in Sri Lanka and my must do adventure was riding the train between Kandy and Ella ~ this was a bucket list event for me. The glimpse I got of Sri Lanka was enough to let me know that I must return one day for a couple weeks and travel throughout the entire island. What a wonderful country!
My journey started by purchasing my train tickets online ahead of time with Sri Lanka Railways. I ended up booking a 3rd Class Reserved seat from Kandy to Ella ($5.46 CAD) and a 1st Class seat from Ella to Kandy ($11.35 CAD). I arrived at Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo and grabbed an UBER to Kandy. The ride took almost 3 hours and cost 13,247.30 LKR ($56.96 CAD). Once in Kandy, I spent the night at The Grand Kandyan.
I woke up to the most wonderful view and walked to the train station to pick up my tickets (everytime I say or type “train station” I think of Rip ~ the ladies will know).
I arrived at the Kandy Railway Station very excited.
Now when I booked online I didn’t receive an email confirmation that I had successfully purchased tickets ~ these screenshots were all I had. I was worried that maybe I didn’t actually have tickets.
My tickets were waiting for me for both directions. I boarded the train and I was off! The ride from Kandy to Ella in 3rd class was fabulous! There were locals and a group travelling together that I chatted with the entire ride, everyone shared food, switched seats to hang out the window and took pictures & videos of each other hanging out the door. I had the best time!
At the various stops, folks got on selling peanuts and chai tea.
The highlight was hanging out the door of the train!
I arrived in Ella and set out to walk to my hotel checking out the stores along the way. Ella is a small town in central Sri Lanka with an elevation of 3,415 ft above sea level. It is on a plateau with many hikes, waterfalls and the famous Nine Arch Bridge.
I spent the night at Nine Arch Gap ~ this room was wonderful with the most amazing mountain views.
It rained all night!
I was up bright & early and hiked down the hill to Nine Arch Bridge ~ it was quite the hike, but worth it for the views!
The most delicious breakfast was waiting for me when I got back to my room!
At this point, it was time to go back to the train station for the return ride from Ella to Kandy. My seat was in the 1st class carriage and not as much fun as the 3rd class carriage.
When I arrived back in Kandy, there was a downpour and I was soaked through and dripping all over the place when I arrived at my room for the night at the SWP Eco Lodge. I had another wonderful breakfast in the morning, took another UBER back to Columbo and got on a flight to India.
Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with friendly people, great food and the most wonderful views. I will return one day!
Happy Travels!
Jackie is “Mom” to one amazing son, an IT professional and an obsessed traveller. She spends her time reading, golfing at Ladies League and implementing software projects. Jackie has travelled to 7 continents, 5 oceans and 105 countries and she is always planning the next destination and adventure!