Written by JOE BINDLOSS
Sri Lanka packs in some of the world’s most thrilling rail journeys. You could find yourself weaving in and out of emerald-green tea gardens or thickets of tropical rainforest
If you’re a lover of travel by locomotive, make sure you book tickets (in advance!) for one of these four epic train journeys around Sri Lanka.
Head up country to Kandy
The one rail journey that features on almost every Sri Lankan itinerary is this three-hour trip from Colombo to Kandy, whisking you away from big city sprawl to genteel greenery.
On the way, you’ll rattle past rolling hills, paddy fields, lush stands of tropical forest, palm trees waving like giant hands, and miniature village train stations with tin roofs.
The journey serves as the perfect introduction to Sri Lankan train travel, and offers by far the most atmospheric and enjoyable way to reach the Hill Country from Colombo.
Ride the Main Line to Badulla
The British-era Main Line, built as a conduit for Sri Lanka’s most famous export – tea – is Sri Lanka’s most spectacular train ride
The journey takes seven to eight hours, and carves through Sri Lanka’s tea country. Make the most of the views in one of the open train doorways, with your feet dangling above the track
The final stage from Ella to Badulla is perhaps the most dramatic section of the journey. Many travellers end the journey at Ella and hike to viewpoints around the bridge.
The Northern line
The three-and-a-half-hour ride from the ancient Buddhist city at Anuradhapura to Jaffna offers a window onto a different Sri Lanka, while leaving behind the tourist crowds.
On the final approach to Jaffna, the landscape flattens out, and patches of water and saltpans appear as the train crosses Elephant Pass.
Waiting at the end is Jaffna itself, a vibrant Hindu city with a colonial heart – an easy leaping-off point for some of Sri Lanka’s most idyllic, unspoiled islands and beaches.