Known to be one of the most scenic train rides in the world, the Kandy-Ella rail journey comes at the top in every traveler’s bucket list! We feel lucky to have been part of this amazing railway journey! The blue train passes through the winding paths jumping from one hill to another which are full of surprises.
The six-hour dream journey offers views of the country’s villages, farms, the lush green tea plantations, the thick forests, the cloudy hills, the railway tunnels, the cheerful locals and what not!
After spending our first day in Sri Lanka in the cultural capital of Kandy, we were heading towards our next stop at Nuwara Eliya. Was there a better way than riding the Kandy-Ella train? Absolutely not! We were so excited about this magical ride that we made a lot of research about this before arriving Sri Lanka. We are going to share with you our experience and also the vital tips to make your Kandy-Ella journey a smooth and memorable one!
Read our other blog on the top attractions in Kandy.
HOW TO BOOK TICKETS FOR THE KANDY-ELLA TRAIN
There are two ways you can book your tickets for this unique journey:
BOOK RESERVED SEATS ONLINE
The tickets for Kandy-Ella train generally become available online one month in advance. But these get sold out pretty early and they can only be available from travel agencies and companies who sell them at much higher rate. Not a bad option if you are okay with spending much and the plus point is you get yourself confirmed seats if you are sure about the exact date and time of travel.
You can also buy tickets through some local agencies and travel companies after you reach Colombo or Kandy. Again, prices will be much higher than the normal price.
Tips: You can reserve you seats for 1st, 2nd and 3rd class compartments based on you comfort. However, make sure to buy tickets for the Non-AC compartments as you get the open panoramic windows to hang out a little to get a better and unobstructed view of the country’s incredibly beautiful nature!
BOOK SEATS FROM THE STATION COUNTER
If you are not sure of the date of travel from Kandy to Ella/ Nuwara Eliya or don’t want to spend much on the advance reservation fees, this is the best way to travel. You can still travel with the best comfort and the best view. But you might find yourself standing in long queues, especially during peak seasons and due to the rush, you may also end up getting no good seat during the entire journey. But wait! There’s a workaround. Here’s what we did.
We didn’t board the train from Kandy Station. Instead we took a tuktuk and went to Peradeniya Station which is just 7 km away. Want to know why we did that? Here’s why. The trains which come from Colombo stop at Peradeniya before arriving Kandy and then leaving for Ella.
So, if you board the Kandy-bound train, it gets almost empty at Kandy and you can quickly grab your favorite seats during passenger deboarding. Cool, right?
TIPS FOR THE BEST KANDY-ELLA TRAIN EXPERIENCE
Try to reach the station little early so that you have higher chances of getting a seat.
Second class compartments are much better than the third class ones as the latter can be very crowded.
Try to get an early morning train from Kandy to Ella as day-time travel allows for much better scenic views.
If you are getting down at Nuwara Eliya, as we did, Nanu Oya is the name of the station you need to remember. Nanu Oya is around 8 km from Nuwara Eliya Station.
Figuring out your booked carriage can be little confusing at times. Ask any member of the railway staff where the carriage you’ve booked will stop. They will direct you if you show them your ticket.
Never take the overnight train from Kandy to Ella! You miss the real feel of Sri Lankan beauty.
Try to get a seat on the right side of the train from Kandy to Ella to get better scenic views.
Pack your food and water as the journey is long. You will also find vendors selling local snacks, spicy peanuts, fruits and beverages on the train. However, they have a tendency to sell these at a much higher rate to foreigners.
Get your camera ready and fully charged to 100%!
To get more information on the train timings and ticket prices, click here.
OUR KANDY-NUWARA ELIYA TRAIN RIDE EXPERIENCE
We boarded our train for Nuwara Eliya at 8:30 in the morning. We were super lucky we got our window seats in the right side of the train, exactly what we wanted. The 2nd class seats were really comfortable. The first 30 minutes of the journey was not much scenic as the train passed through the outskirts of Kandy. But as the train kept moving, the beauty of the hill-country kept revealing itself.
The train cruised through many tunnels, bridges, jungles and farmlands and wherever we looked appeared green! We saw many villages on the way and the sight of the local people smiling and waving at us felt so good.
The inside of the train was also full of beautiful stories. The vendors were selling snacks, fruits and drinks with much enthusiasm. Travelers like us were all too excited and were busy taking wonderful window-shots. There were many locals traveling in the same compartment. They looked excited too, perhaps by seeing the excitement of travelers like us!
We took many great shots of the breathtaking landscape from the window and the door. Despite having our comfortable seats, we also preferred standing on the door at few stretches to get the best views. Hanging out of the door is a common thing you’ll see among the tourists. It definitely gives an unbelievable feeling. If you try this, just be careful of the frequent bushes and the tunnels that come close to the train.
One more thing which is common in this journey is the delay. You may consider yourself lucky if you reach your destination at the scheduled time as this is very rare. Our train was also running late and it stopped at few places for long time. This also gave us an opportunity to get down from the train and get closer to the stunning view of the hills and the slopes.
As the train kept moving higher, the view of the cloud clad hills and the lush green tea estates kept mesmerizing us. This journey is truly one of its kinds and is definitely a paradise for photographers and nature lovers.
Our train took six hours to reach Nuwara Eliya. We got down at Nanu Oya Station from where we took tuktuk to reach our pre-booked hotel in Nuwara Eliya.
Also, read our blog on Nine Arch Bridge in Ella.
Let us know in the comment section below if you liked our blog on our train journey from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya. If you have already been part of this amazing journey, share your experience in the comment section below. You can also contact us if you need any information regarding the Sri Lankan train ride or regarding trip to Sri Lanka. For other exciting adventures in Sri Lanka, click here.
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