travel shorts: hill country—nuwara eliya to ella by train

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Most travellers are of the opinion that the only real way to see Sri Lanka is by train. And that of all the rail journeys through the sparkling tropical island, the most beautiful is the one from Nanu Oya [near Nuwara Eliya] to Demodara [near Ella] in the heart of ‘hill country.’ They are not wrong. 🙂

Built in the mid-19th Century by the British colonizers, the train’s primary purpose for the longest time was to transport crates of tea leaves and coffee from the mist-wrapped estates to Colombo Port. The segment from Nuwara Eliya, a colonial town, to Ella, a village steeped in Hindu mythology, is a tourism institution of sorts today.

Nuwara Eliya, as its nickname ‘Little England’ suggests, was a retreat for the British rulers, and is replete with colonial architecture and landscaped gardens. Ella, at the other end, is a village whose claims to fame are Lipton’s Seat [1890] with miles of tea plantations around it, and the mighty Ravana waterfalls associated with the Hindu epic Ramayana.

In between the two, the ‘Blue Train’ cuts through hills draped in emerald-green farms, pine forests, tiny quaint villages, countless tunnels, and the celebrated 1921 nine-arched stone bridge as it drops from a height of 1,868 metres to 912 metres in 4 hours. It is spectacular to say the least, with even the most jaded travellers gasping in glee. ❤

Ravana Waterfalls at Ella.

Ravana Waterfalls at Ella.

Travel tips:

  • Book a 2nd class left window seat in the train for unobstructed views.
  • Whilst at Nuwara Eliya do not miss its two most interesting colonial remnants: High tea at the Grand Hotel and the stunning Hakgala Botanical Garden!
  • When at Ella, make an excursion to Lipton’s Seat. Perched at 1,970 metres, it was Sir Thomas Lipton, the Scottish tea baron’s favourite viewpoint over his enormous Dambatenne Tea Estate.
  • For my train bookings and transport, I used Sanara Travels. Sanjeewa can be contacted on WhatsApp at +94 76 941 5579.

[Note: This blog post is part of a series from my solo independent travels to Sri Lanka. To read more posts in my Sri Lanka series, click here.]

18 thoughts on “travel shorts: hill country—nuwara eliya to ella by train”

  1. i remember getting the train from Colombo to Kandy in 1978 during my first visit to Sri Lanka. Highlights of Nuwara Eliya were the horse racing and playing billiards at the Hill Club. There was a huge, fringed light over the snooker/billiard table, which put the rest of the room into shadow, where you could feel the ghosts of Brits puffing on their cheroots in the gloom.

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  3. This is another part of Sri Lanka I have yet to see despite all the good reviews about it. But I agree with the notion that Sri Lanka is a great place to explore by train. I took the one from Colombo to Kandy, and another one from Galle to Colombo. Next time the ‘hill country’!

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    • And I think I would happily make a third trip to the country just to do the Galle-Colombo rail journey. I missed it. Went by road. I understand it is pretty spectacular as it runs right next to the coastline. Next time, for sure. 🙂

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  4. Fabulous. I wasn’t aware of this particular one. A train ride anywhere is usually a ride into history and a time travel experience – this looks to be no different. My experiences of the ‘toy’ train journeys in India from Kalka to Shimla, Mettupalayam to Ootie and Darjeeling to Ghoom are amongst my favourite memories of that country along with the delicious chai and samosas available on the station platforms when you can jump on and off quickly enough. And again we must remember not just the architects and planners of these historic architectural marvels but pay tribute to the back breaking work of the thousands of local workers who actually built them. What a lovely journey. Thanks again Rama.

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    • That’s quite a collection of train journeys. Of these, all I have done is the Kalka to Shimla one, but in reverse–that is, from Shimla to Kalka. It was fabulous. I hope I get to do the others that you mention as well. 🙂

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  5. I see similarities between India and Lanka as you mention colonial past and why the trains were put in place. I have been to Lanka but it was a short work trip which wrapped up in Colombo. Looking back, I wish I had explored the country back then. I guess there is always the next time. If not, next life! Thanks for sharing your journeys!

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    • Sri Lanka is lovely. Every half an hour or so away, there is something new and interesting to explore. Hope you get to experience it in this lifetime itself!

      PS. I enjoyed reading your recent post on the Jaipur walking tour. Am a big fan of walking tours. 🙂

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