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| The joy of a scenic rail journey is that every minute of the journey is as much as part of the adventure as the destination itself. Boasting to be one of the most scenic routes in Sri Lanka, it is a little wonder that the ride from Colombo to Ella attracts such wide praise from train travelers, including us. |
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| Most of the journeys we spend gazing out the window watching the landscape unfold before us as it snakes through the hill country. Starting out from the Colombo Fort station, this train slowly ascends into Uva Province passing through emerald hills and mountains, terraced tea fields, beautiful villages with exotic and captivating names - Haputale, Nanu Oya, Hatton and the smiles and waves of locals that give way to let the train pass before continuing on their pathway. |
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| Scenery is not the only thing that goes by, from hot to chilly, sunny to cloudy, dry to wet, day to night, we finally alight at a stunningly simple yet irresistible - ELLA. This hidden gem in Sri Lanka, with little more than a handful of shops, hotels and guesthouses offer nicely relaxing base for exploring the surrounding country. From the moment our foot steps onto a prettily quaint railway station, we realize we would love our next highlight. The sedate and also slow paced walk around the villages takes us through railway tracks, bridges, and stunning view of Ella Gap from the Little Adam's Peak, thousands of acres of tea plantations, forest woodlands and most impressive of all the delicately home cooked "rice and curry". |
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