Sri Lanka is an amazing island where you can feed the turtles on the Hikkaduva beach, walk along the Ceylon plantations, conquer the peaks of the small peak of Adam and Ella Rock, catch the waves on the spots of the myrisses and enjoy riding train.
Railways are the most convenient, inexpensive and very picturesque option for traveling around the island. There are no traffic jams (there may be terrible traffic jams from Kolombo), you can get to almost any city, but, most importantly, the species that open during the trip. From the open window of the train, you have to see the nature of the island with its hills, forests, plantations, beaches and villages, in which you can observe the life of the locals.
In this article we will tell you how to build a 14-day train route to see the most beautiful places in the country.
There are three class classes in trains. We recommend the 2nd: windows open in wagons of this class, there is a fan and you can sit down. The cost of the ticket varies from $ 1.5 to $ 8. In the 1st grade, soft seats and air conditioning, but windows do not open, and therefore it will not work to get the maximum pleasure from the trip. It’s better not to get into the 3rd, you will go standing, and they can rob.
The train schedule can be viewed on the website of the national carrier.
Kandy
You fly to Colombo. We would not recommend spending a lot of time in the capital: the city does not reflect the charm of the island. Go immediately to the station and buy a ticket to Kandy. Go about three hours.
This city, in which kings once lived, is located in the very center of the island and is its cultural and religious heart.
What to do
- Visit the Temple of the Buddha tooth, which is a whole complex, which includes museums and temples. A divine tooth is stored in a gold box. If you plan a trip to August, you can get to Esala Perirar – the festival of the holy tooth. Music plays, everyone is dancing, and dozens of decorated elephants walk the streets. The tooth itself is made for public display. The Lankaians believe that such a ceremony will contribute to the affairs of the country.
- Climbing the hill to the huge statue of the Bakhiravokand of Vihara Buddha and admire the panorama of the city.
- Go around Lake Kandy. This artificial lake about a kilometer long appeared on the orders of the last King of Kande Sri Vikram Rajasinghe at the beginning of the 19th century. On a small island in the middle of the lake was located a harem of the ruler. You will also see a monastery and royal baths. Around the pond you can meet geese, pelicans and her sapel.
- Walk along the reserve of Udavatakel to get acquainted with the Lanka Flora and Fauna: 300-year-old vine, mini-roty, orchids, vines, zeelon macaques, porcupine, mongoose, emerald parrots and dove.
The cost of a train ticket from Colombo to Kandy in the second grade is $ 2. To have time to inspect the city, we recommend that you stay one night.
Hotels: The night in the hostel for one person will cost 132 rubles, in the hotel 3* – from 693 rubles.
Nuvara Eliya
From Kandy, sit down on the train to Badulla and go out at the Nanu Oy stop. Go about 4 hours. From here to the bus to Nuvara Eliya. “Little England” in the forest is more often the center of the island. Lovely Victorian houses in the middle of plantations and mountain ridges.
What to do
- Drive a boat along the Lake Gregory. This lake was designed by the British governor of Nuvara Eliya in order to supply the city with electricity, but quickly turned into a place of rest. Now local and tourists here arrange picnics, ride boats in the form of swans, kayaks and bicycles, walk along the picturesque paths.
- Make photos of about one of the highest waterfalls of St. Cller island, which was called “Little Niagara” thanks to cascades of different heights.
- Walk along the most high -mountain botanical garden in the world – Hakgala.
- Sri Lanka is famous for her tea, so it is worth visiting local plantations, for example, Pedro Estit to find out how it is produced.
The cost of a train ticket from Kandy to Nanu OY in the second grade is $ 1.5. If you arrive early in the morning, you can leave in the evening, but it is better to spend the night in order to calmly see the garden, lake and waterfall in one day, and dedicate the other to plantations.
Hotels: Night in the hostel for one person will cost from 349 rubles, in the hotel 3* – from 1444 rubles.
Ella
Again to the station. Today you will see one of the most beautiful roads in your life.
Take a ticket to Badullah (end station), but go to Ella. Go about 3 hours, but it’s worth it, the views will open amazing. You can sit down, hanging your legs in the doorway. It is better to plan a trip on a weekday, since at the weekend the locals will be added to tourists and it will not be easy to find a convenient place.
Ella is a small town in the mountains in which life boils. In the afternoon, everyone diverges around the mountains to admire the panoramas, and in the evening they gather in local cafes and share their impressions.
What to do
- Ella is a city for hiking. There are several routes at once. The shortest – to the cave of Ravana, sung in the ancient Indian epos “Ramayana”. According to legend, the king of India had a beautiful wife of Sita, King Sri Lanka Ravana abducted her and hid her in this cave. Beautiful views of the mountains open from the top.
- Carving to get to the small peak of Adam. This will take 45 minutes and another 15-20 minutes will go to climb.
- If a small peak is a children’s prank for you and you prefer hiking for longer distances, then Ella Rock will be more serious mountain. Firstly, the distance is more. Secondly, the path is more quiet and untouched, unlike a well-organized path to the small peak of Adam. The rise and descent will take 4 hours, you can take a guide.
- Walk to one of the main attractions of the island-the northeast bridge, the longest on Sri Lanka. In addition, it was built without the use of steel, only due to brick, volcanic rocks of stone and cement. The bridge is 92 meters high among the magnificent forest. Hundreds of tourists are going to take chic photos around him and on it.
- 10 minutes from the city is the Ravana waterfall. If there is heat outside, it will help to refresh.
The cost of a train ticket from Nanu to Ella in the second grade is $ 1.5. To enjoy the city, we recommend that you spend two nights there.
Hotels: The night in the hostel for one person will cost from 251 rubles, in the hotel 3* – from 990 rubles.
Matara
After Ella, there is a difficult path to the coast. Unfortunately, the train does not go to the coast from here, but to make a reverse hook through Colombo is a waste of precious time. You can use Uber or go on city bus No. 31 (Matar’s Bandaurants), imbued with the atmosphere.
What to do
- Walk along Cape Dondra, on which the temple of the god Vishnu stands. This is the Hindu sanctuary, and the current seaport with a magnificent white lighthouse.
- Swim to the island of Crow. Take a walk among the wild, if you and the children are to go to the Crow Island Beach Park entertainment park.
- Visit the temple of the milestone. Residents built it underground to pray secretly from the colonialists, and later put a large statue of Buddha outside.
- Walk along the calm, unlike many others on the island, the beach of Matara.
The cost of a ticket for a bus 31 from Ella to Matara is $ 2. It is better to leave early in the morning, since the time is on the road for five hours. A trip to Uber will cost about $ 90, you can find fellow travelers and share the amount. It is better to leave early in the morning in order to be in the matar during the day, spend the rest of the day in the city and go to Mirissa late in the evening.
Mirissa
From the “Alpinist-Traveler” regime in this city, it is worth switching to the “Surfer-warrior”. Buses to Colombo or Galle go from matars. Warn the driver about the stop in Mirissa.
Sri Lanka is known for his ideal waves for surfs, so if you cut the sea spaces somewhere in your dreams, then it’s time to bring your dreams to life.
After sunset, beach establishments lay out a fresh catch on ice. Your task is only to choose between crabs, a variety of fish and seafood.
The train to the Mirissa from $ 1. It’s better to live here for a couple of days.
Hotels: Night in the hostel for one person will cost from 330 rubles, in the hotel 3* – from 825 rubles.
Unavatuna
You can get by a bus next to Galle.
An ideal place to sunbathe, drink the royal coconut, take photos “I’m on a chic beach” and try the Lanka cuisine. If you have never stood at a surf, then there is the most suitable spot, since the waves are quite small. And you can also do diving.
Bus to the city from $ 0.5. You can stay for a couple of days.
Hotels: Night in the hostel for one person will cost from 231 rubles, in the hotel 3* – from 359 rubles.
Galle
Galle’s fortress city is known for its fort, built by the Dutch and included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
What to do
- Walk along the wall of the fortress, take a photo of a lighthouse and a tower with a clock against the raging sea.
- Look at the Dutch architecture, wandering along the narrow streets inside the fort, looking into souvenir shops.
- Go to the National Marine Museum.
- Compare the Church of all saints, the Dutch church, the Meera Mosque mosque.
The cost of the bus is $ 0.5. During the day you will have time to see the city, and already in the evening you can go to the next city.
Hikkaduva
If the prospect of lying on the board in anticipation of the perfect wave is not very happy, we recommend going to Hikkaduva. This is a Lanka village, chosen by the Russians. There is a clean beach, transparent water and palm trees, inclined above the water. The atmosphere can only be violated by the merchants of Pareo and the masseuses. It is better to go to the salon for massage.
If you go to the beach, you can see large turtles sailing behind food. They know that tourists with a prepared treats and cameras are waiting for them here, so they chose this place. For dinner, go to one of the restaurants and taste the freshest crabs.
If there is time, we recommend visiting one of the sacred cities of Sri Lanka Anuradhapuru, the museum complex of Sigiria and the National Park Yala.
The cost of a train ticket from Galle to Hikkaduva in the second grade $ 0.5. How much to stay here depends on your thirst for rest and days on vacation.
Hotels: Night in the hostel for one person will cost from 396 rubles, in the hotel 3* – from 914 rubles.
*Accommodation prices are indicated at the time of writing. The cost indicated in the material, and the final price may vary.
