The railway routes of the island are considered one of the most beautiful in the world. Imagine: you stand on a step in an open vestibule, and bright green jungle and foggy tea plantations of Ceylon float past you. Then the train stops into the tunnel and leaves right into the cloud that covered the mountain village … Where to go for such impressions and in which the Lankan city to sit on the train so that the journey is definitely picturesque, we tell in this article.
How to get
Direct flights from Moscow to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, is operated by Aeroflot Airlines. Travel time will be 9-10 hours. Prices – from 55,000 rubles* one way with baggage.
Flights with one or two transfers from Qatar Airways, Gulf Air Emirates, Flydubai, Srilankan Airlines will be more budgetary. Tickets cost from 33,000 rubles* one way.
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Entrance rules
All covid restraints have been removed. For entry, a tourist visa will be required, it is obtained in advance in electronic form or by arrival. At the airport, a visa is issued for up to 30 days. The design of it will help to avoid queues at the airport online (the servicemer will be $ 10).
An application for online visa must be submitted on the portal of the Sri Lanka immigration department. There is a second type of visa – for 180 days – it gives the right to two -time entry, but for one trip you can linger in the country for no more than 60 days (its cost is about $ 100). There is also the opportunity to arrange a visa for a year and several years.
How to travel around the country by train
Information about the routes and numbers of trains is available in English on the Sri Lanka railway website. There you can also reserve places in first -class cars, but the ticket will still have to be printed in Mticketing machines at the stations. The most reliable way is to buy it at the box office at the railway station a few days before the departure. The sale of tickets in most areas begins 30 days before the date of the trip.
Classes of wagons in Lankan trains differ in terms of comfort. The first class is equipped with air conditioners, displays, comfortable seats, but there are no standing seats. The second class cars are slightly simpler, but they can also be accommodated on soft seats, and the third -class benches resemble electric trains. Also, the last wagons are most often crowded, as tickets are sold in unlimited quantities.
In order for the trip to the trains to be comfortable, it is worth taking water, a snack and an antiseptic for hands.
From Colombo to Galla, 120 km
This two -hour route snakes along the west coast from the capital to the southern city of Galle, founded by Portuguese and a rich Dutch colonial architecture. Along the way, tall buildings are replaced by shacks with a corrugated iron roof, and in some places they part, opening the view of sandy beaches and a transparent blue Indian ocean.
In places, the railway passes almost along the shore, so we recommend that you sit on the right side to admire the best views of ocean landscapes, coastal towns and flocks of surfers chasing along the waves. On the way to Galle, you will also briefly see fishermen sitting on stilts and wooden perch.
Where to stay in the galle:
The Bend (rating 9.0) is a small hotel in the center of the old fortress, the number of the Standard class per night will cost 2,900 rubles*.
Sirène Galle Fort (score 9.0) is a guest house with a friendly mistress and large breakfasts near the lighthouse, a standard room with a King-Sayz bed and breakfast costs 3,400 rubles* per night.
From Anuradhapura to Jafnu, 195 km
This route has a stormy past: due to the civil war, the railway line did not work from 1990 to 2014. After decades of the conflict, the route from the ancient capital of Sri Lanka to the famous Hindu colonial city was restored. Since Jafna is known as the city of temples, trains in this direction are often filled with pilgrims or religious fanatics.
Before the trip, be sure to visit archaeological monuments in Anuradhapur. Historians believe that the city was founded in the X century BC, which makes it one of the oldest settlements in the world. And Jafna, in addition to temples, boasts with a little bitter wild beaches.
Where to stay in Jafne:
Allens Home Stay (score 9.6) – a cozy guest house with responsive owners, the night in the economy class room will cost 1400 rubles*.
Fox JAFFNA by Fox Resorts (Assessment 9.0) is a stylish resort hotel with a terrace and a pool, the number of the Dlux class with air conditioning and breakfast costs 5,400 rubles* per night.
From Colombo to Kandy, 125 km
This railway was laid in the 1860s to transport coffee and tea from the capital of Sri Lanka on the coast. A three -hour journey through the hilly terrain through rice fields, the jungle and villages will bring you from the official capital to the spiritual, from the hot coast to the tropical coolness.
Where to stay in Kandy:
Mahaweli View Inn (score 9.3)-panoramic views of the river and mountains open from the rooms of this mini-hotel. The standard three -seater room will cost 1,300 rubles* per night.
Hanthana House (score 9.2) – a hotel in a picturesque place in the Khantan area, the night in a standard room with breakfast costs 2,700 rubles*.
From Kandolla through Ella, 165 km
This trip takes about 7.5 hours and is considered the most picturesque railway route in Asia. Book a place in a car with panoramic windows to see emerald green hills, tea plantations and tea collectors dressed in bright sari. On the last section of the journey, the train passes along the famous nine -diarrhea brick bridge, which connects the slopes of the deep gorge and “soars” over the jungle. Many end the trip to Ella, but it is worth continuing the way to Badulla with a fewer tourists in wagons. If you still go to Ella, then be sure to take a walk to the bridge-it happens more beautiful than everything (and quieter) at dawn.
Where to stay in Ella:
Rivinu Holiday Resort (rating 9.7) is a separate house with a veranda in the middle of a tea kindergarten, the number of the Dlux class with a balcony and breakfast costs 1,300 rubles* per night.
TeA Forest Lodge (score 9.1) – a quiet guest house in the jungle, the standard room with breakfast will cost 1,500 rubles* per night.
*Prices are relevant at the time of publication.
