There is something special about train
travel. Perhaps it is the fact that the passengers are seated high
above other traffic, perhaps because trains have priority over road
users, possibly the immense power of the engine itself or the
graceful shape of the train as it wends its way across the horizon.
It is hard to pin down but when riding the train many will feel it.
I had read about the train journey in
the observation carriage from Colombo to Badulla, all the travel
guides advise visitors to do it. I finally got around to it a couple of months ago
and it was well worth the effort.
Prospective travelers have three
options; first-class observation car (Rs.750, one way), the
air-conditioned Expo carriage (Rs.3,950, return) or the ordinary
second-class compartment.
The observation carriage needs to be
booked 14 days (not 10 days as advised by some websites) in advance
of the journey. Tickets sell out fast so one needs to be there at
opening time on the prescribed day. When I tried to book it 10 days
ahead it was sold out so we had to take the Expo carriage. Booking
the Expo carriage is convenient, it can be booked online or at a
travel agent and at anytime. Second class travel is an option for the
adventurous and should be fine, provided the journey is kept short,
of which, more details below.
I think I was fourteen when I last went
on a train, which was a long time ago. Walking into the Fort Railway
station, things seem to be worse than I remember: overcrowded trains
and a dirty, smelly station. I had opted to go from Colombo to
Haputale, a journey of eight hours according to the time-table,
looking at the crowded second-class carriages I was glad that we had
decided to take the Expo carriage.
The Expo carriage is painted nicely but
looks a lot better on the website than in real life. It has clean,
airline type seats and is staffed by two helpful stewards who will
offer breakfast, lunch, and tea. There is free bottled water, a
decent lavatory and air-conditioning. The air-conditioning is not
really necessary when travelling in the hills but it is welcome when
on the plains. Unfortunately the windows are sealed shut, so it’s
not possible to open them to feel the cool upcountry breezes. The
windows were not very clean, there were black streaks that seemed to
be some kind of waste from the engine but luckily they were not dirty
enough to spoil the view.
Although clean, the seats are not very
roomy and the overhead compartment is not very big so it is best to
travel light. Some of the lids on the overhead lockers don’t have
good springs so they have a tendency to close while one is taking
things out or putting things in.
The food is like airline food, nothing
great but edible. For me food is an important component of any trip
and having read reviews which said the food was bad, I took my own
sandwiches. The Keells at Crescat has some good whole wheat bread and
some nice hams, cheese and other meats that can make a good sandwich.
The bread had just come out of the oven when I went at 11am. Being
particular about my tea I took a flask of strong home-brewed tea with
me, the Expo staff were happy to supply me with cups, milk and sugar.
The train set off on time from the Fort
station at 5.55am. The lights in the carriage were a little bright so
it was difficult to see out of the windows at first, but as soon as
it became light we could see the suburbs slowly waking up beneath us.
Life in rural areas tends to cluster
around the road. Shops, houses and businesses congregate thickly near
the road and thin out as one moves inwards on the lanes and by lanes
that spread out from the main road. When one is on the road, one is a
part of the activity on the road. The railway however, is away from
the road. It travels on a higher elevation, parallel to or across
the road. With its increased elevation, passengers on the train find
themselves looking down, like distant observers, while daily life
unfolds below them. It’s fascinating, almost voyeuristic at times.
Children going to school, people walking to the shops, talking in the
street, sweeping their doorsteps, watering their plants, digging
their gardens, the suburban townscape can be very interesting.
(Click on the pictures for the high resolution image)
(Click on the pictures for the high resolution image)
As the train starts move away from the
suburbs the scenery changes. My childhood memories of the first part
of the journey to Kandy were of paddy fields with farmers working the
fields with buffaloes. There were far fewer fields and no buffaloes
but the scenery was still pleasant and once the train starts to climb
there are good views of the hills, especially past Kadugannawa.
From Peradeniya onwards the climb gets
steeper and the views, progressively better. Once past Hatton the
views are superb and past Nanu Oya, especially when approaching
Ohiya, quite spectacular.
The approach to Ohiya skirts the Horton
Plains reserve and the colours of the natural forest and vegetation
are stunning: trees in deep greens, reds and orange, the grass in
light green and yellow. Bella Sidney Woolf, in her book How to
see Ceylon bemoaned the encroachment of tea estates on the
natural vegetation. I never understood what she meant, until now. The
tea estates have a beautiful green that looks very pretty but the
glory and variety of the forest puts the cultivated estates in the
shade.
The only problem with doing the whole
journey is the time taken. Moreover the train tends to run late so
the journey gets even longer: Colombo to Haputale was scheduled to be
eight hours but we were an hour and a half late when we arrived at
Haputale. On the way back we were 45 minutes late. According to
people in Haputale the train is usually an hour or two late.
Haputale Station
Haputale Station, with the mist rolling down at about 10.45am
The beauty of the scenery means that
the journey is a must-do, but for best effect I would suggest that it
be done in stages. Since the best of the scenery is towards the end,
travelers could do Hatton-Haputale or Nanu Oya-Badulla. For someone
with a large budget it is possible to take the seaplane to the
Castlereagh reservoir, which is a couple of kilometres from the
Hatton town and then take the train from Hatton. Someone intending to
do the journey from Nanu Oya could take the seaplane to Nuwara Eliya
and then take a taxi to Nanu Oya. Alternatively, people can drive to
either Hatton or Nanu Oya and take the train from there. On a shorter
journey (three to four hours) a less comfortable carriage would not
matter so much, so either the Observation carriage for even
second-class should be fine with the added advantage that the windows
can be opened, so it is possible to enjoy the fresh, clean air.
The Colombo-Peredeniya leg, not to be
sneered at, could be done separately. The next time you need to go to
Kandy, just take the train and enjoy the scenery.
Tips on the Expo Carriage
Not all seats on the Expo carriage have
equally good views. Fortunately, provided the train is not crowded
the stewards do allow one to switch seats. The best views are mostly
on the right hand side of the carriage, so pick a seat on the right
but keep a sharp lookout for good scenery on the left.
Rows 4,6,and 9 are good.
Row 7 is about medium.
Row 1 has smaller window, a messy tray
table and limited legroom.
The worst seats are rows 3 and 5, only
half a window to look through.
Exporail Website
General Tips
Take some sandwiches and water,
especially if travelling on the observation carriage or 2nd
class.
Do the journey in short legs.
Take a book to read while waiting for
the train, it may be late
Journey’s of three to four hours are:
Peredeniya Junction to Hatton
Hatton to Nanu Oya
Nanu – Oya to Haputale or Ella.
Haputale to Badulla
For timetables and further info, have a look here.
5 comments:
Thank you for this review! I've taken the train up to Nuwara-Eliya a couple times and thanks to ticket booking confusion (10 day vs. 14 day as you mentioned), very reluctantly settled for perching on the buffet car tables all the way, despite being in possession of (oversold) second class tickets.
It was a spectacular journey regardless- so was thinking of doing Badulla next. Lovely photos and thanks again for a very useful post.
Glad you liked it.
By the way, has your blog gone private?
awwwwwwwwwww!!!!! awesome pics...Is that the bungalow you stayed?the view is really nice....more info plzzzzz on the bungalow...
We have taken the observation carriage from colombo to Nanuoya but that was 7 years back...I hardly remember anything at all...
guess it's time for another trainy adventure ;)
Nice post! We did Colombo Fort to Hatton by second class carriage on the way to Tea Trails and first class observation on the way back. My tip: the second class seats were better then the first class ones (which were filthy!) and the windows opened fully thus giving you better views and a lovely breeze.
Bingo, thanks. The bungalow is Adisham, yes the journey is worth doing again.
Thanks, Ankie. Will keep that in mind for next time. I want to do the Haputale-Badulla leg some time.
Post a Comment