When the British built a railway over a century ago to transport tea from the hill country, to the port of Colombo, to ship it to London — they perhaps did not realize they were creating one of the most scenic rail journeys anywhere in the world.

Great Train Journeys

While great train journeys of the world often cover vast distances; the 6,500km Tran Siberian Russian experience, coast to coast in the USA or Australia’s Indian Pacific, which journeys from Sydney to Perth, the journey from Colombo north is a modest distance covered at a leisurely pace. It’s not the getting there that counts, but the journey itself.
There are two daily trains from Colombo which make their way up to the hill country where the world famous Ceylon tea is grown. One is called the Podi Menike (Little Maiden> which leaves Colombo at 600am and the Udarata Menike (Hill Country Maiden> leaves at 930am. A first class ticket is under US$5 one way. Advanced booking is essential during the school holiday period.
Both trains have an observation saloon, the very last carriage, which houses a convex glass panel at the rear, affording spectacular views. Take the earlier train to make sure that you enjoy the scenery right up to your destination before the evening fog and the clouds descend. Also drink plenty of water as the huge windows that give these views also act as a greenhouse so it can become very warm.
Colombo Fort railway station at this time of the morning is just picking up traffic with crocodiles of school children, in their whites slowly streaming in from the outstations, on their way to the elite schools in Colombo. As you move out of Colombo, you whistle past suburban trains packed with office workers heading in the opposite direction.

The Climb Uphill

Before the train begins its climb up the mountains, you may catch a glimpse of rice farmers ploughing their fields, starting early to avoid the midday sun.
The climb upcountry starts at Rabbukkana, about 60km from Colombo when the express train slows down considerably. In the olden days during the steam era, they used to couple an extra engine at the back to push the train up and on occasions you can also ride part of the journey on the remaining fully functional steam train The Viceroy.

Panoramic Views

As the train slowly spirals upwards around the mountains you can view breathtaking scenery (the right hand side is arguably better), leading down to valleys with picturesque paddy terraces.
Very often in the middle of the paddy fields you will see the white ‘dagaba’ (stupa) of a Buddhist temple, along with buffalo minded over by white egrets. Sometimes you may also notice the saffron-robed monks walking along the paddy fields.
Almost three hours after leaving Colombo you arrive in the historic city of Kandy where you can break the journey, but our journey continues up the mountains and as the temperatures begin to cool the panorama changes as the tea estates begin to appear and the aroma of tea fills your nostrils.
Some estates have small Hindu temples surrounded by the workers cottages.

Tea Picking Country

If the train keeps to its timetable, you will be lucky to catch a glimpse of the colorfully dressed women with cane baskets on their backs briskly plucking the young tea leaves. The women start their day shift early and finish by midday. Also on view are beautiful waterfalls and rivers, often with children playing and, on our journey, a man washing an elephant.
There are no train services direct to Nuwara Eliya, so you travel to Nanu-Oya by train and then take a half hour scenic bus ride along mountain passes that circle the tea estates. Podi Menike is scheduled to reach Nanu-Oya by 230pm but you are more likely to reach this destination an hour or two later. Since the railway upcountry is a one track line, the train usually has to take unscheduled stops at certain railway stations to allow delayed goods and passenger trains going down, to pass by. The ruggedly picturesque locations and the soft English-spring climate attracted British explorers such as Samuel Baker to Nuwara Eliya in 1846. Within 50 years this town became the most popular hill resort for the British. The tea plantations which grew up around the area gave added importance to the town as a regional centre of commerce.

All Night Sleeper

If you think you have absorbed enough of the breathtaking scenery on your way up, you may return on the overnight train. But make sure that you book a first class sleeper where bedding is provided: in it will not cost you more than US$10. You will be back in Colombo next morning freshened early.