The second week of our travels across this beautiful country started on a train.
It will come as no surprise to know trains in Sri Lanka are polar opposite to the UK. The buffet cart is a young lad carrying a box of Samosa and pineapple sticks. You can’t get a meal deal for love nor money; and mini bottles of alcohol are not for sale.
The train tracks are crossed by people out for a stroll and stray dogs lay out on the wooden slats of the track moving only when a train approaches. Monkeys swing above from tree to Trainline, caring little for the engine noises below them.
The train has three classes, 3rd, 2nd and 1st with very little difference bar a few pence for a ticket between them all.
The train route we took was from Nanuoya to Ella, this is famous for its unrivaled beauty and Mountain views.
We were not disappointed and nor could we do the view credit with our cameras. But breathtaking is an understatement.
The air conditioning was in the form of every window and door being open. The locals simply sat in an open door with their legs dangling way above sea level. As the train ride progressed, British and Aussie backpackers dared to do the same, leaning out of train doors for the epic Instagram shot. For fear of a telling off from my mother, we stayed sensibly inside the train at all times.
British train travel is now ruined for me, as it will never come close to our Ella experience. Nor will the cost ever compare, our 4 hour journey cost less than £5.
Then into Ella herself, this was a location unlike anywhere else we visited in Sri Lanka. Typically, previously villages we have visited we have found shops and restaurants have been make shift, often with corrugated iron roofs, pallet walls and in some cases flooring made from cow pats.
Ella has the tone of a place looking to become westernised, with vibrant restaurants lining the path, music calling from bars; and shops with souvenirs and air conditioning and glass fronts.
Again, the food we ate was unreal at every meal, and the views that surround Ella are stunning.
The first morning after we arrived, my over excited self was up and ready to watch the sunrise on our balcony. Then I donned my trainers and took off to explore Little Adams Peak, an easy but recommended hike to see even more views of the green mountains of Sri Lanka.
By 7am it was already hot enough to fry eggs on my already sunburnt shoulders, but the view from the top again, worth it.
Back at the hotel. we opted for another massage, an experience so surreal it deserved a blog all of its own. Read it here
Following the massage I opted for a very large, very cold beer…
Once I had erased some of the memories of what had just passed, we walked to see the famous 9 arch bridge, which was as expected picturesque and glorious.
The next day, our cases were packed again before breakfast and the slow relocation back up the coast line getting us closer to the airport was to begin.
But first stop….
Diyaluma Falls! This was one of my favourite days so far in Sri Lanka.
It is Sri Lanka’s second-tallest waterfall, standing 220 meters high. We hiked to the top to swim in natural infinity pools overlooking the valley. Our guide expertedly showed us where to jump and where to swim, even where to get our feet nibbled on by fish.
It was an absolute delight of a day, spent in sunshine, literally living our best lives. Check it out below.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNREcfrjs/
I’ll end on this quote…..
“Do you really want to look back on your life and see how wondertul it could have been had you not been afraid to live in?” Caroline Myss
And now onto Bentota…..