Photo: Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Sri Lanka, by rail and by board
Twelve days for a couple: a treehouse below Sigiriya, the slow blue train through the tea hills to Ella, and four days learning to surf on the south coast, on a budget that stays gentle.
Landing, then north to the jungle
Getting there
Fly into Colombo (CMB).
- A private driver for the whole trip is the norm in Sri Lanka and costs far less than in Europe; the first leg to Sigiriya takes about four and a half hours
Where you're staying
Back of Beyond Wild Haven, Dehigaha Ela, 8 km from Sigiriya Rock: seven treehouses and boulder cottages on seven acres of jungle where two streams meet, built around the trees and rocks rather than through them.
- Solar power, a cook who makes Sri Lankan meals, elephants in the area and fish that nibble your feet in the lake
- It is rustic on purpose: rooms are open to the forest and there is little wifi, so it is for people who want exactly that
- The last kilometre of track is bumpy
Photos: backofbeyond.lk
Sigiriya at seven, before the heat
Morning
Sigiriya Rock: be at the gate when it opens at 7:00, climb past the frescoes and the lion's paws to the palace ruins on top before the tour buses and the midday sun.
- About 35 US dollars each, paid in rupees at the gate; last entry is 16:00
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (Bernard Gagnon, Jerzy Strzelecki, Prof Ranga Sai, Gayomiw; CC BY / CC BY-SA)
A palace in the sky
King Kashyapa built his palace on top of the 200-metre rock in the 5th century. The painted maidens halfway up the cliff have survived about 1,500 years.
Afternoon
Back to the lodge for the heat of the day, then the Dambulla cave temples in the late afternoon: five caves of Buddha statues and painted ceilings, 20 minutes away.
Dinner
Rice and curry at the lodge: the lodge's cook makes Sri Lankan rice and curry, with some of the fruit and vegetables grown on the property, served in the dining hall across the lake.
- No alcohol is sold, so bring your own if you want a drink
Photos: backofbeyond.lk
Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth
The day
Two and a half hours south to Kandy, the last royal capital, around its lake.
The day
Visit the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic for the evening puja, when drums and offerings fill the temple.
- Cover shoulders and knees
Where you're staying
The Theva Residency, in the Hantana hills two kilometres above town: a small hotel with sweeping views over the hills and a kitchen that guests single out, especially breakfast.
- An infinity pool faces the valley
Into tea country
The drive
Up through the tea estates to Nuwara Eliya at about 1,900 metres, with a stop at a working tea factory to see the leaf withered, rolled and dried, and to taste the result.
- The air turns cool; bring a jumper
- 4 February is Independence Day, so expect flags and a festive mood
Where you're staying
Jetwing St Andrew's, a colonial-era residence of fireplaces, wood panelling and lawns, a short drive from Nanu Oya station for tomorrow's train.
Flagship day
The blue train down to Ella
Day 5 · Fri 5 Feb
The train
Nanu Oya to Ella by train: about two and a half to three hours on the most beautiful stretch of the hill-country line, through tea estates, over the highest point of the railway and down through cloud forest to Ella.
- Doors stay open and people lean out to watch the hills go by, and tea pickers wave from the slopes
- Take a reserved seat in second class on the right-hand side for the valley views
- Reserved seats go on sale 30 days ahead on the official Sri Lanka Railways site and sell out fast in February, so we book them the day they open
- The driver takes the luggage by road and meets you in Ella
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (Angshuman Chatterjee, V. Epiney, Maadhil; CC BY-SA)
Back on track
Cyclone Ditwah closed much of this line in late 2025. The Nanu Oya to Ella section reopened in July 2026; the Kandy end was still under repair then. We check the status before every booking.
Where you're staying
Hotel Levon Ella, 1.6 km from the village: a small, recently renovated boutique hotel with balconies over the garden and a rooftop breakfast looking at Ella Rock.
- Payment is in cash only, so bring rupees
Evening
Ella village is a single street of cafés and small restaurants.
- Try a Sri Lankan kottu and a ginger beer
Little Adam's Peak and the Nine Arches
The day
Sunrise walk up Little Adam's Peak, about 45 minutes on an easy path through tea, with views down the Ella Gap.
The day
Later, walk along the tracks to the Nine Arches Bridge, a stone viaduct built without steel in the jungle, and wait for a train to cross.
- Afternoon cookery class in a family kitchen in the village
Ella Rock, or a slow day
The day
For good legs: Ella Rock, three to four hours there and back, best with a local guide because the paths through the tea split often.
- Otherwise a spa afternoon and the Ravana waterfall
Elephants on the way to the sea
On the road
South to the coast, breaking the drive with a morning jeep safari in Udawalawe National Park, where herds of wild elephants are almost certain.
- Arrive in Weligama in the late afternoon
Where you're staying
Lucky's Surf Camp, Weligama: run by one of Sri Lanka's best-known surfers, with private rooms with a king-size bed and lessons from the bay's beginner beach at a maximum of two students per instructor.
Days 9–10 · Weligama
Learning to surf
The days
Two lessons a day, early morning and late afternoon, when the wind is lightest.
- Weligama's sandy bottom and small, rolling waves are forgiving, and most people are standing by the second session
- In between: coconuts, a nap, and the fish market at the harbour
Blue whales, then Galle Fort
Morning
Whale watching from Mirissa, 15 minutes away: December to March is the peak season for blue whales off the south coast.
- Choose a boat operator that keeps its distance from the whales; we name ours when we book
Afternoon
Galle Fort, 40 minutes west: a walled Dutch town on the sea with lanes of cafés and small shops.
- Walk the ramparts at sunset
Home
Getting home
About two and a half hours to Colombo airport on the expressway.
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