Round the World (18)

In 200 Days

ROUND THE WORLD

18 - TEA TRAINS - 22 February 2025

If you’ve ever toured Sri Lanka you’ll know that high billing is awarded to the ‘Tea Trains’ that run through the Central Highlands, the mountainous part of the country where many of the tea plantations are located. Envisaging something akin to grand train rides elsewhere, we decided to take one and together with excellent Lucie, Lula Travel, https://www.lulatravel.co.uk/, explored options.

As part of our agreed itinerary Lucie booked us into The Argyle Hotel in Hatton from which the train to Demodara, from where a car would take us to our next lodgings - Living Heritage Koslanda.

We asked Lucie to buy first class tickets. However, due to some administrative issue at Sri Lanka National Rail she was obliged to purchase second class on the understanding that these would be upgraded a day or two before we took the train.

All sounded excellent - the Sri Lanka version of the Orient Express, Rovos Rail, the Maharaha’s Express, to names a few of the supposed equivalents.

Much to look forward to. Dream on!

A couple of days before arriving in Hatton we decided to mug up on our upcoming train ride and were surprised to learn that travelling the 120 kilometres between Hatton and Demodara takes six to seven hours. ‘Several tunnels, sharp curves, and gradual ascents’ is the reason given for this turgid progress. Oh well we thought - air conditioning, white linen, cups of tea, comfortable seats, together with the promise of, ‘mountainous terrain, tea plantations and lush forests making this one of the most picturesque train journeys in Sri Lanka’. Let’s stick with the plan.

Learning the car ride from Demodara to Koslanda would take a further two hours wasn’t great news.

The day before heading to Hatton we received a call from Lucie’s local agent telling us about problems on the trains, lines closed and proposing a new route, not from Hatton but from elsewhere and in consequence a shorter train ride of only two hours. A new national rail booking system is causing cancellations the agent told us, made worse by train drivers failing to report for duty.

Then, further unsettling news, first class tickets are no longer available.

Getting more focused on the matter we checked out the 2nd class offering - no windows and no doors with over crowding the norm. This together with a warning, ‘keep your belongings with you to prevent theft.’

So then the question of ‘our belongings’. Given that we’re on an extended trip and not travelling light - something we’re never good at in any event - security concerns presented. The thought of bags being transported by porters from car to train down platforms jostling with travellers and us possibly distracted rang alarm bells.

All this for a trip that last two hours!

Are we mad to be considering this when a comfortable air conditioned car direct from one hotel to another is an option.

Our earlier car rides from Colombo to Kandy and a few days later onto Hatton had been effortless; bags stowed, secure and forgotten until we arrived. Air conditioned. A skilled driver with a smattering of English. Sitting back and watching the world go by, comfortable, cool.

Decision taken, forget the train, we’re taking a car.

The route took us from Hatton through the towns of Nuwara Eliya, Boralanda and Haputale to our hotel in Koslanda. Several times we bumped over rail tracks and saw the trains we might otherwise have been on. Seeing them made us glad we were on four wheels.

In a car, unlike a train you can stop wherever and whenever you want. Trains you’ll know only stop in train stations except when subject to accident or breakdown - perhaps rather likely on Sri Lanka Rail.

Even with multiple stops our car ride took less than five hours. Everything we saw from the road hardly one jot different from what we would have seen from the train. What we saw was spectacular.

Our strong recommendation. If you’re touring the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka take a car and driver and not the train.

© Text & Images Derek Frost 2025