Rail Journey · Nanu Oya → Ella, Central Highlands
One of the world's most photographed rail journeys, the line from Nanu Oya to Ella runs through tea terraces, misted valleys and the famous Nine Arch Bridge at walking pace, doors open the whole way.
The experience
Built by the British in the 1860s to move tea to the coast, the hill-country line climbs to over 1,800 metres, threading through tunnels, tea estates and cloud forest. After Cyclone Ditwah, trains currently run from Nanu Oya to Ella; the section from Kandy is still being repaired. The train, as it stands. Blue-liveried carriages with open doorways let you sit with your feet hanging over the tracks as the hills unfold.
The journey's signature moment is the Nine Arch Bridge near Ella, a colonial-era viaduct built without a single piece of steel, crossed at walking pace with tea pluckers visible in the terraces below.
What to expect
Good to know
Ella, in a route
Nobody remembers the destination. Everybody remembers the window.
