Whistles blow, the station master, starched and spotless in white, nods at the guard, who waves a green flag, and off we go, rolling out of Hatton station in Sri Lanka’s tea-covered hills, where I had spent three glorious days. For $12, I got an AFC ticket — air-conditioned first class, which isn’t really first class, or even second for that matter. But, my reserved seat is comfortable, although the air-conditioning means the windows are sealed shut and foggy, obscuring the gorgeous views. Better to stand at the doorless doorframe in between carriages and take in the endless, emerald green slopes, punctuated occasionally by a tea picker’s brightly-colored bag, strapped on her hunched, toiling back.
The train climbs into misty hills, stopping at stations that are true colonial relics. Vendors hop on and off, selling chai and prawn fritters. In three hours we arrive at Kandy, famous for the Temple of the Tooth, home to the Buddha’s bicuspid. Kamani gets on and sits next to me. She’s a university professor in New Zealand, but Sri Lankan by birth. We laugh at the logic-defying ticketing system of the Sri Lanka Railways. The train disappears into numerous tunnels and over picturesque bridges, scything through jaw-dropping and ever-changing landscapes — deep valleys, waterfalls, rubber estates, banana plantations. Monkeys everywhere. Another three hours later, the urban bustle of Colombo, its historic Fort Railway Station teeming like an ant hill.
Navigating Sri Lanka by rail can be a time-consuming experience, but a beguiling one. From Colombo, I take a two-hour train ride that hugs the Indian Ocean to the historic port city of Galle, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Around Galle’s 17th-century Dutch fort, the labyrinth of streets still bear Anglo names, as well as colonial villas, frangipani trees, boutiques, churches, ramparts, and a cricket stadium. Dinner is back at Taru Villas Rampart Street, once an English merchant’s lavish home, now an antique-filled, six-room haven. Meals are delicious, served family style, overlooking the central pool. Conversations are thrilling. Here’s to slow travel in 2026.
-- Judy D'Mello is the editor of The Star Travel section
