The Ella Odyssey is a new luxury train service that runs daily from Kandy to Ella. This is a quite new addition to the Sri Lankan railway system, launched on 05th March 2022. Ella Odyssey stops in several spectacular viewpoints on the way to its final destination, Demodara station. Particularly, this special train stops at the 9 popular tourist attractions other than main railway stations. Travelers are allowed to get off the train at these viewpoints and capture the scenic beauty of the surrounding.
Kandy – Ella train ride considers one of the top scenic rides in the world. Without a doubt, this 7-hour ride is a must-do activity in Sri Lanka. The stunning landscapes and mountain views along the train route are purely breathtaking. The ride continues over the bridges, through tunnels with an exciting view of beautiful green hills covered with tea plantations, gorgeous waterfalls, and misty mountains. The entire scenery through your window will be fantastic!
Usually, Kandy – Ella scenic train journey started from Colombo Fort station. But the reservation of tickets for this train was quite difficult because the tickets sell out soon after booking opens. On the other hand, the new Ella Odyssey has made the scenic train ride more comfortable and easier. The reservation of tickets is more convenient and you can get seats without any problem for the scenic train ride now.
How to reserve tickets for Ella Odyssey
It is a good idea to book tickets for Ella Odyssey in advance. Train tickets can be bought from the ticket reservation office in Kandy or any other station. As well, you can reserve them using an online platform too. This e-ticketing service is run by the Sri Lanka railway to reserve tickets. You can see a detailed guide for getting train tickets here.
There are176 seats in the airconditioned saloon and 144 seats in second class. You can select the desired class and reserve the ticket.
The ticket price for the airconditioned saloon is LKR 5000 and the second class is LKR 4000.
In addition, if you have a Dialog sim, you can use the Dialog train ticketing service. You can simply dial 444 to reserve the train tickets. If you have a Mobitel sim, there is a Mobitel train ticket service to reserve your tickets. Dial 365 to access this Mobitel Ticketing service.
Moreover, you can find train tickets via the 12GoAsia website. In order to find Kandy – Badulla train tickets, pls check here.
From Kandy to BadullaKandy to Ella main train stops
Although this train calls as Kandy- Ella train, the last stop is Demodara station. Therefore, you shouldn’t get off at Ella station. Ella Odyssey stops at multiple photogenic locations other than train stations in between Kandy and Demodara. At each location, it will stop for 2 – 10 minutes to capture the lovely sceneries in the surroundings. Below are the main attractions on Kandy to Demodara train route.
1. Horsetail waterfall
This horsetail waterfall is one of the hidden waterfalls in the hill country. It locates between Inguru Oya and Galaboda stations. Since it is visible from the railway line, the train will stop there for 2 minutes. You can take some lovely snaps of the fall.
2. Adam’s Peak viewpoint
Sri Pada or Adam’s Peak is a sacred mountain in Sri Lanka. Hatton is the closest train station to reach there. This is a pilgrimage destination popular among all Sri Lankan communities. During the pilgrimage season, around 1 million passengers travel to Adam’s Peak through Hatton station.
Moreover, Adam’s Peak is one of the top breathtaking hiking trails in Sri Lanka, perfect to see the spectacular view of sunrise. You can get a glimpse of the conical shape peak of 2243 m high Adam’s Peak Mountain during the train ride. There is a good viewpoint of Adam’s Peak between Rozella and Hatton stations. You can capture the beauty of Adam’s Peak from this viewpoint.
3. St. Clairs waterfall view
Setting in between Kotagala and Talawakele, this lovely waterfall call as the “Little Niagara of Sri Lanka”. This fall is a cascading one, with two falls. The large one is 80 m high and 50 m wide, while the small one is 50 m high. It cascades over rocky outcrops into a large pool and then runs through the tea estate.
St. Clair Fall locates close to the main railway line and it is clearly visible from the train. The train will stop there for 2 minutes to allow passengers to take photographs. This waterfall is so beautiful during the rainy season with a huge flow of water.
4. Elgin Falls view
After passing Nanu Oya train station, you’ll meet another picturesque waterfall. 25 m tall Elgin Falls locates in the Elgin tea estate in between Nanu Oya and Ambewela. Elgin Falls is named after Elgin, a major town of Moray in Scotland. The fall locates at about 1,500 m above sea level. Ella Odyssey train will stop there for 2 minutes and you can take some photogenic shots of the Fall.
5. Summit Level
Pattipola is the highest railway station in Sri Lanka with an elevation of 1,891 m high above sea level. You’ll meet one of the most unique places here. This is the Summit Level locates between Pattipola and Ohiya stations.
To clarify, Summit Level is the top highest point of Railway tracks in Sri Lanka. Summit level is located at 1898.1 m above the mean sea level. Since it is the topmost area of the route, the train begins its descending journey towards the lowlands of the country.
6. Tunnel No 18
After the summit level, the train continues through tunnel No 18 locates around 3 km away from the Pattipola railway station. Call as Pattipola Railway Tunnel or the Summit Tunnel, this is the highest railway tunnel in Sri Lanka. It has an altitude of 1897.5 m height above mean sea level. Moreover, this is the third-longest tunnel 321.95 m long. It is also the darkest tunnel in the country, as one end is quite narrow.
This is an extraordinary place in Sri Lanka, that locates at the boundary of the wet and dry zones. The tunnel is straddling the boundary of the Badulla and Nuwara Eliya Districts. The special feature is that both sides of this 18th tunnel are quite different. One side of the tunnel is filled with misty and rainy weather, while the other side is completely sunny with dry weather. You can witness this magical experience is at Tunnel 18 in Sri Lanka.
7. Windbreak – Sulan Kapolla
Idalgashinna Railway Station is popular as the most picturesque railway station in Sri Lanka. Constructed in 1893, this small station dates back to the colonial era. Idalgashinna Station is a tiny station that looks even smaller by the pine-forest-covered hill towering behind it. There is only one platform for the station.
There is a Windbreak between Idalgashinna and Haputale stations. The train will stop there for 3 minutes to enjoy the scenery. Usually, this area is always enveloped in a thick cloud of mist. However, it is magical scenery to watch the mist roll in and cover everything in a blanket of white.
On a clear day, the views of this area are quite spectacular with gorgeous scenic beauty. You’ll see endless green hills with only a few scattered buildings among the greenery. Definitely, this is one of the most beautiful areas in the hill country, where you get some breathtaking views of the forest-covered hills.
8. Kithal Ella Falls view
Kithal Ella Falls locates between Heel Oya and Ella, about 100 m from Kithal Ella railway station. 23 m tall Kithal Ella is a stunning waterfall to witness. During the rainy season, the waterfall is beautiful as a queen. It is marvelous scenery to see as it cascades lusciously down in a charming rhythm. Kithal Ella falls are one of the widest waterfalls and look jaw-droppingly beautiful in the monsoon.
9. Nine Arch Bridge
Nine Arch Bridge locates between Ella and Demodara is one of the major photogenic spots in Sri Lanka. This beautiful bridge has built in the British Colonial era with stone bricks and cement without steel reinforcement. It is one of the ancient Sri Lankan engineering marvels, constructed more than 100 years ago.
This is a highly popular place among foreigners to catch the lovely sight of a train passing the bridge. The Picturesque sight of the train passing Nine Arch Bridge is an iconic sight of Sri Lanka. The Ella Odyssey will stop there for 10 minutes to capture some wonderful shots of this beautiful place.
10. Demodara station
After passing Nine Arch Bridge, you’ll meet another notable place known as the ‘Demodara Loop’. This is a spiral rail line with 360 degrees turning. The rail line is going around the loop and emerging from a tunnel, which runs directly beneath the Demodara railway station. This is the only spiral railway line available in Sri Lanka.
Then the train will reach its final destination, Demodara station at 2.20 p.m. If you are returning the same day, the train will start its journey back to Kandy at 3.40 p.m. and you will be at Kandy station by 9.35 p.m.
To sum up, here we have bought you everything you need to know about Ella Odyssey – The scenic train ride from Kandy to Ella. Needless to say, this is a wonderful experience and a must-do when you are in Sri Lanka. You’ll feel the Kandy-Ella train ride is a journey of a lifetime which gives a wonderful experience.
Above all, you need to enjoy the train journey carefully. Most importantly, hanging from the train doors and taking selfies on the moving train is something you should avoid in Sri Lanka. There are many accidents of falling from trains have been reported recently. Therefore, please think about your safety and don’t risk your life for an Insta-worthy picture. Hope you’ll ride Ella Odyssey scenic train in Sri Lanka safely. Surely, you’ll enjoy every minute of it.!
Source from Sri Lanka Railway. Text by Magnificent Sri Lanka. Images from Wikimedia Commons, Facebook, and Twitter. All copyrights are reserved by original authors.
Update from 16th August 2022
SL Railway announced that the Ella Odyssey train runs as a weekend special train between Colombo Fort railway station and Badulla railway station. It goes to Badulla from Colombo on Saturday and comes back to Colombo from Badulla on Sunday. It stops at the most popular tourist attractions from Colombo to Badulla. https://slrailwayforum.com/the-ella-odyssey-train
Thanks a lot. Ella Odyssey runs through the most spic train route in Sri Lanka.