The train journey from Nanu Oya to Ella is a must-do experience in Sri Lanka! The scenic route takes you through lush tea plantations, misty mountains, and picturesque valleys, offering some of the most breathtaking views you'll ever see. As the train winds through tunnels and over quaint bridges, you'll be mesmerized by the natural beauty around every corner. The relaxed pace allows you to soak in the sights, and the open windows and doors make it easy to capture stunning photos. The journey is comfortable, and fellow passengers are often friendly and excited to share the experience. This train ride is a perfect way to enjoy the heart of Sri Lanka’s hill country and an unforgettable part of any trip. Highly recommended for nature lovers and those seeking an authentic travel experience!

As part of our tour we had reserved third class tickets but asked our tour driver to get us first class reserved tickets instead. We paid over the odds but wanted air conditioning.we were going from Nanuoye to Haputale , about five stops. People were buying tickets at the station but it was very chaotic. Third class is rammed and people are standing and being squashed in. Second class have larger windows that open. First class have open doors at one end where you stand and take photos but very bumpy. We took photos thru the windows, a little hit and miss because of reflections and dirty windows but the scenery is spectacular. If you have a choice sit on the left side, at first the right side gets better views but then it opens up more on the left side. We were told we could buy food and drink on board but this was a man going through the carriages with a box of samosas and another with a pot of chai. The train was 45 minutes late which apparently is not unusual. The toilet is dire, wet and smelly. Clean locked toilets on Haputale station were 50 rupees to use. Then one can get a Tuk Tuk from there to Lipton seat.

We reserved tickets with them some weeks before our trip. A couple hours before the departure, they cancelled them because they had “problems”. Their solution is for us to go to the station to buy them. We arrive, and no tickets available. They don’t give us any other solution. No professionalism at all. Plus, tickets in the station are less than an euro…

On June 18, 2024, we boarded the Calypso Train at 8:30 AM from Badulla railway station. As Sri Lanka's newest rail marvel, the Calypso Train offers a scenic journey from Badulla to Bandarawela, passing through the picturesque Demodara area. It runs daily, providing a comfortable and stylish way to explore Sri Lanka's beautiful hill country. The fare is LKR 1000 for a one-way trip or LKR 2000 for a round trip. The train will stop at Demodara railway station and the famous Nine Arches Bridge. We can enjoy the stunning views from the open-air observation deck during our journey. For more details, including the timetable, check out my YouTube video on Sakthi Talks 😉.

Trip was a lovely way to experience a train in Sri Lanka, you were able to hang out the train and look at the lovely views in Ella! HOWEVER, I paid £17 pound a ticket and bought two through trip advisor, DO NOT DO THIS! You can buy your ticket at one of the stations it goes to for £2.50 (1000 rupees) each for the exact same train and experience!

It was a lovely experience on the Calypso from Ella to Bandarawela and to Demodara Although we had bad weather to Demodara our ride to Bandarawela was a lovely experience in the special carriage with Calypso music and feeling the cool breeze of the mountains was just awesome and the stop at the Nine Arch was nice although been there before but overall it was a lovely experience on this new service by Sri Lanka Government Railway

The train journey is an amazing experience, beautiful scenery. Booked first class a .onto in advance to guarantee seats and to have air-conditioning. You can stand up by the doors on the train and take amazing photos as the doors are left open. Don't expect the train to be on time, they are always running late. Well worth the journey if you can.

When we decide to go to Sri Lanka we spoke with Yohan and he helped us to make a perfect tailor-made 10-day program for our group. We told him our preferences and he suggested the best options(safari, hiking etc). He provided us a very good tour guide and a very good driver. I highly recommend Nefelibata Travels for everyone who is looking to visit Sri Lanka.

This is a great experience that most tourists do! We ordered tickets through 12go as they quite hard to get and it worked perfectly - they were at the hotel on arrival. Highly recommend!

It was an amazing experience with Nefelibata Travels. Yohan, our travel manager, was very helpful and provided us with all the necessary details and guidelines. They even helped us to file our ETA application for Sri Lanka. Our tour guide Sameer was also very friendly and accommodating. The tour was very economical and the places they took us were a lot. So, the rates provided to us were very cheap. Also, the hotels that were booked for us were very lavish and picturesque. Our rooms were very comfortable. We had a great time with Nefelibata. Surely, it is a travel agency which we will always come back to whenever we visit Sri Lanka. I highly recommend them.

Lovely tour .. Before our tour we had trouble finding a ride, but the tour operator (Yohan) helped us our tuktuk driver/guide Juli was very helpful, patient and polite person. He drives cautiously as well which is important in the crooked mountain roads He took us to all the tour attractions, best of all was the tea factory/field tour. We had a guide there that spoke Arabic which was just perfect. Thank you so much. I'll always remember it with joy 🤍

Yohan is a great, flexible, creative and unbelievable quick organiser. We booked train tickets for three rides and one Colombo Tour. Yohan arranged it within very short time and everything went perfectly. Great recommendation.

This was offered by the tour operator so we went along. It was lovely to see their cultural dance and their outfits. There costumes were very ornate and the dancers were very skilled and impressive. 4/5 due to hawkers inside the venue - once you are sitting so can’t escape. They are very persistent and we had to be quite rude to get rid of them. Be careful about taking photos at the end as the dancers pressure you into tipping them. Arrive early - a front row seat or near the front advisable.

Reason They are scammers. They do not arrange trains at the time booked. They lie about the lack of availability. Instead, they arrange a cheaper train at another time on the same day and make the whole difference. I became suspicious of the no booking availability communication and checked the Sri Lankan Railways booking website directly and happened to notice. I then arranged my own train for the booking time I wanted. When I then informed them of the above fact and negotiated for a refund, they tried to get away with lies such as the arranged train being the same fare, etc., which in this day and age can be found on the internet. In reality, arranged trains are about half the price cheaper. They therefore identified the fraudster. The train booking is a small amount, so the pain is minor, but as long as they do this, I thought it would be better not to trust them, including other tours.

Great views of tea gardens and valleys. If you go in rainy season n the waterfalls will look great too. Very comfortable and serves beer on your seats ofcourse at extra cost. A bit slow in the mountains but after kandy it reaches the colombo is quiet quickly.