Sri Lanka by Private Train on the Viceroy Special

After breakfast we board our private train, the splendid Viceroy Special, for our first great train journey. The route takes us via two main junctions into the heart of the Cultural Triangle. While enjoying morning tea in the restaurant car, watch the bustle of rural life passing by the windows, and notice how the landscape changes as we progress into the dry climate of the region. We stop at Avukana to see the magnificent 12m Buddha, believed to have been carved in the 5th century AD, and the adjacent Kala Wewa tank built in 400 AD. Lunch is served on board. In the early evening the train pulls into Habarana and we transfer to our hotel for the next two nights, a wonderful structure designed by Geoffrey Bawa, set amongst dense jungle on the edge of Kandalama Lake.

Overnight: Heritance Kandalama, Dambulla (B, L, D)

This morning after breakfast we’ll visit the legendary Sigiriya (Lion Rock), a massive stone monolith rising 183m (600 feet) from the surrounding jungle. For those who are up for the climb, we’ll explore the remains of a vast fortress and royal palace complex that was built on top of the rock by an obsessed monarch 1,500 years ago – an extraordinary feat of engineering and construction. Remnants of moats, ramparts and water gardens spread out on two sides of the rock, with the remains of a pair of giant stone lion’s paws still guarding the staircase that leads to the summit once occupied by the royal palace. At the height of its brief glory of only 18 years in the late 5th century, Sigiriya was described as one of the loveliest royal cities that ever graced the earth. For those seeking a gentler experience, a local excursion will be provided, enabling you to immerse yourself in Sri Lankan life.

We’ll return to our hotel for lunch and some leisure time, before visiting the magnificent Dambulla cave temple, another fascinating World Heritage site. Dambulla is a main centre for Buddhist pilgrimage, as well as one of the largest cave temple complexes in south Asia. The caves are adorned with numerous ancient and dazzling rock and wall paintings of Lord Buddha that showcase the exquisite colour and technique employed by the artisans of the ancient kingdom. The monastery was built in the 1st century AD, and of numerous chambers found in the shelter only five are in use today.  The best known is the Maharaja Vihara.

Dinner is included tonight but at your leisure.

Overnight: Heritance Kandalama, Dambulla (B, L, D)

After breakfast and check out we’ll travel south by coach to the busy town of Matale, where we’ll be reunited with our train at the old 1880 vintage terminus station. Lunch will be served on board as we make our way along a branch line to the junction of the main line near Kandy. From here the train begins its ascent to the famous hill country of Sri Lanka. Running along the escarpment with views across Adam’s Peak, the coastal plain and tea plantation-clad hills, this is one of the most spectacular sections of our entire journey. We’ll arrive in the late afternoon at Nanu Oya, the garden station for nearby Nuwara Eliya. We’ll then travel the short distance to our hotel in the heart of this old British Hill Station by coach, where we’ll be based for the next three nights.

Dinner tonight is at the hotel.

Overnight: Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (B, L, D)

Nuwara Eliya is a cool green mountain valley in the heart of Sri Lankan hill country, and was a favourite retreat for colonial Europeans in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The rolling hills are laced with tea plantations and interspersed with gushing streams and tumbling waterfalls. The spectacular railways we’ll be riding have been serving the community since 1885.

After breakfast we transfer by coach to the railway station for a one-day excursion on our private train along the highlands railway to the mountain line terminus station of Badulla. On this scenic journey, we descend from the heights of Nuwara Eliya at nearly 2,000m to Badulla at 680m on the banks of the Badulu Oya (river). The railway features numerous spirals, loops, spectacular viaducts, waterfalls and quaint colonial stations. Badulla marks the southeast extremity of the hill country and is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest towns. The Portuguese briefly occupied it, and then in the dying days of the British Empire the railway from Nuwara Eliya was constructed at great expense in 1924. Lunch will be served on board after which we’ll do a short tour of Badulla town. You then have the choice of returning to our hotel on the train or by private coach.

Overnight: Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (B, L, D)

This morning after breakfast, we’ll take a leisurely tour of the district. First stop is Victoria Park and Hakgala Botanical Gardens. Established in 1861 for the purpose of experimentation and promotion of the medicinal Cinchona tree, it now houses over 10,000 species of plants. After lunch at a local restaurant we’ll tour through one of the famous tea factories that dot the district around Nuwara Eliya, and watch how freshly-picked tea leaves are processed in these cavernous facilities. Tea is one of Sri Lanka’s biggest exports and it’s fascinating to see how the leaves from this humble Camellia plant are treated and blended to obtain the teas for which the country is renowned. Sampling the product is encouraged, of course.

Dinner this evening is at the historic Hill Club. Founded in 1876 by a British coffee planter as a home away from home, today it’s a privately-operated club and hotel.

Overnight: Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya (B, L, D)

This morning we say goodbye to our hotel and reboard our train for the downhill journey to our next World Heritage site – the city of Kandy. This journey is our second opportunity to enjoy the spectacular views across the deep valleys to the sacred conical summit of Adam’s Peak, enhanced by the spectacular engineering of the line and the beauty of the numerous colonial-era stations we’ll pass through en route.

Lunch is served on board prior to our early afternoon arrival in Kandy, where we’ll board our private coach for a city tour to many historic sites including the lake, the Temple of the Tooth and the Kandy Town bazaar, on the way to our hotel which sits high on the hillside overlooking the city.

Dinner this evening is at the hotel after which you can take a taxi downtown to stroll around the vibrant heart of the old town centre.

Overnight: The Grand Kandyan Hotel, Kandy (B, L, D)

After a leisurely breakfast we travel by coach the 6 km to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, and nearby temples. The 60ha gardens were the pleasure gardens of the Sinhala King well before British colonisation, and are home to a staggering array of plants, including many ancient figs, teaks and even some massive Queensland and New Zealand kauri pines. After lunch at the Botanic Gardens, we’ll return to the hotel and your afternoon is free. In the evening we enjoy the rich culture of Kandy brought alive at a colourful cultural show with the rest of the time at leisure to explore or take the transfer provided back to the hotel.

The heart of Kandy offers a great opportunity to capture the vast complex that was the old royal palace and the sacred Temple of the Tooth. The human element adds another dimension to this setting, with pilgrims coming from everywhere, praying and reflecting amongst the myriad of smaller temples and shrines around this vast area.

Overnight: The Grand Kandyan Hotel, Kandy (B, L)

After breakfast and check out it’s back on our private train to descend  through plantations, jungle, villages, and towns on our way back to Colombo. En route we’ll stop at Kadugannawa station, the home of the national railway museum, where we’ll have some time to explore the collection of memorabilia. Then, it’s on to Rambukkana to the world-renowned Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. Here elephants of all ages are looked after with loving care until such time as they are ready to be released back into the wild. We aim to view the elephants at bathing time when they wander through the village to the beautiful wide river beside the town to frolic and splash in their spacious water haven.

Back on board the Viceroy Special, lunch will be served as our journey continues through rich agricultural plains and into the metropolis of Colombo, arriving mid-afternoon and transferring directly to our hotel. We are then taken to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure to enjoy the facilities of our centrally-located hotel. As well as time to relax and soak up the facilities of the hotel, such as the scenic rooftop pool, you will enjoy a gourmet dinner in the hotel’s restaurant.

Overnight: Mövenpick Hotel, Colombo (B, L)

Today we embark on the last leg of our journey aboard the Viceroy Special, this time hauled by one of Sri Lanka’s two remaining steam locomotives – the vintage 4-6-0 BIA Class, built by Beyer Peacock in 1928. The train departs from Colombo’s main station at Fort in a flurry of activity, and steams south through the outer suburbs and along the coast. The line frequently runs parallel to the beach allowing great views out to sea. Opportunities for photo stops are provided and lunch is served on board before we arrive in Galle in the early afternoon.

Upon arrival, we’ll transfer to our hotel, the elegantly modern Lighthouse Hotel, another Sri Lankan gem designed by the famous Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, spectacularly positioned on its own headland looking out to the Indian Ocean.

After some time to relax and enjoy a cocktail on the terrace, we’ll meet for dinner in the hotel overlooking the bay and the Indian Ocean.

Overnight: Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel, Galle (B, L, D)

Following breakfast, we’ll enjoy a comprehensive tour of Galle, finishing at the World Heritage-listed old fort complex known as the ‘Ramparts of Galle.’ Annexed by the Portuguese in the 16th century and extensively fortified by subsequent Dutch and British custodians, the fort has a remarkable old-world atmosphere after 500 years of occupation. As part of our time in the Fort we visit the historic museum and enjoy lunch together in a local restaurant.

After lunch the afternoon and evening is yours. You may wish to linger within the Fort, explore Galle City or head back to the hotel. You may even want to ride the local train from Galle to the terminus of the line at Matara and back again to experience the local rail system.

Overnight: Jetwing Lighthouse Hotel, Galle (B, L)

Today, you have the pleasure of a late check out and the facilities of the hotel are at your disposal for as long as you need while you await your transfer to the airport. As most flights back to Australia are in the evening, you’ll be free to store your luggage and enjoy the hotel’s many facilities at leisure, including the famous spa. Alternatively, you may wish to get out and about in Galle – tours of the region or to the many museums can easily be arranged.

For those on the late flight, lunch and dinner will be provided ahead of our group transfer to Colombo airport. If you are on an earlier flight, you will be transferred according to your flight departure time.

(B, L, D)