The train ride from Kandy to Ella through the heart of Sri Lanka’s hill country is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world, a six-hour sweep through misty tea estates, viaducts, tunnels, colonial-era stations and highland valleys draped in every shade of green. We incorporate these iconic rail journeys into our itineraries as experiences in themselves, moments to lean out of the open carriage door, feel the cool highland air and watch the landscape unfold at its own slow pace. Beyond the famous Kandy-Ella route, several other heritage rail lines offer equally atmospheric journeys through coastal lowlands, dry zone plains and cultural heartlands. Slow travel by train is one of the best possible ways to understand the geography, beauty and human texture of Sri Lanka.