Kandy station

The next stage of this two-week trip. from Colombo to Kandy, is a bit of a challenge. It's recommended to get train tickets in advance and to do this, one can get them through a Singapore-based agency called 12GoAsia. But Sri Lanka railways don't do anything as modern as issue e-tickets; the agency instructs them to print paper tickets and send them to an agreed destination. In my case it's the Fairway in Colombo. But the tickets are issued only a couple of days before use. And what about the return? How can I be sure that ticket will be delivered before I leave Colombo?

Well, it works out all right; all the tickets are safely at the Fairway by the time I arrive. The train is not fast and it rattles along the track, but it's quite punctual and a leisurely way to get around. In 3 hours I'm at the city of Kandy. A tuktuk takes me the 45-minute up a steep, winding road to Simpson's, a former tea processing plant in the hills. It's a glorious place, at 4,000 feet up noticeably fresher than Colombo, and with charming staff. Free from traffic noise, I enjoy only the gentle sound of tweeting birds.

Tea isn't the only crop grown around here; Sri Lanka has long been on the spice route and one of the activities around here is harvesting cloves.Read more