Colombo to Galle by train

Since we had to rely on public transport to get us from Colombo to Galle, I was weighing the options between taxi, bus or train. Taxi was too expensive so that was out of the question. Taking a bus would involve travelling to a location outside the centre of Colombo where the bus journey starts and it cost around Rs350 per person. So the remaining option is the train. Not such a bad one considering that many have regaled the delight of the train from Colombo to Galle and it is by far the cheapest option. The only downside was that the seats could not be reserved – scrambling for seats is a pre-requisite.

It was in this frame of mind that my anxiety increased as the tuk-tuk whizzed its way from the hotel to Maradhana Railway Station. Our train was at 2pm and I was planning to be there by 1pm but it was already 1.15pm. To make things worse, the driver dropped us by a very busy road with no sight of anything resembling a train station. We were just told "Railway is down there...after police station”. We walked for 3 minutes through the throngs of people going about their daily lives, praying that we were at the right place. Past the police station and around a corner and thankfully there was this white, colonial building with a big "Maradhana Railway" signboard. Phew.

The interiors of the building looked more ancient than the exterior. There were 3 counters with Counter 1 selling 2nd Class tickets. The tickets cost Rs450 for the 3 of us (Rs180 for adults and half price for kids), approximately RM15, which was a total bargain. The station was dimly lit with an air of a bygone era. A rusty device at the counter was used to stamp tickets and the information board was made of wood with arrival and departure time being manually changed.

Inside the vintage Maradana Railway Station

We headed towards Platform 6 on which crowds of people had already congregated. It was a long platform and there was no indication of where to stand for which class of train. We asked a man near the start of the platform and were told to go further for the 2nd class carriages. We walked further but apparently that was not enough as unknowingly we still ended up in a 3rd class carriage.

But before getting into said carriage, there is a story to be told. Now, a good strategy is a pre-requisite in many things in life. This is doubly true when you are about to board a train with a quarter of the Colomban population and especially with little ones towing along. I told A to board the train first and to make sure to book seats on the right side for the ocean views. I, on the other hand, would hold Irf’s hand and try to get onto the train in a more civilised manner. Then the train came and all manners and civility, including mine, were thrown on the tracks. Let’s just say that I put the skills honed through years of taking the Tube and LRT to good use. I bet Irf did not know what hit him. We managed to get 3 seats facing each other but Irf ended up sitting on either A’s or my lap as we gave up his seat to an elderly man, whose daughter was sitting next to A. They became our first examples of how friendly Sri Lankans are, even to the extent of inviting us to their house for dinner.

It was full house on the train. By the time we got to Fort Station, you would be considered lucky if you managed to squeeze in and grab a spot to stand. The single best piece of advice I would give to anyone contemplating this train journey is to take the train from Maradhana where the train ride originates. Take it from Colombo Fort station and you probably have to stand for most of the 3-hour journey.

The whole train ride was a feast for the senses. Barely 5 minutes after leaving Fort station, the train whooshed along the coast, the Indian Ocean within spitting distance. The train could probably be described as decrepit, but it was clean. There was no air-conditioning system, its only cooling device being vintage ceiling fans that you can only find in kampung houses in Malaysian hinterlands. But that did not matter – we had the sea breeze and the salty air wafting in through the open windows.

We passed villages with ramshackled huts just next to the tracks and I wondered how it was like living on a thin strip of land between crashing waves and thundering trains. In the train and especially when the train stopped at stations, vendors went up and down the crowded aisle selling all kinds of snacks carried in worn-looking baskets. We threw caution to the wind and bought Rs20 worth of vadais, wrapped in someone’s marked school homework.

For most part of the journey, the train thundered 
along the coast

Cheapest way to get from Colombo to Galle

One of the 3rd class carriages

Time passed quickly when there was a lot to see. And thankfully, Irf did not complain of being squashed and being in the crowded train. He was busy munching on tidbits that we bought at the train station and the apple given to him by his new friends.

Just before 5pm, we reached Galle and boy was I relieved to let down anchor for 2 nights. We had been in Sri Lanka for less than 24 hours but the train ride and the conversations that we had with the people we met on the train allowed us to glean into everyday lives of ordinary Sri Lankans much more than an air-conditioned car ride would do - and for less than RM15 too!

Colombo in 4 hours

On the day after we arrived in Sri Lanka (after midnight), we only had half a day before we had to catch the train to Galle. I did not have a specific must-go list for Colombo but I thought of at least checking out Barefoot Ceylon.

Green Cabin 

But first thing first...breakfast! Moss B&B offered breakfast for USD4 but I thought it would be a travesty to have toast for breakfast in Sri Lanka. Fortunately, the hotel was within walking distance of Green Cabin, a venerable institution as per many travel guides. So we got a map from the receptionist and made our way towards Galle Road and towards Green Cabin. At 9 am, it was a pleasant walk, which was made better by proper pedestrian crossings.

After 10 minutes of walking, we reached the green and white shop that was Green Cabin but our hope of having hot breakfast of paratha, hoppers and the like was dashed - the restaurant was closed and only the bakery was open. We had  to settle with ready-made veg roti and fish roti. The fish roti, although very delicious, was too spicy for Irf so we ordered mini veg pizza for him. And the only coffee that we could get our hands on was of the cold variety, prepacked and tasted very much like the dreadful canned Nescafe in Malaysia. I nearly cried.

Had to resort to this for breakfast

Barefoot Ceylon

Next stop was Barefoot Ceylon which conveniently was just a few shops down the road. Well-known for its handloom textiles and locally crafted products, this is a souvenir shop, bookshop, cafe, gallery - all rolled into one.  Stepping into the store, we were greeted with a riot of bold colours and brilliant hues. If you are looking for high quality souvenirs made locally, then this is the place to go. No Made In China products, no tourist tats. We spent more than an hour there, especially at the bookshop where they have a nice selection of books revolving around Sri Lanka.

The entrance to Barefoot Ceylon on Galle Road

The only picture inside the shop that we managed to take
before we saw the No Camera sign

Early lunch at Barefoot Garden Cafe

The charming courtyard cafe, with dappled sunlight and a fish pond, was the perfect place to unwind especially when you badly need a proper shot of caffeine, as we did. We had an early lunch here of tuna sandwich, fries, coffee (naturally) and banana smoothie  (the first of many in Sri Lanka for Irf).

Then, it was back to the hotel to pack and check out. Left our backpacks at Moss and had an hour or so to see central Colombo. 

Galle Buck Lighthouse

I absolutely did not have anywhere specific to go (saving Galle Face Green for when we are back from Galle/Tissa), so we hopped into a passing tuk-tuk and based on a random glance through my LP, told the driver to take us to the Lighthouse at Colombo Fort area. The tuk-tuk weaved its way through the streets of Colombo until it stopped in front of a building called the Lake House. Righttt.

I did not have the energy nor the time to begrudge the few extra rupees that we had to pay and thankfully the lighthouse that I meant, location finally determined after a more detailed description of what a lighthouse is, was not too far off.

Galle Buck Lighthouse

The Galle Buck Lighthouse is actually quite a recent addition to the city as it was built only in the 1950s. Its main advantage is the elevated bases from which you could get great views of the Indian Ocean, Galle Face Green and the surrounding area. But the views were somewhat marred by constructions at the adjacent port and in its vicinity. And there was not much shade to escape from the scorching heat so avoid noon!

Dutch Hospital

Took another tuk-tuk to nearby Dutch Hospital for Rs100,000. This building is the oldest in the Fort and was built by the Dutch in the 1600s as a hospital. It has been refurbished and is now a swanky building with rather posh restaurants and shops. Despite the refurbishment, the colonial architecture was still intact with courtyards and thick columns. 

Down the corridors of Dutch Hospital

The time was approaching 1pm and after a quick browse through in Odel, we got into a tuk-tuk to head back to the hotel to collect our backpacks. I would have not known whether we were being conned by the driver. The streets that we passed through looked nothing like the ones we saw on the way in and traffic was heavier- we could have been brought around Colombo and we would be none the wiser. The consolation was that the fare was also at the Rs300,000 mark.

So that was our whirlwind tour of Colombo. We will be back but now time for the train to Galle! *takes a deep breath*

Accommodation in Sri Lanka

As mentioned in my previous post, our options for accomodation in Sri Lanka were pretty limited, after taking into account of budget, location and comfort (and also the last minute booking!). Here's a list of hotel/guesthouses that we stayed in:

Colombo - Moss B&B
This is a new establishment, probably only less than a year old. It has 14 rooms including some shared rooms. The rate that we paid for a double room was USD56. This is a small no-frills guesthouse but it's nothing like the normal dinghy 3-star hotels that Colombo seems to have a surplus of. It's minimalist and modern - with concrete floors and backsplash, champagne bottles as vases and even haikus peppered throughout the property at the most obscoure places. A bed for the night with poetry thrown in.

"whirring city heat
relief in haikus
a hidden patch of moss"

The only downside is the location especially if you plan to be in the Colombo Fort area. But you can easily get a metered tuk-tuk to take you to the central tourist area (approx Rs300,000 or RM9). To compensate for this, the hotel is a 10-minutes walk to Barefoot Ceyon, a Sri Lankan institution as far as quality souvernirs are concerned.

The hotel is located down a narrow alley and is not that easy to locate especially if you arrive at night. Your landmark would be a huge Banyan tree on Bauddhaloka Mawatha  right at the turning into the alley.

Our room in Moss Colombo
- with Irf sprawled on the bed after the late night arrival in Colombo

Galle - Mango House
This was Irf's favourite hotel in Sri Lanka. The best part about this place is its location within the fort walls right smack in the middle of everything. It's a 5 minutes walk (or less) to many shops, cafes and restaurants. In fact, the back door of Odel is just next to the hotel. This also meant that we never needed to use the public toilets during our walk around the fort as we could go back to the hotel whenever we wanted. If you are in Galle for only 1 or 2 nights, I think it's best to stay within the Fort.

Mango House oozes with characters. It used to be a cinnamon factory and but has now been restored into a  a Dutch colonial-style villa. Despite its heritage, it also manages to be funky with splashes of vibrant colours on cushions and drapings and bollywood-style posters. It was nice to relax on the patio overlooking the garden with 2 huge mango trees with a cup of Ceylon tea.

Breakfast was fresh fruits, curd and treacle, fresh juices, coffee/tea and a choice of English, Continental or Sri Lankan breakfast. We chose the latter obviously, which consist of chilli omelette and pratha (roti canai for Malaysians). On the 2nd morning, we even had visitors literally swinging by. The purple-faced langurs looked like they could do with a banana or two from our fruit platter, or maybe even the omelette?

Our Sri Lankan breakfast...

...seriously eyed by one of the visiting langurs

Guest lounge cum reception cum breakfast hall

The corner where we could make coffee or tea - just next to our room

Tissa- Shangri-Lanka Village
I chose this hotel/guesthouse solely based on the rave reviews on Tripadvisor. Rohan, the owner, also managed to arrange our transfers to and from Tissa so that sealed the deal.

There's only 3 bungalows and throughout our 2-nights stay, only one of the other 2 bungalows was occupied and we barely noticed the other occupants. It really felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.

Each bungalow was huge and the bathroom was extra huge, probably bigger than our last flat in London. We did not take the full-board package but you can always order food for lunch or dinner. We ended up having all our meals there as there did not seem to have a decent restaurant within walking distance (there were a few restaurants but looked dodgy from outside). Oh, we did have visitors here too in the form of strutting peacocks. Bonus point - I now know how a peacock sounds like.

View from our room

No association with Shangri-La hotels...obviously

I was pleased to note that all the accomodations that we stayed in seemed to be enviromentally responsible. Not sure if it was a Sri Lankan thing? There were no packaged soaps or bottles of toiletteries - shower gel and syampoo were in ceramic jars. No plastic bottles - drinking water was served in glass bottles. And solar heaters too.

My only wish was that I had booked earlier to get cheaper rates!

Planning for Sri Lanka

So it's been more than a year since my last post. We have not stopped travelling, just that procastination was at an all-time high. Since India, we have been to Chengdu in China, Yangon and Bagan in Myanmar, back to UK (including a glamping trip), Bali, a few local destinations and most recently to Sri Lanka. Our boy is now 7, has started Standard 1 and hence has lost his long curls to school regulations (*cries*).

Since Sri Lanka is still fresh on my memory (we got back recently), I'll post that trip first and hopefully will cover the other previous trips later.

As mentioned, proscatination is still going strong for me. I only booked the flight tickets to Colombo late November. The day before that, I had no idea where to go for our usual December holiday. I was contemplating Korea or Australia (as we have never been on that continent) but flight tickets were already ridiculously expensive. The cheapest flight ticket then at less than RM1k was to Colombo (on Air Asia of course). Although Sri Lanka was never on top of my to-go list, it was there anyway.

As the days passed and I spent more time researching, Sri Lanka became more and more like that exotic and beguilling place that I had to see. Lonely beaches, quirky cafes, abundance of wildlife and epic train rides - I looked forward to 16th December 2016. The fact that it was a less trodden path was the icing on the cake.

So here's the lowdown on our planning for the trip:

1) Itinerary

I ony knew that I wanted to see Galle. Yala National Park was always at the back of my mind for the safari but the distance was kinda off-putting. But when I saw that we could break the travel from Colombo to Tissa (the base to see Yala) in Galle, Yala went in straight to my itinerary. I know that most travellers would also go to Kandy/Ella/Nuwara Eliya (one of the most delightful names of a place that I have heard), but we were at Munar hill station with its tea plantations just 2 years ago so I thought that it would be best to stick to the coastal areas in Sri Lanka. Our planned route turned out to be like this:
16th Dec - Flight to Colombo. Overnight Colombo
17th Dec - Travel to Galle. Overnight Galle
18th Dec - Galle
19th Dec - Travel to Tissa. Overnight Tissa
20th Dec - Yala National Park
21th Dec - Travel to Colombo. 11pm flight back to Kuala Lumpur

2) Transportation within Sri Lanka

Something new that I learnt - Si Lanka is expensive, at least compared to India and the other Asian countries that we have visited. Partly it could be because of the weak RM against USD. Initially I was contemplating to hire a car with a driver for 3 days for the travels between Galle, Tissa and Colombo but we were quoted between USD275 and USD330 (approx. RM1,200). I also checked with the hotel in Tissa (Shangri Lanka Village) that we were planning to book and it turned out that they do provide transfers and we were quoted Rs9,000 (RM270) for Galle-Tissa and Rs16,000 (RM480) for Tissa-Colombo.

In normal circumstances, that would be expensive by our standard but it was definitely cheaper than getting a car for the whole 3 days and better time-wise and for Irf's comfort than taking the bus. For our whole days in Galle and Tissa, tuk-tuks would be our best friends.

For Colombo to Galle, a train ride was the foregone conclusion. I will write a separe blog post on this.

3) Accommodation

Because we booked only in late November, our options were limited. Small hotels/guesthouses with decent ratings on booking.com and Tripadvisor were few and far between and those that were still available had prices that made my jaws drop. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

We stayed at Moss B&B in Colombo, Mango House in Galle and Shangri Lanka Village (nothing to do with the Shangri-La) in Tissa. Again, I will write a seperate blog post on our accommodation.

4) Visa

Applying Sri Lankan visa was easy, especially compared to the process for India and China visa.  Application can be made online via http://www.eta.gov.lk/slvisa/. It took all of 5 minutes, and a further 5 minutes for the visa to be approved. Cost USD35, free for children.

I printed the approval email but the immigration staff did not even ask for it. My passport was scanned and a small sticker with the visa details printed and stuck in my passport.

5) Money

I had earlier read that it was not easy to get Sri Lankan Rupees (LKR) from money changers in Malaysia. Many travellers bring in USD and exchange to LKR at the airport in Colombo itself - the rates there were supposed to be the better ones. While changing money to USD at the Curve, I found out that the money changer had LKR to sell so we bought both USD and LKR.

In Tissa, we ran out of LKR and USD and thought of changing some Singapore Dollars (SGD) that we happened to bring. Found out that they did not buy SGD so I would advise (for Malaysians) to bring in USD only. We withdrew money from the ATM machine where the transaction charge was LKR300 (approx. RM9). Don't forget to activate your debit card for overseas use before your travels (can easily be done on Maybank2u).

Together with travel insurance and the packing of a DIY first aid kit/medicines and basic provisions (mini cereal boxes, milk, biscuits, tuna in a can, maggi in a cup), those pretty much summed up the planning for this trip.