This isn't the popular way around to do the journey and when I was researching all I could find was posts about travelling from Kandy to Nuwara Eliya BUT train tickets are notoriously hard to book in Sri Lanka and getting them at the train station is pretty chaotic, although not impossible.  If you want to travel first class or observation car then you need to book in advance and as soon as tickets are released - use an agent in Sri Lanka to do this (we used Paradiso Travels or there are specialist agents). 

​We missed the slot for our original plan to travel to Nuwara Eliya but it made no difference really.  The journey back to Kandy was just as stunning and I loved every minute of it.  So don't be put off!

We had two second class tickets booked, we couldn't even get seats booked together so that was a bit of a worry then our plans changed and our daughter was with us for this trip.  Queue lots of confusion to (a) pick up our booked tickets and (b) get a third ticket sitting near us.

All I can say is thank goodness we had our driver Vicky with us to help.  He knew the system and he spoke the language.  We'd have given up and got into the mini-van to travel back to Negombo!  I had no idea what was going on at the station!

I am so glad we persevered though.  It was totally worth it.  Although I suspect we did end up travelling on just two tickets.  But the carriage wasn't full and sitting together wasn't a problem.

But we did spend a large part of the journey doing what the locals do and hanging out of the doors and windows!  It was just too fascinating not to.  Too much of an experience not to do it.  My husband was rather concerned for our safety though.  But we had to get that ultimate photo for ourselves.

The trains are old, they are rickety, slow and basic.  The toilet facilities are holes in the floor - I didn't use them, I managed to wait for four hours!  But the carriages are clean and second class wasn't crowded.  Third class is very busy though and I suspect more than just people travel, I am sure there is the odd chicken or other animal!  The signalling system and controls are ancient but it all works although the odd derailment isn't so uncommon.  The journey is slow but then with views like that to see it doesn't really matter.

At some stations we had quite a long wait.  Locals would board the train selling their wares or appear at windows with baskets full of fresh produce balanced on their heads.  It was another good opportunity to watch daily life and I loved it.  Anyone that knows me personally and especially my family are totally shocked that I did this, and that I loved it, I am known for loving my comforts, for preferring luxury.  I have never been a traveller (in the backpacking sense) but for some reason I embraced it in Sri Lanka.  Okay I didn't backpack and I didn't stay in hostels but I did travel about and I did enjoy it!

If you go to Sri Lanka, don't miss the experience of train travel.  We got off at a station just before Kandy and met our driver to do the final journey by road back to Negombo.

Love from
Michelle xx
​

​Disclaimer:  This is not a sponsored post and only a very small selection of photos and details of what we saw, if you want to find out more then please do message me or get in touch with Paradiso Travels in Sri Lanka.

​Do take a look at my other posts about my Sri Lanka itinerary (slowly adding to them) where I go into more detail about what we did and share my thoughts:

Sri Lanka | Where shall I start?
Sri Lanka | Three Week Itinerary
South Coast, Whale Watching and Elephants
Kandy and the Tea Plantations 
Negombo and Colombo
Helping good causes in Sri Lanka (Dogstar Foundation and Yawajeewa School)
20 Things you need to know when travelling to Sri Lanka
What to wear in Sri Lanka

After returning from the south coast area of Sri Lanka, we enjoyed a few days rest in Negombo before setting off again, this time for central Sri Lanka, Kandy and the tea plantations.  We knew it would get cooler but this was a welcome relief after the humidity in the south.

Kandy was such a busy city, it is in central Sri Lanka and at it's heart is the scenic Kandy Lake, it is famous for the Temple of the Tooth.  Our driver took us up to the viewpoint where we could see down on the whole city and have lunch.  In the afternoon we had a private tour of the Temple of the Tooth (organised by Paradiso Travels) - I would definitely recommend a private tour as there is so much to see and our guide was able to explain everything far better than we could have worked out ourselves, it took about an hour a half.  It is very interesting and we learnt a lot more about Buddhism.- and some very wise quotes and stories.

In the afternoon we had a wander in Kandy city centre but to be honest we found it rather overwhelming and so busy.  We did find the shops fascinating though - having only passed them as we travelled through the towns we were intrigued to see the old colonial era still very much in evidence in the old fashioned shop fittings and customer experience.

We stayed at another gorgeous boutique hotel, The Kandy House, it deserves a post all of it's own really - I wish we had been staying for two nights as one just wasn't long enough to really enjoy the gardens, the pool, the restaurant and the outdoor treatment space.  It was an oasis of calm after the busy city.

After a totally delicious and healthy breakfast, we left the hotel as late as we could get away with the next morning to start our journey to the tea plantations.  First of all we stopped off at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya.

​I loved this trip through the hills and mountains, there was so much to see and the scenery was amazing.  There were tea bushes everywhere, the plantations are all beautifully terraced and landscaped.  And then we would catch sight of the tea pickers working hard in the plantations, this is a back breaking job for very little pay, mostly done by women, and the tradition has not changed since tea was originally grown in Sri Lanka.

In the afternoon we visited the Labookellie / Damro working tea factory, we had a tour of the factory and learnt how tea is picked and processed and packed ready for distribution.

BOP is English Breakfast Tea and it is sold as loose tea from the factory, it is not available in the UK under the Labookellie name - it will be bought by the big names in tea (i.e. Twinings) and packaged under their own brand but I will certainly be looking out for pure ceylon tea now I have tasted it and learnt more about the health benefits.

We then travelled through the tea plantations to our hotel - the Heritance Tea Factory, a former tea factory that had closed and been left empty for many years until it was spotted by a big hotelier and he set about buying it and converting it into a hotel - maintaining the outside as it was whilst keeping as much of the inner workings and machinery visible and in some cases still operating.  They also have their own 'mini tea factory' where we were able to dress up in traditional dress and pick tea, we saw close-up how it is processed from leaf to tea leaves and then we took it home to try!  Fantastic morning.

The next day we explored the Nuwara Eliya town and area which is known as 'Little England' as this is where the British settled when they came to Sri Lanka to start the tea plantations.  There are some sights that are very British!  Post boxes, houses with white picket fencing..  But the town itself was disappointing and we didn't stay long.  We did have a very authentic and the best curry ever at The Grand Hotel though!  (below outside post office and lunch a The Grand Hotel).

A trip to the train station at Nan Oya to pick up our tickets for the next day was eventful, the three of us managed to travel to Kandy on two tickets and thank goodness for our lovely driver Vicky who was there to help us (never travel around Sri Lanka without Vicky or your own Vicky)!  But I will explain more about the train journey in my next post as along with the elephants it was up there as one of the best experiences of the trip - although my husband will disagree!

I loved this area.  I loved the cooler climate, the fresh air, the charm.  I love how everyone lives such a simple, basic life but are so happy, so friendly.  From our hotel suite at The Heritance Tea Factory we could hear the music from the temple in the village echoing around the hills, we took a walk into the village and waved to the villagers in the fields, we laughed with the children as they played on the roads around the village.  One father was out with his daughter and we stopped to say hello - a smile is an international language easily understood by all - we shook hands with him and his small daughter and he asked me to take his photograph.  Another lasting memory of Sri Lanka.  It was the simple things that made it so special.

This blog post has turned into a much longer one than I expected so if you made it to the end then thank you.  I love recording my life for myself but I love sharing it with others in the hope that I can inspire someone or help you to put your own Sri Lanka itinerary together - don't hesitate, just go!

My next post will be part two as we travel back to Kandy by train ...

Love from
Michelle xx

​​Disclaimer:  This is not a sponsored post and only a very small selection of photos and details of what we saw, if you want to find out more then please do message me or get in touch with Paradiso Travels in Sri Lanka.

​Do take a look at my other posts about my Sri Lanka itinerary (slowly adding to them) where I go into more detail about what we did and share my thoughts:

Sri Lanka | Where shall I start?
Sri Lanka | Three Week Itinerary
South Coast, Whale Watching and Elephants
Kandy and the Tea Plantations and Train to Kandy
Negombo and Colombo
Helping good causes in Sri Lanka (Dogstar Foundation and Yawajeewa School)
20 Things you need to know when travelling to Sri Lanka
What to wear in Sri Lanka

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​
​I'm breaking with my Sri Lanka blog posts to fit in my regular 'being' fifty and fab post as I have some lovely things to share with you.  And as the season changes and we start heading into autumn I wanted to bring you some outfit ideas and goal planning thoughts.

Do join in with my hashtag on Instagram - I'd love to be able to share on stories what you have been up to #beingfiftyandfab.

My premium lightbox was gifted to me from Vavaky and can be purchased via their website (link to Amazon) for £14.96.  I have an older cheaper lightbox and this one is far superior with more letters and better choice of fun emoji's and characters.

Exercising - well clearly I have not been exercising as I've been on holiday!  Okay yes I could still take my trainers and work out at the hotel gym or go for a run but I am firmly in the camp of a holiday is a holiday - a break from routine and although when I was doing the Joe Wick's 90 day plan I did make an exception, on the whole I don't!  I do feel that I am totally out of routine and desperate to get back to something but I am also realistic and I know how I work.  And for me September is a new year, new goals, back to school, back to routine.  I will share my plans with you when I do my new year goal post.  I have been trying to get out for walks though - do you like our six westies?  It's not easy getting a photo of them all together - two are ours and then two each belong to my two sister-in-laws.

Reading - however, I have been reading a lot!  Although not as much as I would if I'd been on a sun-lounger for two weeks.  Sri Lanka was a very active, busy holiday but I did still find time to enjoy some good books.

A Man Called Ove by Frederk Blackman - this was also made into a film which I need to research and watch - it is about a grumpy man called Ove and you follow his ups and downs and find out why he is so grumpy and learn that may be he;s not so bad after-all and his heart is in the right place - we all know a man like Ove (I know I do)!  A charming holiday read.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Burrows and Mary Ann Shafer - my friend loaned this to me at the last minute and I loved it so much, I watched the film when I got home.  It is all about the German occupation of Guernsey and is told through a series of letters.  The book goes into far more detail than the film which leaves several parts out, I am glad I read the book first.

A Girl Behind Dark Glasses by Jessica Taylor-Bearman - this young lady is truly inspirational and I had absolutely no idea how bad M.E. can get, she wrote this book whilst laying in a hospital bed unable to move.  Using voice technology and a series of coded nods with her family.  She was let down by the system and had to fight to get the right care.  Beautifully and honestly written, I am so glad I read it.  Jess has since left  hospital and got married, she continues to write a blog, she is an artist and plans to write more books.  She is still ill and still spends a large amount of her time in bed but that doesn't stop her living her life.  I have a close family friend with M.E. and it is my intention to revisit this subject on my blog in the coming weeks.

Tsunami Kids by The Gandy Brothers - when I came back from Sri Lanka I wanted to find out more.  More about the country and it's history but also about the devastating boxing day tsunami.  My search on Amazon led me to this book written by the Gandy brothers who lost both their parents to the tsunami in Sri Lanka, they went on to found the Gandy's flip flop range and through their business raise money to help other orphans in Sri Lanka and to fund projects in India.  This is their story.  Devastating in parts but motivational and humbling to read how they overcame their grief and made something good come from it.

Doing - well obviously I've been on holiday in Sri Lanka and I'd love you to take a look at my posts about it all - start here.  It was the most amazing country and a wonderful experience and I am so pleased we decided to go.  It wasn't cheap and it was one of those holidays we won't do every year although I'd love to go back and explore more.  There is so much to see and we were there just short of three weeks and we could easily have done a full three weeks or even four weeks to just see the places we visited in more detail.  See my post about our Itinerary here.

Since I came back I have been knee deep in washing and sorting through my 3,000 plus holiday photographs.  As well as really missing my routine.  I only have my daughter off school for the school holidays now and she is 17 and driving so it shouldn't affect my routine but it does!  And as much as I love having her at home, I am keen to get back to normal next week.

I did have a fun day out on Tuesday though.  I had been feeling really down, serious post holiday blues and that made for a pretty miserable bank holiday weekend and the heavy rain didn't help.  I was tired and fed up.  But on Tuesday I had been invited to attend the AW/18 new season launch from Vionic Shoes.  This was being held at the stunning Haymarket Hotel in London and involved champage, canapes, a fashion show and an opportunity to try on the new range and meet and chat the Vionic team as well as other bloggers (who I only ever see usually on Instagram). 

I got an afternoon train and headed to Oxford Street where I had a browse around - Mango, & Other Stories, Gap, Zara, French Connection and Victoria's Secret.  It was a mild day and I didn't need a jacket.  I wore my super comfortable Vionic trainers (see my review here) with a Sosander shirt dress.  My daughter was especially impressed - that looks very on trend mum - my husband less so - he didn't get the dress with trainers thing.  I explained to my daugther that when I was 17 if someone had suggested wearing trainers with a dress I'd have thought they were totally mad and that it was an incredibly frumpy, old lady, look!  It'd be like me suggesting she wears white stiletto's.  How times change!

I will do a full post on the new Vionic range hopefully next week as I loved it and I found out a bit more about the brand that I need to tell you.

Wearing - okay hands up who struggles with the transition from summer to autumn/winter - and especially after our heatwave, I've forgotten what wearing a jumper feels like?  I feel like I have forgotten how to dress for normal British weather, I am so used to putting a dress and flip flips on.  I've had a look back through my Instagram to remind myself what I was wearing last year.  Not that I' complaining!  Here are a few outfits that I've worn since I got back from holiday.

First up, navy jeans from 7 for all mankind, blouse (old) from Boden, Vionic trainers (still available here) and my Karen Millen summer handbag.

Red jeans from Mint Velvet, blouse (old) from Hobbs, trainers and handbag as above.

Lots of shopping my wardrobe right now, this Oasis off the shoulder top is from a couple of years ago but I don't wear it much.  My daughter said it looked like the outfit Sophie wears in Mamma Mia: Here we go again (I love this film and I've been twice - if you've not been, go),  The jeans are rebound denim from French Connection and my bag is from Accessorize, the espadrilles are Vionic.  This was taken at Nuffield Place, a National Trust property and was the home of William Morris and his wife, the founder of the Morris Motor Company.  It was a super day out and very interesting to find out about his philanthropy, he did so much!

I really can't rate Vionic shoes enough can I!?  They are definitely my footwear of choice and I wear them on repeat!!!  But they are seriously so comfortable AND stylish.  This is an outfit you have seen before, pleated skirt from Mint Velvet, tee from Whistles and the Gigi cross body bag from Aurora London.

And finally what I wore yesterday to go to .... IKEA!  These Vionic Reagan mules were gifted to me as a thank you for attending the AW/18 launch event so I had to try them out straight away.  And it is another big tick from me.  Take a look at them here and find other ways of styling them.  I chose them as I think they make a great transition shoe - before I put my sandals away and go into boots.  My blouse I picked in in Gap in Oxford Street in the sale for less than £15, it is a style I love (similar to the Hobbs navy one above).  The trousers are stretchy and are from Part Two / My Boudoir in Marlow.  Handbag is Accesorize as before.  It worked well - a new favourite outfit, I threw a black cashmere cardigan around my shoulders in case I needed an extra layer.

So that is me right now!  Trying my hardest to be fifty and fab - share your updates using my hashtag #beingfiftyandfab.

​Love from
Michelle xx

​Disclaimer: Some of my links are affiliate links which means that the brand knows you have come to their website from here and I may get a small commission if you buy something and keep it.  This small income goes towards the running costs of my blog so I am very thankful for every click.  This is not a sponsored post, Vionic invited me to their event and I was gifted a pair of shoes, I was under no obligation to feature it on my blog.

I'm linking up with:
Mutton Style
​#continentaldrift

and

We arrived in Sri Lanka and spent the first few days relaxing at the Jetwing Beach Hotel in Negombo before departing with our car and driver for the south coast first stop Bentota, onto Galle and Mirissa and finally the Udawalawe National Park to see the elephants.

I've already said in my previous post how important it is to embrace the extensive driving and travelling as part of the holiday, I loved watching day to day life as we journeyed through towns and countryside.  It is fascinating and there is so much to see at every turn.  It is colourful and enlightening, it is so different to how we live here in the UK.  

​As we drove along the coast road towards Bentota, I noticed how many graves and memorials there were on the side of the road in front of the beach.  I commented to our driver and he explained they were for the victims of the tsunami.  This really made me stop and think, it was a very poignant moment.  It is easy to sit at home and watch the devastation of these natural disasters but to actually see where it happened and the aftermath even years after does make it much more real. 

We stopped at the Tsunami Photo Museum, this is an entirely personal memoir and memorial to the events that took place on Boxing Day 2004.  We met and chatted to the lady who set it up.  It contains photographs and personal accounts and it is simply in the front of her house - the house her and her family rebuilt behind the home that was destroyed.  They survived because they ran to high ground when the first wave hit but stayed on the highter ground when the second wave hit,  Family and neighbours all around them were not so lucky.

In the afternoon we took a boat ride up the Maduganga River and saw the mangroves, a cinnamon farm, a temple, a fish farm and the daily lives of the people living and working on the river.

We then arrived at our hotel for the night and sat and had a late lunch overlooking the beach and the Indian Ocean.  Paradise Road Villa is simply beautiful and we so wish we had been staying two nights!  We wandered down to the beach and enjoyed the rustic coastline, I took an early evening swim in the pool as the sun went down and we enjoyed an excellent dinner in their outdoor restaurant.  The service was exceptional and we were so well looked after.  I could have explored the hotel for days and I took lots of photos.

We left after a delicious breakfast and a browse in their shop (which we later visited in Colombo as well) and made our way further south to Galle.  We went straight into the town and had lunch then explored the shops and the old Dutch fort. It was very windy but stunning views and the breeze helped us cope a bit better with the heat and humidity.  We loved Galle and would like to have spent more time there.

Late in the afternoon we arrived at our next hotel, Cocobay, which has it's own private beach and a stunning view across the bay towards Galle Fort, we enjoyed watching the fisherman go out in the early evening.

​Next day was an early start - we took the short drive to Mirissa at 5 am to go whale watching!  Now I have read good and bad reports of this activity at Mirissa.  There are a lot of overcrowded boats and many going way too close to the whales.  Also the sea is pretty rough so sea sickness tablets are a must (the boat company should provide them).  We were very lucky with the company that Paradisio Travels organised for us, Raja and the Whales, our boat was not too full and there were a lot of 'spotters' who went out of their way to help us move about the boat to get the best view of the whales without needing to get too close and disturb them.  We saw five whales in total including a mum and calf and I hear we were very lucky as it is perfectly possible to go out and not see any.

​Our final visit on the south coast was Udawalawe National Park and although it is hard to choose a favourite, I think this was a definite highlight for us.  Seeing elephants in their natural habitat.  We will remember it forever and any thought of captivity, chains or riding of elephants is now well off our radar - once you have seen them in the wild you know they absolutely belong there and should never be treated as a domestic pet or tourist attraction.  Again our tour guide was fantastic, Target Safari was organised by Paradisio Travels and he was so respectful to the wildlife, but also really took his time to look out for the elephants, birds, water buffalo, deer and crocodiles where other safari drivers were rushing past and missing so much.

We chose the 4 to 6 pm safari and this was absolutely the right choice as we saw over 30 elephants and their babies as they come out in the afternoon's to visit the watering holes plus seeing them as the sun set was magical.

We spent the night at Kalu's Hideaway a beautiful lodge style hotel on the edge of the national park, again I really wish we had stayed two nights as it was so relaxing.  The next morning we left early to visit the Elephant Transit Home - the only one in Sri Lanka that looks after the orphan elephants then releases them back into the wild when they are ready.  We were lucky to see them being fed and cared for, this is done several times throughout the day, the rest of the time they live in a special enclosure within the national park.  Amazing experience! 

​After seeing the elephants in their natural habitat we chose not to visit Pinawalwe or the Millenium Elephant Foundation, whilst these organisations are slowly improving their knowledge and care, they are still a long way off really understanding and remain tourist attractions with some questionable practices.  ​
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Then it was back to Negombo to rest before our next bit of travelling!

The sight of the elephants in the wild so close to us will stay with us forever.

Love from
Michelle xx
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