Sri Lanka đ±đ° | The "Spirited Away" Coastal Train
1. Many travelers rave about Sri Lankaâs tea plantation trains, calling them more scenicâbut hereâs the truth: with a 5-day, 4-night itinerary, reaching those tea trains is nearly impossible. Theyâre miles away, and youâd have to skip every other sight to make the trip. The coastal train, though? Itâs the real star. Said to be the inspiration for the train in *Spirited Away*, itâs right in Colombo, the capitalâeasy to reach anytime, no detours needed. đđ 2. Our original plan was to ride it at sunset, thanks to our driverâs suggestion, but we ended up 30 minutes late. Turns out, it didnât matter. The sunset lingered, painting the sky in pinks and oranges that stretched for ages, and the delay only let us catch the best of itâgolden light on the waves, the train gliding along the shore. If you miss your first chance, donât worry: trains run regularly, so you can always hop on the next one. đâł 3. We boarded at the station in the second photo, and the ride itself was just 15 minutesâshort, but sweet. It happened to be rush hour, though, so the train was packed with locals heading home. This wasnât a tourist train; itâs their daily commute. Yet they didnât mind us snapping photos or leaning out the windowsâif anything, they seemed amused, grinning as we fumbled with our cameras. I was too shy to meet their eyes, but every time our glances did meet, theyâd flash a warm smile. It felt like sharing a little joy, even without words. đđ„ 4. Hereâs the quirky part: there are no conductors. No one checks tickets, no one announces stopsâyouâre on your own. Before the train arrives, people wander across the tracks like itâs a sidewalk, kids chasing each other, vendors selling snacks. Getting off? You have to remember your station. We got so caught up in taking photos of the sunset that we almost missed oursâby the time we realized, the train was already moving. We jumped off in a fluster, bags flying, but the locals just laughed and waved. It was chaotic, but kind of perfect. đđ€Ș 5. This train isnât about grand views or long journeys. Itâs about small, unplanned moments: the salt breeze in your hair, a strangerâs smile, the panic of jumping off at the right stop. Itâs why it feels like a *Spirited Away* sceneânot because itâs magical, but because itâs real, messy, and full of heart. Even if you only have an hour in Colombo, itâs worth it. Just set a timer for your stop, and let the train carry you for a bit. đ„° #CoastalTrainSriLanka #SpiritedAwayInspiration #ColomboRide #SriLankaTravel #TrainAdventures