Joanna James
Anuradhapura was once, the royal kingdom of Sri Lanka – today, it is hailed as one of the most revered pilgrim sites of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka. It also appeals to a lot of tourists due to its cultural and archaeological value. Here are some methods of transport you'll find in this city.
If you're hoping to get the native experience of travelling by bus, then hop in and find out for yourself! Now, the time a bus arrives at Anuradhapura will depend on the city that it's arriving from. If you're travelling from Colombo Fort, walk towards Colombo Bastian Mawatha Bus Terminal, which is approximately 1.5 kilometres away from Fort Railway Station. From there, you will be able to get on board a bus that's going towards Anuradhapura. Buses are scheduled towards Anuradhapura four times a day and it'll take around 5 hours and 15 minutes to reach Anuradhapura - this is the least expensive way of getting there for a cost of around less than 2 USD.
If Colombo Fort Railway Station is your starting point, then you could either opt for a train going towards Anuradhapura from that station itself or hail a three-wheeler via Uber or PickMe to go to Maradana Railway Station (if you miss the train from Fort railway station). The two railway stations are just 2.8 kilometres apart from each other. "Yal Devi" train arrives at Colombo Fort at 6:17 am daily and it will reach Anuradhapura around 10:40 am. There are second class and third class tickets available at this transportation facility to Anuradhapura. Things to do in this city are many and travelling here by train will ensure that you're not much tired to start your excursion in this sacred city.
You could also opt to drive your own car with the aid of Google maps or you can also ask for assistance from the friendly natives if you're not sure you're heading towards the right direction. There's a distance of approximately 201.7 kilometres to Anuradhapura from Colombo Fort if you're driving via A28 and this will take you around four hours and 44 minutes to get there if you're driving at a stretch. But obviously, no one's going to do that, so driving your own transport is great as it provides you with the flexibility of stopping at a restaurant for dining purposes. You could even drive directly to your lodgings such as Uga Ulagalla without going through the hassle of changing your baggage from one vehicle to the other.
Anuradhapura Railway Station is operated by Sri Lanka Railways with Northern Line Services like Yal Devi passing through it on their journey to their end destination in Kankasanthurei via Jaffna. There are five time slots with trains scheduled daily from Anuradhapura to Colombo and it'll take around five hours for you to reach the end destination. And to reach Jaffna from Anuradhapura, it'll take around three and a half hours with three trains scheduled daily.
Anuradhapura's commercial region is quite compact; however, the rest of this ancient capital is quite spread out and it's impossible to explore it on foot. Therefore, you could opt for a pre-arranged Tuk ride or explore the city on a bicycle, which can be rented at many hotels around.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
