News
Locomotive hotel tempts tourists with a Rs 9,500 Nanu Oya holiday
View(s):Text and pix by Reka Tharangani
A 1960s locomotive built in Germany and a couple of carriages converted into a mini-hotel will shortly be open for local and foreign tourists in Nanu Oya under an initiative of the Railway Department to raise revenue and attract more passengers.
Called “Odyssey Camper”, the mini-hotel is built overlooking the Nanu Oya waterfalls to provide a new experience for domestic and foreign tourists, Railway General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara told the Sunday Times.
The outdoor setup on unused tracks includes a decommissioned hydraulic locomotive, two old Indian railway carriages and a locally made steel railway carriage. It will be opened to the public shortly, he said.
The "Odyssey Camper" : All set to be opened soon
A W1 engine imported in 1969 from Germany, which is said to be the first diesel-hydraulic locomotive to run on Sri Lankan railways, will be permanently parked in a scenic area near Nanu Oya.
It has a carriage with a king-size bed, heater, and bathroom with hot water.
Breakfast is served at the Nanu Oya train bungalow. An outdoor cabin has also been set up, and garden chairs are to be installed in the cabin for relaxing.
A room in the train restaurant, which is designed to be a place to spend the evening while enjoying the mountain views, is planned to be offered for Rs 9,500.
The Railway General Superintendent said that he believed that this train hotel, launched to promote tourism, could be successfully maintained and, depending on its success or failure, could be adopted in other areas.
Railway Superintendent Engineer (Projects and Development) G.A. Krishantha, who directed the project, said the concept was from Janaka Weerasinghe, who was the then Nanu Oya railway station master, on the instructions of the Railway General Manager Dhammika Jayasundara, but it had slowed down after he was replaced.
The carriage with a king-size bed, heater
With the reappointment of Mr Jayasundara, it became possible to carry out this project more systematically, effectively and efficiently, he said. The project was done by a group of workers, led by the Superintendent of Ratmalana (Factory No. 26), H.J.R. Fonseka.
Bathroom with hot water
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!