Description
This trip entails travelling back in time to 2500 years ago to the heart of the Sri Lankan civilization. A land that is bound to mesmerize you, Srilanka offers the most vivid and diverse experiences for travellers within the confines of its relatively small size.
Overview
This trip entails travelling back in time to 2500 years ago to the heart of the Sri Lankan civilization. A land that is bound to mesmerize you, Srilanka offers the most vivid and diverse experiences for travellers within the confines of its relatively small size. Packed with jungle safaris, beaches, tea plantations and exotic countryside. We traverse through the central stretch of Srilanka, starting in the central northern province of Kandy, going southwards till we hit the southern edge, Galle.
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Duration
8 days / 7 nights
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Start
Colombo | 17:00hrs
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Finish
Colombo
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Hotels
Casual Inns
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Riding Style
Easy-moderate
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Average Distance Cycled
50km or 30mi
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Total Distance Cycled
~ 300km or 186mi
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Bicycle
INR 1,200 per day
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Support Vehicle
Included
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Group Size
Min 2, Max 12
Inclusion
- Small boutique hotels/home-stays, as mentioned in the tour details (subject to availability)
- Meals as per itinerary
- On each trip guests are given the opportunity to dine on their own so that they discover a location independently. Your guides are happy to make recommendations should you so desire.
- Refreshments while cycling
- Entrance fees
- A Van support that follows throughout the trip and carries all belongings. If at any point riding seems a little hard, the van takes you for as long or as little as you wish it to. It also provides you refreshments along the way and sometimes a chilled beer.
- Expert Trip Leader(s) who look after your every need
Exclusion
- Bicycle with helmet
- Airport pickup/drop
- Transportation to and from the trip including flight/train
- Personal items purchased during the trip
- Some meals are not included (check your itinerary)
- Beverages
- Gratuities for your Trip Leader(s) are not included in your trip price. Industry standard is 5-7.5% of your trip price for the guide team. Please tip your guides at your discretion, based on their level of professionalism, guest care and service.
Itinerary
We suggest that you arrive in Sri Lanka at least one day in advance and settle in at your hotel in Negombo near the Bandaranaike International Airport to recover from your flight journey.
Our guide meets you at your hotel at 17:00hrs. We do bike fit and convene over dinner tonight.
Meals: Dinner
Our guide meets at 8:30am at your hotel in Negombo/Colombo. After a short transfer, get ready for the day’s cycling. An easy paced ride takes us through the rural hamlets Sri Lanka and we finally arrive in Kandy.
Perched amongst the tea-clad hills of the Kandy Plateau, this is home to one of the most significant sites for Buddhists: the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic.
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Distance cycled: ~ 30km / 18mi*
Shuttle: ~ 2.5hrs
Today is the most spectacular ride past tea plantations to Sri Lanka’s old British tea valley, Nuwara Eliya. With gradual climbs and few steep hills to conquer, it is a beautiful journey which takes us to the hill country of Sri Lanka with a climb of about 1,400m. The biking may be hard sometimes and the only thing that will keep you going is picturesque scenery, reservoirs, waterfalls and panoramic views of beautiful mountain ranges.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance cycled: ~ 65km / 40mi*
It’s a classic loop today around Nuwara past tea plantations and waterfalls. Clumpy green hills covered in a moss like carpet of bright tea shrubs, keep us company through the ride. Nuwara is known as the hilly respite from the plains of Colombo, so expect clean crisp cool air to refresh you completely.
On our ride, we encounter tea pickers, undulating hills, small villages and small shops on the corners of the roads. Feel free to strike up a conversation. You will be delighted at the eagerness and warmth of Sri Lankans, to make guests feel at home.
In the evening, enjoy a stroll in the town.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance cycled: ~ 35km / 21mi
Our next stop is the hill town of Ella.
Riding from Nuwera, we pass through grasslands, forests, dairy farms, wind mills to reach Ella. Standing at an elevation of 1,041m, Ella is a little off-beat town when compared to Nuwera Eliya with views of green mountains around.
You can explore the town of Ella on foot.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance cycled: ~ 55km / 33mi*
Ella is an excellent place for a walk and short hike. We recommend to take an early morning hike to the nearby areas such as Little Adam’s Peak or Rawana Falls.
Have a late morning start and ride to Udawalawe National Park along gravel roads, through forests with grass lands, shrubs and teak plantations of Sri Lanka. Be careful while riding through an initial descend as we drop from about 900m to 80m within a short distance. After a long patch of flat terrain, finally enter the Udawalawe National Park, home to hundreds of Sri Lankan Elephants and other wild animals.
A true jungle experience with well planned safaris and knowledgeable staff, the national park helps you assimilate the wildlife at close quarters.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance cycled: ~ 60km / 36mi*
Go on an early morning safari in Udawalawe in search of Elephant herds. And, then off to Tangalle, following one of the irrigation canals flowing towards the south. Time for an infusion of something different in the topography – bananas! The crisp air of the countryside and the rural setting is perfect to understand and enjoy the interiors of the country. As we near to Tangalle, is when we hit the main road. And that’s when the warm clammy seaside air hits you, sometimes heavy with the weight of the smell of fish. If we stick to timing, there will be no better way to spend the evening than to see the sun descending into the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Sri Lanka.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance cycled: ~ 60km / 36mi*
Ride to Galle through coastal and interior trails. Post-lunch, explore Galle Fort on foot. Erstwhile Gimhathiththa, the town is rife with Dutch and Portuguese architectural remnants, museums, cathedrals and a beautiful coastline to enjoy the sunny beaches.
Extend at Galle/Tangalle and spend the days at leisure or transport to the Colombo International Airport for your onward journey.
Meals: Breakfast
Distance cycled: ~ 50km / 39mi*
Cancellation Policy
Life is unpredictable and we understand that sometimes you have to cancel or change your trip dates and it is our endeavor to make it as easy as possible for you. However, please understand that we plan everything including guide fees, permits, accommodation, and ration in advance. Therefore, any cancellation means inconvenience and certain losses to the people involved in various stages of the program. Keeping that in mind, our cancellation charges are as below,
- Cancellations prior to 30 days from the start of the event: Full refund as cash.
- Cancellations between 30 days and 15 days to the start of the event: 50 % refund as cash.
- Cancellations less than 15 days to the start of the event: No refund.
- Cancellations will be accepted only by email.
Note: We reserve the right to cancel a program before departure in the event of logistical problems arising due to natural calamities, strikes, wars or any other circumstances that make the event inadvisable. In this case, we will refund 50% of the event fees.
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