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Ride the hills to the coast through timeless ruins and endless beaches
Set in the Indian Ocean in South Asia, the tropical island nation of Sri Lanka has a history dating back to almost 29 BC. There are few places in the world that offer a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, national parks, pristine beaches, and captivating cultural heritage all within the 300 kilometres that we will be trailing through. Get ready to experience Sri Lanka through the voices of the locals, their cuisine and soak in your tired feet at the most delightful waterfalls and rest in some spectacular accommodations.
Sri Lanka may be small but it packs a powerful punch. We will be travelling through Sigiriya and Pollanaruwa which have amazing ancient ruins. Kandy is filled with hiking trails and surreal views as you climb up this tea haven and not to forget a big Buddhist temple and a butterfly garden. Nuwara Eliya is known for its delicious tea and colonial bungalows, Ella and Galle is well-known for beach towns where you can try your skills at surfing or simply tuck into some fresh catch. We’ve packed in the best of Sri Lanka with train rides with the best views, hikes, challenging climbs, and delicious local cuisine so you go back with unforgettable memories of Ceylon.
Who can do this tour?
This is a medium intensity trail and the duration of the trail will be shorter and suitable for people who are physically active with well-grounded basics in cycling. You may be subjected to a whole day of cycling with some hilly incline climbing sections. Distances covered on an average will be around 50+ kilometres daily.
We land at Colombo early and drive down to Sigiriya. En route, a welcoming Sri Lankan breakfast should help overcome the fatigue. Post-check-in, we rest for a while. Later, we begin with a short ride to the base of Sigiriya and hike up the magnificent Sigirya Rock or also called the ‘Lion’s Paw’. Sigiriya rock is cited as the 8th wonder and sees its beginning dating back to the 5th century.
Stay overnight in Sigiriya.
Drive/Ride distance: 170 kilometres/15 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• You get to meet and greet the other participants
• You’ll take a long and scenic drive to Sigiriya
• Hike up the ‘Lions Paw’
We start the day early headed to the old town of ruins in Polonnaruwa. Post lunch, we will ride around the ancient city of Polonnaruwa which dates back to 800 years. This was the ancient capital of Sri Lanka, and was once termed an ideal city.
We stay overnight in Polonnaruwa.
Ride distance: 66 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• We’ll ride through a reserve forest
• You’ll ride into an ancient city
• You’ll get to explore the old capital of Lanka
Today the ride takes us towards the Buddhist temples in the Dambulla caves, a world heritage site that dates back to the 1st century BC. The cave is filled with beautiful Buddhist iconography. A short hike will take us to a beautiful viewpoint. Post lunch, we drive to Kandy.
Stay overnight in Kandy.
Ride/Drive distance: 70 kilometres/70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• Take a ride to Polonnaruwa
• Hike to a nearby cave
• You’ll drive into Kandy
Today will be a long and challenging riding up into the mountains at Nuwera Eliya. We ride out from Kandy towards the “City of Light”. This route will take you past beautiful waterfalls, tea plantations, and fantastic ‘hilly’ weather conditions. We will spend the evening visiting local bars to unwind after which we will get some much-needed rest.
Stay overnight in Nuwera Eliya.
Ride distance: 78 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• Challenging ride day
• Tea factory visit
• Ride into the vegitable basket of Sri Lanka
You’ll need all the rest after the arduous climb from the previous day. We’ll start the day easy and take a scenic train journey on a train journey after a short drive from Nuwara Eliya to the train station in Nanu Oya. The train ride takes you to Ella through beautiful landscapes, views of endless tea plantations, and the hills around – a must-do and on every traveller’s list. We’ll enjoy a sumptuous lunch in Ella. Post lunch we’ll hike up to Little Adam’s Peak, a jaw-dropping and conspicuous peak is something you shouldn’t miss. A short walk to the top and you’ll have a bird’s eye view overlooking Ella. In the evening, we’ll will explore Ella town and its nightlife.
Stay overnight in Ella.
Train/Hike distance: 78 kilometres/2 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• You’ll take a picturesque train ride
• You can hike to a nearby peak
• You can explore the nightlife in Ella
We ride to Udawalawe today, one of many national parks in Sri Lanka. En route we will stop at the Diyaluma water fall for a picnic lunch, this is the second highest waterfall in Srilanka, magnificent and wonderland like your ride is filled with beautiful patches of green, fun downhill trails, stopovers at old school food trucks. Given the time we will hop on an evening safari to try our luck at spotting some wildlife. Overnight at a wildlife resort in Udawalawe.
Ride distance: 100 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• Enjoy a long downhill ride
• A short hike up the Diyaluma waterfall
• Picnic lunch by the waterfalls
We will start the day early with a drive into the Udawalawe national park to catch a glimpse of endemic birds and wildlife. An early mroning safari on the cards if we dont spot anything. Post breakfast we head towards Srilanka’s surfer’s paradise, Welligama. Today is also the last day of our ride, we will be covering upto 100+ Kms depending on the group and the pace we keep. We will ride through dense forests, rich farm lands, and drive into the white sand beaches of Srilanka. Overnight at a beach resort.
Ride distance: 70+ Kilometres
Accommodation Type: Beach Resort
Highlights:
• Ride to the coastline
• Rolling terrain with views of the dense forest moving on to the coastline
• Stay at a Beach Resort
Today we step away from the saddle and take to the surf boards. We’ll spend the first half of the day getting our surf skills honed. The Welligama beach is popular amongst surfing enthusiasts who come in from various parts of the world. Post a hearty lunch of fresh catch, we will drive about 45 minutes toward Galle fort for a guided walking tour to learn of Srilanka’s trade history with the Dutch, Colonization and the eventual exit of the Dutch from the Srilankan shores. Galle is also ideal for shoping enthusiasts with the best of what Srilanka has to offer, from local designer brands to handmade crafts and aromatic spices. Dinner in Galle and we drive back to Welligama.
Accomodation Type: Beach Resort
Highlights:
• Hone your surf skills in Srilanka’s favourite surfing beach
• A guided walk along the Galle Fort
• Shopping and Dinner at Galle
A 3+ hour drive will get you to Colombo, along the way we will stop at the beautiful Geoffrey Bawa’s Lunuganga Country Estate in Bentota. Here, you’ll enjoy a scrumptious lunch and then continue the drive to Colombo. Some of you may want to stay back in Colombo to extend your Sri Lankan sojourn. Please let us know and we can plan your onward journey. Airport drop facility is available for those taking the late evening flight back to your home destination.
Drive distance: 140 kilometres
Accommodation Type: None
Highlights:
• Lunch at the Lunuganga estate
• Flight back to your home destination
The Unventured Experience
The Sri Lanka Hike & Bike Adventure is set against the backdrop of lush green mountains, river streams and valleys, quaint villages, historical sites and delicious cuisine. You can choose optional activities like surfing, etc.
This 9-day expedition begins and ends in Colombo and includes about 300 kilometres of cycling over 7 days. We’ve packed the right mix of cycling, leisure, and exploration. You will experience stretches that challenge your limits, sceneries that indulge your senses, and interactions with the locals that expose you to their culture.
Our Sri Lanka Hike & Bike Tour is a good blend of food, nature, culture, history, and real-world experiences. This gives you a peek into the “Teardrop of India” on a cycle and by foot. Whether you are a seasoned cyclist or a regular city commuter; this trail has a good combination of challenging climbs to downhills through countryside roads, villages, forest trails, and plantations for you to trail leisurely and interact with the locals.
This tour is graded medium intensity in terms of distance and gradient climbing since most of the rides will be done on 100% tarmac roads. We suggest that our guests start mountain biking in their own home country a month before this trip. This is to ensure you take away the unfamiliarity with mountain bikes that occur due to lack of practice, physical unpreparedness, and you don’t hold up the other prepared participants. This tour will include a local guide, a tour leader, mechanic, and a designated support vehicle with a driver.
Cycling Support
There will be a support vehicle trailing with us through the trail. Given the need, riders can load up and rest awhile. The vehicle will support all riders and will reach the destination with the last rider.
Accommodation
Accommodation on all days is on a twin share basis with a mix of homestays, resorts, and beachside resorts. We’ve made to sure to pick interesting accommodations which are fairly central with the lots of local connections.
Transport
A team of 10-12 riders will be supported by one coaster bus with a carrier that will transport both the riders and bikes along with a spare cycle, lunch packs, and water. Through the day this vehicle will trail with the riders.