Sri Lanka by Bike - Classic

We start with an early pickup from your Colombo Hotel. We then take a train up through the hills towards Kandy. The journey takes 3-4 hours before we arrive around lunchtime. We alight a few stops before Kandy in order to meet our support team, our bikes and to start riding around the outskirts of Kandy. We stick to small roads to escape the traffic, pedaling along a river and by its local villages. As we get closer to the main town we will get in the van for a final transfer to avoid riding in the traffic of Kandy. In the evening, there is time to visit the Temple of the Tooth, where the sacred Buddha tooth relic is placed with supporting stories illustrated in a prayer hall.

This is a challenging day as we cycle into the hills. We pedal back roads and find ourselves climbing soon after leaving Kandy. As we go, the population thins out and the tea creeps in. As we weave our way through tea plantations, keep an eye open for roadside shops selling delicacies such as fresh dates and dried corn crackers.

We then enjoy some descending today and a wide variety of road surfaces, always with minimal traffic. We finish our ride down at the Gampola railway station where we board the train for the higher elevations. The train ride is stunning and the carriage is quite comfortable. We alight at Nana Oya and then travel by car the short distance to Nuwara Eliya. You will need your warm clothes up here, but the hotel does have an open fireplace and a great meal for dinner.

A very early start is needed today for the transfer by vehicle up to Horton Plains. We then walk through the National Park to World's End Lookout where we take in the astonishing views over the valley. Keep your eyes peeled while you walk, as we may be lucky enough to see deer and monkeys. Afterward we hit the bikes and take a thrilling downhill ride through a fertile valley where farmers will be hard at work, and then pass through the bustling town of Bandarawela before settling in Ella, a small town that caters well to the weary traveler.

We start off today with a few more climbs through stunning tea country and small villages. See some amazing views from your saddle this morning over the impressive shapes of the various peaks. After morning tea we glide on two wheels into our huge descent back to the flatlands. Only those averse to downhill riding will be without an ear to ear grin as the kilometers tick by a lot quicker than they have for the previous week.

As we reach flat roads, the heat increases, so we have lunch and then take a 40-minute vehicle transfer to the hotel. A quick turn-around is in order and we then board a jeep that will take us through the nearby Yala National Park in the hopes of seeing elephants, leopards and almost certainly deer, wild boar, buffalo, monkeys and peafowl. This is an enthralling way to round out the day and we can expect to be back at the hotel a little before 7pm in time for dinner.

An early start helps us make the most of the cool morning temperatures. As things start to warm up a little, we will stop to eat our takeaway breakfast from the hotel. The ride is on flat, open road today which is a welcome rest after the recent terrain. We get into slightly narrower roads after breakfast as we pass through an unpaved section, then follow a nicely paved, quiet back road along a canal. After passing through more populated areas in the late morning, we finish the ride with lunch in a small town named Embilipitiya and then take a transfer of around 2 hours to reach our accommodation at the beautiful Sinharaja Rainforest.

Today we swap the bikes for our hiking shoes as we explore the stunning Sinharaja Rainforest Reserve on foot. Our expert guides and their wealth of wildlife knowledge will put us in good stead to explore the reserve and see some of the unique wildlife in the area. We will transfer in the van (depending on the season) to ensure we are in the best spot to start and end the hike. We expect to be out for about 4 hours, with a few special stops along the way for some snacks to keep the energy levels up. Head back to the hotel mid-afternoon so we can enjoy the quaint charm of our unique accommodation.

Our final ride is one to remember, as we pedal all the way from our rainforest lodge to the coast and the old port city of Galle. The ride starts with a brilliant, 25km descent with only short sections of plateau or incline. What starts out as a patchy tea estate road then becomes a smooth, well-made road without too much traffic and with just the right degree of twists and turns to keep it interesting. We continue to pedal through tea plantations and villages until lunch, then we are cycling in rice growing territory until we reach our destination.

Galle fort sits staunchly defending the city, although it is comprised of mostly nicely restored houses and quaint cafes now. The tour concludes on arrival in Galle at the hotel of your choice.