Overview
This is an unforgettable week on the bikes and is designed to be broadly doable by all riders. Experience quiet backroads, lots of downhills and comfortable accommodation with style and character as you explore Sri Lanka by bike.
Sri Lanka has an incredibly diverse landscape, rich culture and an amazing collection of flora and fauna. We experience all of these aspects of the island on this trip as we travel from the central city of Kandy through the tea plantations and national parks to the coast. There we enjoy the famously beautiful southern beaches before concluding in the historic Galle Fort. Along the way, we have the opportunity for plenty of cultural immersion as well as lots of time to check out the amazing wildlife and untouched nature of this island gem.
A great trip to pick up as part of a wider Sri Lanka holiday, or the mainstay of your adventure.
Pedal assist E-bikes are an available option on this tour.
188 Km riding. The terrain is a mix of sealed and unsealed roads on secondary roads and quiet country lanes. Whilst there are about four uphill sections, these are not more than 2km in length and are generally achievable. The majority of the riding is flat, rolling hills and down.
Peak Season Surcharges: Please note that for tours commencing from Aug 1 to Aug 31 and from Dec 20 to Jan 10 there is a peak season surcharge of 15% on the price of this tour due to hotel rate increases at this time of year.
Highlights
Take a break from the bike for a relaxing train ride into the hills with breathtaking views.
Walk through Horton Plains National Park to World’s End viewpoint for spectacular cliff vistas.
Safari through Yala National Park and be on the lookout for leopards, elephants and incredible birds.
Cycle the picturesque lakes of the Tissamaharama area that are lined with trees and chock full of birds.
Day to Day
An early start from your Colombo hotel is necessary to catch the early train up to Kandy. The train is comfortable and a nice way to take in the scenery. After arriving late morning, you'll have a few hours to explore the historic town, enjoy lunch and get kitted out for the first warm-up ride. We begin with a short briefing then drive out of town to clear the traffic and gain some elevation.
The cycling starts among lush mountain plantations and as we wind our way downhill on the backroads and through the villages, the landscape changes with the sun's path. We'll make our return to Kandy with the help of the support vehicle. Tonight we'll enjoy a group meal together to celebrate the start of the adventure.
Following a hearty breakfast, we'll transfer high into the mountains outside Kandy, passing through small villages perched on the slopes, to begin our ride towards Gampola. Once we get on the bikes, we'll enjoy some great descending today through sparsely populated hill country, a couple of short sharp climbs to warm up the legs and a wide variety of road surfaces, always with minimal traffic.
We finish our ride with a mouthwatering lunch of local specialties before transferring the remainder of the distance to Gampola train station. A small local guesthouse nearby has some facilities for us to freshen up before another train ride, and one to remember.
This afternoon we gain some serious height as the train weaves its way up the passes to almost 2000m above sea level. The views are stunning and the fellow passengers are usually in good spirits, as many will be heading up to the hills for family holidays and a well-deserved break. After arriving at the station we make the last leg of the journey to Nuwara Eliya by car and check in to our comfy hotel nestled amongst the tea plantations.
We have a lazy morning in Nuwara Eliya this morning. It is a much cooler climate up here and we can expect some mist and frost in the morning. A game of golf may tempt some, but others are likely to be content just exploring the small town with its abundance of British colonial-era buildings.
After lunch, we set off from the door of our hotel on a ride which will take us first around the lake and then down a fast, well-made road before we make a turn and pedal some winding roads on a somewhat challenging gradient for a short while. Once we meet the railway line, we follow that, passing through the high country train stations that are mere whistle stop locations but are very important to those who live up here. Dairy cows can be seen grazing as we pass through Ambewella continuing an undulating ride to the foothills of the Horton Plains National Park before transferring back to Nuwara Eliya, stopping at a fully operational tea factory on the way for a cultural experience. That same open fire and hot soup await in the charming, colonial-era hotel.
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 stunning views over the valley. Along the way, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of deer and monkeys.
After the walk, we hit the bikes and take a thrilling downhill ride through a fertile valley where farmers will be hard at work, descending from highland forests down to lush tropical settings. You'll then pass through the bustling town of Bandarawela before settling in the beautiful surrounds of Ella, a small town that caters well to the weary traveler.
This morning we enjoy possibly the best ride of the trip. Not only will we pedal through beautiful scenery but we will also enjoy the easy and enjoyable road that looks deceptively difficult and hilly. Just the right gradient to get the heart rate up, while allowing you to maintain a good speed. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment after these rides! After 20km or so we start a long, but not steep, descent down off the plateau. After the seemingly endless downhill, we have lunch in a small town called Passara and then transfer by vehicle to the entrance of Yala National Park.
Here we board jeeps for the drive into the park to enjoy a safari. The aim is to see leopards, and we often see elephants on the way in and many deer. Some birds are also soaring around, but the prize sighting is the leopard that favors the cooler temperatures approaching dusk. As the sun sets, we transfer to our very comfortable hotel perched on the edge of Yala National Park and the beach. A full, but very rewarding day.
After consuming a generous breakfast, we take to the open road from the door of our hotel to explore the Tissamaharama area that sits just inland from our accommodation. The terrain today is quite a stark contrast from what we have experienced so far. First, we pedal through flat open scrubland, by salt farms and waterholes where buffalo lounge. Then we approach more populated areas where greenery becomes increasingly abundant, eventually opening into wetland lakes.
The lakes of this area are home to a huge variety of birdlife, from water birds to small parrots and occasionally larger birds of prey that can be seen overhead. We conclude the ride before lunch, then drive about two hours down the road to Mirissa. The hotel is beachside once again, just out of town. Enjoy your quiet accommodation that is only a short moto-rickshaw trip into the action.
We start out with a drive along the coast to reach the starting point of our ride. Today's cycle is less about distance and more about discovery, encapsulating much of the essence of what we have experienced over the journey so far. We'll cycle a diverse range of terrain, exploring the backroads of the local villages and friendly farming communities. We finish our ride by lunchtime and after enjoying a wood-fired pizza lunch by the beach and maybe a refreshing swim, we drive into Galle where the tour concludes at your hotel.
WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT
GRASSHOPPER STYLE
At Grasshopper, we design our tours to accommodate a wide spectrum of cycling levels so that our guests can be as comfortable as possible while discovery amazing destinations. Although still a rewarding cycling journey, Sri Lanka by Bike the Easy Way allows for more cautious cyclists to enjoy a two-wheeled exploration of this island country. Our rides are interspersed with train travel to allow this to happen. The itinerary is packed with plenty of beautiful sights, stunning nature, comfortable accommodations, and cultural experiences to ensure an unforgettable adventure.
