An experienced local tour guide, skilled in first aid, will accompany each tour group on every trip, along with a knowledgeable team dedicated to quality service.
We provide comfortable accommodations with specially selected hotels and tented camps.
Being based in the country, we have comprehensively studied tour routes to guarantee challenging but achievable passage, authentic experiences and the chance to go through the best scenic areas while on the road.
We utilise the best equipment on our tours to assure quality service with a backup crew and vehicle throughout its duration.
You will not have to bring your own bicycle or pay extra to hire one locally as we include the cost of hiring a bike to the overall cost of the tour.
The cost of most your meals and other excursions are included in your tour price.
For those who want to sample the local food, our tours expose you to enough spicy Sri Lankan cuisine.
Tours require a minimum of 2 reservations to guarantee departure while the tour will only include a maximum of 16 persons.
If your group consists of 2 to 4 persons, you can pay just 10% more to convert the trip to a private tour.
With a group of 5 or more, you can travel on a preferred date for no extra cost.
With no middle-men involved, we offer you the ‘best price guarantee’ with the benefit passing on to local stake holders.
The cycling trail will mostly be along less-crowded back roads, estate tracks or concrete tracks.
The trail will cover616 km over the period of 12 cycling days, averaging a daily distance of around 50 to 60kms with a cap of 100kms.
The daily distances can be altered depending on your level of fitness. The back-up vehicle will travel behind the last cyclist throughout the tour.
If you need to take a break from riding or quicken your way up a hill, you will need to wait on the side of the road for the backup vehicle.
This tour is suitable for anyone with a reasonable fitness level. You should not feel pressurised to push your limit on this cycling trail.
It will make stops every 15kms or so, to distribute bottled water and fresh fruit to keep you hydrated. These pit stops will allow the group to interact and share experiences along the way too.
Your tour guide will travel towards the back of the group and will carry first aid and basic repair kits at all times.
Your luggage will be onboard the support vehicle.
You will use 21 speed, aluminium-frame, Trek mountain bikes on this tour. All bikes include front suspension and are fitted with water cages.
Your bike may need minor alterations before the tour as these bikes are used by a host of different people throughout a season.
Additional adjustments can also be made en route. Your tour guide will assist you with any technical difficulties.
Backup bicycles are also available in case the need arises.
If you have your own pedals and saddle, which you are more comfortable with, you can bring them along to use on the tour.
We highly recommend a gel seat cover.
If you inform us of your requirements in advance, we will make every attempt to provide the perfect frame size to suit your needs.
Taking your safety into account, we strongly recommend the use of a cycle helmet as part of your gear.
Arrival and Departure:
- The tour will begin and end in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
- International flights to and from Colombo will not be included in the tour price.
- Consult us before arranging flights to ensure the best arrival and departure times.
- You can also organise pre and post tours through us.
Passports and Visas:
Please make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of arrival.
A visa is required for all nationalities excluding those carrying Maldivian or Singaporean passports.
All other customers, including those in transit, must apply online for travel authorisation before departure.
Visit http://www.eta.gov.lk to apply for the ETA (visa).
We recommend that you bring a printed copy of the ETA approval notice with you.
Health:
We recommend that you protect yourself against malaria, typhoid, tetanus, infectious hepatitis and polio.
Mosquito repellent is recommended.
You will need to get a certificate for Yellow Fever when arriving from a location identified as an infected area within six days.
Weather:
Sri Lanka enjoys a tropical climate with separate dry and wet seasons and two monsoons.
The Yala monsoon occurs from May to August bringing rains to the south-western part of Sri Lanka. The Maha monsoon affects the North and East of the island from October to January.
An inter-monsoonal period occurs in October and November bringing showers to many parts of the country.
Average temperatures in Colombo and other low-lying coastal regions around the country get to around 27°C.
The average temperature in areas at higher altitudes like Kandy is around 20°C.
Food and Drink:
Meals will be included as per the itinerary.
We will feature a lot of Sri Lankan cuisine on the tour which will include meat or fish-based curries as well as vegetable and fruit-based dishes.
Many of the popular spices used in Sri Lankan cooking have ayurvedic properties.
We will keep you completely hydrated. Water, energising fruits and soft drinks are all included in the tour package.
Although not included in the tour price, beer will also be available freely.
We will cater to any special dietary requirements if you inform us at the time of the booking.
Travelling alone:
We will not include a surcharge for those travelling alone.
We will arrange for you to share your accommodation with another single traveller of the same gender.
In the event we do not find a suitable person to share your accommodation, you will be provided a single room at no additional charge.
If you opt not to share your room, you will be able to pay a single supplement (of which is listed above) to guarantee a private room.
Additional expenses:
- We advise you to carry local currency amounting to around US$10 to 20 per day for incidentals.
Currency:
The Rupee (Rs) is the currency of Sri Lanka.
ATMs are located throughout the country with Commercial Bank having the largest network of ATMs which accept MasterCard, Visa, Cirrus/Maestro cards.
Banks and exchange bureaus will change your foreign currency into rupees.
We recommend you change your rupees back to hard currency before you leave the country to get the best rates.
As a condition of participating in our tours, we require you to have valid travel insurance which covers you and your personal effects. Your insurance must at least cover medical expenses and emergency repatriation in the event of injury or illness. You will need to make sure that your travel policy covers you for all intended activities on the tour. It is possible that your insurer will charge you additional premium for certain scheduled activities.
All the information contained within this document has been provided in good faith and covers the average range of conditions likely to be found on this tour. Please note that the itinerary may be subject to change in the event of unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. We will however, try to abide by the original schedule as far as possible.
This tour suits those with some biking experience as well as biking experts.
The initial part of the tour is smooth but we will be exploring some hilly landscape as we head deeper inland with long distances to cover.
We remind you of Sri Lanka’s tropical conditions and weather as it is likely to get warm.
We ensure that you will experience the best of Sri Lanka’s scenery, culture and nature throughout this tour.
You will be led by a local cycling tour guide.
Site guides will also assist you along the tour.
For groups with 8 or more cyclists, we will add an extra cycling guide.
If there are more than 6 in the group, a national guide will be included in keeping with the Sri Lanka Tourism Laws.
We strongly recommend the use of a helmet during our tours. If you choose not to wear a helmet, you will need to sign a liability waiver.
Your tour guide will be trained in delivering first aid and emergency rescue procedures but you need to be responsible for your own safety at large.
It is compulsory for you to have travel insurance that covers you on a mountain biking tour.
The support vehicle type will be chosen depending on the size of the tour group.
The vehicle will travel behind the tour group at all times.
You will very easily be able to get your bike on and off the vehicle to ensure that you can rest whenever you need to.
Your guide as well as your support vehicle will always carry basic spares and tools.
However, we do not guarantee a solution for every conceivable problem you may encounter along the tour.
We recommend you carry a basic tool kit, a spare tube and a pump during the tour.