Sri Lanka has a reputation built almost entirely on its beaches. That is fair as far as it goes. But for a rider, the coast is the starting line rather than the destination, and the best of the island is a few hours inland, where very few visitors on a beach holiday ever go.
Starting on the coast
Our route begins at Bentota, about an hour and a half by road from Colombo. The first riding day goes to Galle, 65 km with under 400 metres of climbing, and takes the quiet way: inland through cinnamon estates, paddy and village roads, then along the Gin Ganga river towards the sea. It is the gentlest day of the week, and it is meant to be: a day to settle into the bike, the heat and the roads.
Galle itself is worth the afternoon. The old town sits inside its fortifications on a rocky promontory on the south-west coast. It was founded by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century and reached its height under Dutch rule in the eighteenth, and UNESCO, which listed it as a World Heritage Site, describes it as the best example of a fortified city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia. The ramparts, lanes and harbour views make a good end to a first day.
Inland, off the map
From Galle the route turns away from the sea. Day 3 runs 106 km to Embilipitiya, with 850 metres of climbing, through paddy fields, patches of rainforest, lakes and spice estates: the Sri Lanka that most travellers never see. It finishes near the entrance to Udawalawe National Park, known for its wild elephants, and there is an optional safari in the afternoon.
This is the longest day of the tour by distance, and in the lowland heat it rides longer than its climbing suggests. Start early and drink more than you think you need.
Up into the hills
Then the island tilts upwards. Day 4 runs 93 km and climbs 1,089 metres from Embilipitiya towards the hill country. It skirts the edge of Udawalawe, so it is worth watching the verges for elephants as well as the tarmac. The night is spent halfway up the Ella Gap road.
Day 5 finishes the job: 15 km and about 580 metres of climbing to Ella itself, then on through tea estates towards Haputale, and down a 20 km descent that drops 500 metres. At 66 km and 1,350 metres it is the biggest climbing day of the week. For a lighter day, the support van will take you up to Ella and you ride from there.
The hill country is a different place from the coast. Cooler, greener and considerably steeper, it rewards everything the first three days built up.
The last riding day, Day 6, runs 100 km from Balangoda to Ingiriya with 800 metres of climbing, down out of the hills past Ratnapura and along the Kalu Ganga, before the drive to Colombo for the last evening.
The week in numbers
Five riding days, 430 km and 4,471 metres of climbing: an average day of 86 km and 894 metres. It is graded Intermediate, with the climbing concentrated in the second half of the week. A road bike is the right tool.
One honest note: dogs are more of a factor on rural roads here than they are on our routes in Thailand. They are rarely a problem, but they are something to be aware of.
Why it suits Indian riders
Sri Lanka is the easiest of our destinations outside India to reach. Colombo is a short flight away, and fewer flying hours means less to go wrong with a bike in the hold. Entry arrangements for Indian passport holders have changed several times in recent years, so check the current rules before you book rather than relying on what a friend did last year.
We usually run this tour in December, January and August. The full itinerary is on the Sri Lanka Cycling Tour page. Dates are not yet on sale; leave your name there and you will hear first.
For a different corner of the island, Cycling Ceylon is one rider's diary from an earlier tour further north, around Anuradhapura and Dambulla. How our destinations compare month by month is on our page for riders flying out of India.
Written by Barnowl Adventures.
