Sri Lanka is a tiny, teardrop-shaped island within the Indian Ocean which is, fairly merely, one of the crucial lovely locations on earth. Don’t imagine us? Properly, The New York Occasions rated Sri Lanka number one in its record of the highest 10 locations to go to on the planet again in 2010 Whereas in 2023, Sri Lanka was rated among the many high 10 most instagrammable locations on the planet by EnjoyTravel.
And probably the greatest methods to discover this lovely nation is on a bicycle, because it permits you to soak up the sights and sounds slowly and at your individual tempo. Even should you’re not an energetic bicycle owner, it’s attainable to seek out a number of bike excursions operators that permit you to do leisurely bike journeys the place you bike for a couple of hours every day after which do different enjoyable stuff for the remainder of the day.
Listed below are three the reason why a Sri Lanka bike tour is one of the best ways to discover this emerald island:
1. Gorgeous Pure Magnificence
Lovely seashores, lush inexperienced forests and mile-upon-beautiful-mile of tea plantations, all these make a Sri Lanka bike tour a must-do for any biking lover. Tea plantations, actually, are a particular function of any journey to Sri Lanka as they evoke a quaint colonial allure that’s exhausting to not fall in love with. And Sri Lankan not solely seems lovely, it tastes scrumptious too. Sri Lanka is likely one of the largest exporters of tea on the planet, and when in Sri Lanka, you may be positive of savoring a number of the finest tea you’ve ever had in your life.
2. The Wildlife
Sri Lanka is dwelling to a number of endangered species of animals and birds. However maybe the animal that most individuals like to encounter in Sri Lanka is the elephant. Sri Lanka is likely one of the few locations on earth the place you possibly can merely experience previous herds of elephants as they graze peacefully within the meadows.
Whale watching is one other wildlife exercise that’s fashionable in Sri Lanka. There are a number of tour operators that take vacationers to the ocean from the place they will watch blue whales, dolphins and different giant aquatic animals in frolicking within the blue waters of the Indian Ocean.
3. Nice Biking Infrastructure
Sri Lanka has well-developed infrastructure and welcoming locals, which means cyclists can count on good-quality roads with little visitors within the countryside together with world-class hospitality
It can also be one of many most secure locations to journey to. Worldpackers rated Sri Lanka among the many high 13 most secure international locations on the planet to journey to. Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, was ranked by Der Normal because the second most secure metropolis on the planet for solo girls vacationers.
That are the Greatest Locations to Cycle in Sri Lanka?
With vibrant cities, lovely seashores, dense forests, and historic Buddhist ruins, Sri Lanka has each type of terrain to thrill the discerning traveler. That mentioned, listed below are a number of the finest locations for biking in Sri Lanka:
1. The Cultural Triangle
Sri Lanka’s cultural triangle is technically not a triangle, it’s a pentagon, as it’s a set of 5 historic websites which are UNESCO World Heritage Websites. These websites are Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla Caves, and Kandy. However since calling it the pentagon would sound a bit of spooky, people simply name it the cultural triangle.
Whereas on the cultural triangle, put together to be swept off your ft by its historical past and awe-inspiring magnificence. Anuradhapura is likely one of the oldest regularly inhabited cities on earth that was first established within the fifth century BC.
The bike experience from Anuradhapura to Polonnaruwa is sprinkled with magnificent historic ruins, Buddhist temples and historic archaeological websites. The spectacular Sigiriya rock fortress in Dambulla is a large column of granite rising a sheer 590 ft above the encircling forest-covered plains which is, fairly merely, breathtaking. Sigiriya additionally has lovely frescoes overlaying its rocks courting all the way in which again to 480 AD.
2. The Central Highlands
The central highlands of Sri Lanka is an enormous plateau adorned by a spread of mountains that attain as excessive as 2500m (8200 ft) above the ocean stage. This mix of excessive elevation and a tropical local weather characterised by excessive rainfall provides this area a novel local weather and ecology discovered at few different locations on earth.
In reality, your complete area is acknowledged as a UNESCO World Heritage Website due to the very excessive variety of endemic species of wildlife it harbors. These embody the very cute purple-faced leaf monkey which you might be prone to spot should you go a bit of off the crushed observe right here.
Additionally, most of Sri Lanka’s tea is grown on this area, so whenever you’re touring right here, ensure that to spend a minimum of a few nights at a tea plantation resort. To these aware of Asia, this a part of Sri Lanka might remind them of southern India, particularly Kerala, as India grows a number of tea as nicely. For those who’ve ever been on an India bicycle tour, you’ll know what we imply.
Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, and Ella are the primary vacationer locations on this area.
3. Wilpattu and Yala Nationwide Parks
Sri Lanka has over 26 nationwide parks to accommodate its outstanding wildlife. Nonetheless, out of those, two nationwide parks that stand out for guests are the Wilpattu and the Yala nationwide parks.
Wilpattu is the most important nationwide park in Sri Lanka and is legendary for the 106 lakes unfold out throughout its huge space and for being a house to the Sri Lankan leopard.
The Yala nationwide park alternatively is essentially the most visited nationwide park in Sri Lanka. Situated in southern Sri Lanka on the fringe of the Indian Ocean, the park is a vital habitat for the Sri Lankan elephant and a number of other aquatic birds.
4. The Coast
Sri Lanka has an extended and delightful shoreline on the Indian Ocean, and strung out alongside its coast like a necklace of pearls are a number of the most lovely seashores on the planet. And fortunately, most of those seashores have nonetheless not been overrun by vacationers just like the seashores in Europe or in Thailand. Make certain to take a look at the Mirissa, Bentota, and Unawatuna seashores.
Sri Lankan cities resembling Colombo, Galle, and Negombo are additionally situated alongside the coast and have a vibrant nightlife together with nice meals.
Remaining Ideas
Sri Lanka is a tropical paradise that provides an amazing option to these in search of an alternative choice to the extra crowded Asian vacationer hubs resembling Thailand or Bali. It’s additionally considerably cheaper than each Thailand and Bali.
And we imagine a Sri Lanka bike tour is likely one of the finest methods to discover this lovely nation. For those who’re in search of a great bike tour operator, we propose trying out Art of Bicycle Trips. Their itineraries are geared toward leisure cyclists with a give attention to cultural and culinary actions.
So what are you ready for? Hop onto a motorbike and pedal away into the sands and sunsets of Sri Lanka.
