Backroads and Beaches

Sri Lanka by bicycle, on the quiet roads

Sri Lanka rewards riders who are willing to leave the trunk roads behind. This fifteen-day guided trip from Saddle Skedaddle traces a long arc across the island — west coast to central highlands, then down through tea country to the southern beaches — with the cycling weighted towards backroads, lanes through paddy fields, and the descents off the hill stations rather than the busy A-roads. It's pitched as an adventure holiday, graded 1 to 5, so expect varied days rather than a steady tempo, and a rhythm that swings between flat coastal miles, climbing into the Knuckles, and long downhill runs through teak and rhododendron forest.

The route, in practice

Things begin gently at Chillaw on the west coast, where the group meets after the long flight, gets bikes sized and eats together. From there the trip heads inland to Anuradhapura — one of the island's ancient capitals, ruined and tree-shaded, dating back to the 5th century BC — and on to Sigiriya, where the Lion Rock rises abruptly from the plain. Habarana is the pivot: from here the road tilts upwards, into the green central hills and the Knuckles range, finishing at Kandy and the Temple of the Tooth, the most revered Buddhist site on the island.

Above Kandy comes Nuwara Eliya, the old British hill station that still feels faintly mock-Tudor, surrounded by the tea estates that made its name. Then a long descent through Horton Plains, dropping out of the cloud forest towards Katharagama on the southern plain. The riding flattens here, threading through forest to Udawalawe, where a full day is given over to a jeep safari in the national park — elephants are the headline draw, in good numbers and at close range. The final cycling day ends at Mirissa, a long crescent of sand on the south coast, before a transfer to Colombo by way of Galle, the Dutch-walled colonial port on the way back up.

Day three sets the tone for the riding: 40 miles, around 350 metres of ascent, after a short transfer to a quieter starting point near Mahananneriya. Days vary from there, but the structure of "transfer past the dull bits, ride the good bits" is used throughout, which is sensible on an island where the main roads can be congested.

Bookings, kit and who it suits

The trip is fifteen days door-to-door, including the international flight days, with prices from £2,895 per person. The grading covers a broad range, so reasonable fitness and some hill experience are useful — particularly for the climbs into the Knuckles and the descent from Horton Plains. Daily distances are moderate by adventure-cycling standards, and the support vehicle takes the pressure off when the heat or the gradient bites.

For each booking, Saddle Skedaddle donates to World Bicycle Relief, with the aim of funding a Buffalo Bicycle for every long-haul trip; clients can add to the donation at the point of booking. Trip notes and dates are available direct from the operator on +44 (0)191 265 1110. It suits riders who want a proper cross-section of Sri Lanka — temples, tea, wildlife and a few days by the sea at the end — rather than a single-region tour, and who don't mind a varied pace from one day to the next.