An intrepid all-rounder, she has cruised India’s roads with many groups, and knows the country like the back of her leather-gloved hand.
Got a passion for motorbikes, nature and history? Then head off along Sri Lanka’s magical roads and trails. There are many Indian influences here, but they are lighter, softer, and restyled. Enter a radiant and luxuriant world – from the cultural triangle to the tea plantations, with a detour via Trincomalee before venturing into rainforests and national parks, then ending your trip near Galle, with feet dipped in the sea. For bikers who fancy intensely new surroundings and variety, this complete motorcycle tour blends cultural riches and beautiful landscapes.
Period
January to April
Duration
12 days incl. 9 days' riding
Level
Intermediate
English-speaking tour leader
Accommodation
Comfort or Boutique
From
3180€/pilot
You'll be met at the airport, and transferred to your hotel. Unguided visit of this coastal resort and fishing port and resort. R&R on the beach or by the pool.
Your Sri Lankan motorcycle tour begins on a series of small ocean front roads, and a few trail sections. Coconut plantations and other tropical scenery scrolls by. Arrive in Kalpitiya, with its wild beaches.
You need to rise early to admire the dolphins' balletic frolics off Kalpitiya. Then back down to earth, for a ride to the centre/north of the island. You cruise through magnificent scenery - jungles, lakes, rice fields, plus coconut and banana groves.
This morning, you can either take an excursion to Polonnaruwa or to the buddhist caves of Dambulla. We ride along the fringes of Minneriya National Park. After a break near Giritale reservoir, you visit Polonnaruwa or go towards Dambulla: either way, we witness the past splendour of the ancient capital of Lanka.
This morning we visit the Lion Rock, a Unesco World Heritage site. Our effort will be rewarded by a great viewpoint at the summit. Then we make for the east coast. For the first 20 km, along the rural road, discover the wealth of crops. We stop in the city of Trincomalee. If the weather allows it, we can take a trip to Pigeon Island, where you just need goggles and snorkel to swim with the turtles and harmless little sharks!
We drive south through the infinite eastern plains, dotted with pristine expanses, gigantic lakes and protected natural parks. This part of the island is uncrowded, and our stage of the day takes us to the natural park of Gal Oya, a reference in touristic guides. We go on a boat safari in the middle of the reserve.
We drive full West with the sight of the Knuckles chain, a beautiful and high mountain. A hook from the North gives us magnificent views of deep blue water reservoirs, and the mountain range that gets closer until we roll at his feet. Finally, the first tea plantations and rural villages based on this economic activity conclude this stage of beauty!
The road runs between reservoirs of light-blue water, then winds through tea plantations. Before reaching Nuwara Eliya, the country’s highest town, you visit a tea factory to find out all about the secrets of preparing the precious leaf. Visiting the town, you’ll realise that its nickname of “Little England” is no exaggeration: it has kept a strong British flavour with its colonial buildings, golf course and horse race course.
We are in the heart of Sri Lanka's tea factory. We follow a deliberately tortuous route to see a maximum of this particular region. In addition to the bushes of tea plantations, we also cross the plateau of the country, where we feel like we have arrived in Switzerland. Arrive at Ella for lunch, charming refuge for many backpackers. We then join our hideout for the night, outside this small town.
Today you leave the uplands and head for the south coast. After a cooling break at the foot of the Ravana Falls, resume your journey along a superb mountain road: twisty but smooth. On reaching the plain, admire the large sculpted Buddhas at Buduru Wagala.
We continue south to the ocean. Enjoy this final day in the saddle to feast your eyes on the rice fields, the small well-tended vegetable patches, and the lakes that dot the landscape. En route, you stop off at the sacred rock of Mulkiri Gala and admire its reclining Buddhas from centuries past. Then you ride through Matara, a town fortified by the Dutch in the 17th century, before reaching your last coastal stopoff.
It's the end of your road trip in Sri Lanka! Today you ride back to Colombo. Transfer to Negombo airport by private vehicle, based on your flight-departure time.
“I was born in Sri Lanka but I was taken to parts I didn't know existed. Excellent knowledge of which routes to take to avoid the sometimes hellish traffic. The bikes were great fun : this is despite me being 125 kilos on a 350 - impressed ! They seem to be constantly reviewing their hotels which can only mean a better experience I would recommend this company to my biking friends”
“A wonderful and memorable experience. The 12 day tour that my wife (pillion) and I went on in Madhya Pradesh was very well planned, with interesting and sometimes challenging rides and sight-seeing during the day and comfortable, culturally fascinating places to stay in at night. Our tour leader was experienced, organised, had a fun personality and managed to respond to each member of the tour as an individual. We highly recommend Vintage Rides to anyone with a sense of adventure and competent motorcycle skills. Laurie and Jennie McAdam”
“i did the nepal mustang trip in november with my son, a small amount of offroading skills is required. He had only passed his test 3months earlier and had gone a couple of off roading sessions and coped well. The weather was good that time of year, no rain and warm. the tour was better than i'd ever expected with a number of surprises along route. most accommodation was of good standard with some of very good 'the wife could spend a week here' standard. the bikes worked better than i'd expected, not ktm standard but you wouldnt want to be on a ktm allday, and half the appeal was the enfield. i would recommend this trip, so much so i am looking presently to book another trip with vintages rides.”
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