Sri Lanka – Classic

My wife & I had a great adventure on our Sri Lanka trip, our first with redspokes. We had a great exposure to the people, culture, history and back roads of this diverse country, and attribute most of that to our tour leader, Waruna, who was excellent and highly professional, and to our bike guide, Sampath, who is an experienced pro, highly knowledgeable of the tiny, scenic roads in his country after 20 years guiding on them. Our mechanic, Noan, and bus driver, Daneesh, made a superb team.

The Sri Lanka Classic tour did truly allow us to experience classic Sri Lanka. We cycled through an incredible variety of landscapes, from immaculately groomed tea gardens to wild jungles, teeming with wildlife, and visited the incredible monument of Sigiriya – a must-see in Sri lanka. There were some challenging climbs on the bike for those that wanted that (others gratefully jumped on the bus), and some gentle cruising days with more focus on the sights and sounds. The Sri Lankan people were a highlight, always returning our smiles and waves with their own, and the children were especially excited to see us cycling their rural lanes. Getting up very close to wild elephants going about their daily life was another highlight.

Our guide Kasun and his team looked after us exceptionally well, and introduced us to true Sri Lankan life that you might not experience on other tours. Highly recommended.

Another excellent trip from Redspokes. Sri Lanka is a diverse country to visit by bike with it’s history, culture, friendly locals and amazing scenery. Waruna and his team of helpers served us well throughout the trip. The snack stops were great with delicious local snacks served up daily. The trip was very well run and the bikes hired were ideal for the trip. Waruna was an excellent leader with a vast knowledge of his country. His knowledge enhanced the trip and gave us a good flavour of life in Sri Lanka. Thank you Redspokes you’ve delivered once again!

I have done 7 tours with four different tour groups and would rate our tour leader Kasun as one of the very best. Outstanding

Wow! Where do I begin. redspokes you’ve done it again! We had such an amazing time. It was such a colourful and interesting tour. Each day we would see such fascinating sighs not knowing what to expect next! Our Guides Mr Sampath and Mr Waruna were both so interesting. Mr Sampath took us on the most beautiful paths and away from the noisy dangerous roads, to climbing hills through the tea plantations with spectacular scenery. One memorable day – we got up and went for an early pre dawn cycle. We were cycling In Sigiriya Rock National Park and we saw traces of elephant and sure enough we stopped and one walked across the road in front of us! He disappeared without a trace. Mr Waruna is a great historian. When we visited ancient temples he knows so much about each place. Other places of interest he was so knowledgeable. Our guides, drivers and helpers were equally so kind, friendly and helpful. They all went above and beyond their duties to make sure we were all happy and you couldn’t fault any of them. They were a really good team!

Another fantastic trip with Red Spokes. Waruna was a truly expert guide and his team worked tirelessly to ensure we had a very positive experience. Sri Lanka is an amazing and varied country and we felt that there was an excellent balance between cycling and experiencing the culture and beauty of this wonderful place.

Very enjoyable trip combining cycling through some lovely and ever changing countryside and a good level of sightseeing / learning about the country.

Local guides were excellent and very knowledgable.

This was my first organized cycling tour and I was not sure what to expect – either of redspokes or myself! I was so pleased to find this tour extremely well organized.

Mr. Sampath did an excellent job of evaluating our group’s cycling abilities and speeds and adjusting our pace accordingly. He is an excellent bike tour leader, who effortlessly led us through side streets, canal-side paths and through busy towns! The tour would have not been such a success without Mr. Waruna! His patience in answering client questions was endless, and his passion for and knowledge of the history, culture and wildlife of Sri Lanka were infectious. I learned so much more about the country than I ever expected I would on a cycling tour. The rest of the crew were always helpful, professional, and friendly. Kasoon is an excellent driver in often very difficult, tight conditions! Nuwan always had the truck where it was needed, and Kumar was ready to help in an instant. We loved being pampered with fresh fruit, local sweets and water at every stop! What a great team!

My mountain bike was excellent! I was not sure what to expect, but brought my own cage pedals, which the team installed for me. I also brought a gel seat cover, which I think helped save my butt! Loved the disc brakes on my bike! They gave me confidence on the downhills!

A fantastic trip, which as well as the cycling offered so much more in terms of exploring this lovely country and its friendly people. The cycling was excellent, mainly on minor roads and tracks and so well supported by the team – Sampath is a brilliant guide answering questions and introducing everyone to Sri Lanka’s flora & fauna, culture, history and food & drink. Gayan and Prasad were great too, providing support with the minibus and jeep, topping up water and providing snacks and sorting out the bikes. This was a great way to see the country and experience its culture and wildlife, the activities which are included as part of the package are wide ranging and include all of the ‘must sees’ in Sri Lanka. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the trip and have to say a big thank you to Sampath, Gayan and Prasad for all their help and support in making it such a great trip.

I just love seeing a country on a bike; slow enough to really experience it, but fast enough to see the variation. And was a variation Sri Lanka has, bot culturally and naturally! Waruna, Chamara and Anu showed did a fantastic job in showing us the best of it and always with a smile, like all people in Sri Lanka.

We took the time to stop at tea factories, rubber plantages, a school, temples and more, which made me not only come home fitter than I was, but also a bit wiser. The hotels were generally very comfortable, hot showers and often a pool, a luxury that I did not expect, but greatly enjoyed. Thanks a lot for a fantastic holiday!

This was the second redspokes trip I have done and once again it lived up to expectations. It was well organised, the cycle leaders Sampath and Chamara took us alongside canals teeming with all manner of natural beauty, over roads under construction, and of course the ‘undulating’ countryside. Our driver Ishfan was always at hand to provide water, to help with the bikes and in my case when I was riding in the van, slowing down when I wanted to take photos.

The food was wonderful and abundant, even having lunch served by a Tamil lady at a lookout stop at 1302m (4,270ft). There was always the choice of local, spicy food or the less spicy western and for most days both breakfast and evening meals were buffet style. The accommodation was of a very high standard, with some hotels having swimming pools which were very welcome after cycling in the 36 deg heat and humidity. Probably one of the nicest overnight stops (as far as character) was at Sir John’s Bungalow (John Kotelawala an ex Prime Minister of Ceylon) up in the cool of the hills. It certainly didn’t have WiFi, it only just had electricity-luckily it had cold beer!

Apart from the countryside, the ‘add ons’ to the cycling included temples, UNESCO world heritage sites, a rock fortress, spice gardens, tea factory, botanical gardens, and white water rafting.

There was wonderful natural beauty, with the mating call of peacocks a daily occurrence, monkeys, egrets, herons, land and water monitors, elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, and more kingfishers than you could wish for. The country was lush, green, with an abundance of water and magnificent tea plantations. The people were friendly, always smiling and the children shouted ‘hello’ and ‘bye’ as we passed. We were blessed with good weather (perhaps a wee bit hot for cycling) with only a couple of late afternoon showers in Kandy. I would thoroughly recommend the trip to anyone.

Toucans, kingfishers, green winged pigeons, pelicans, green bee eaters, chestnut eaters, lizards, elephants, crocodiles, flowers, Buddhas tooth, exploring and kindness by all. Fantastic tour and great team leading it. Memories, memories, memories!

Cycling on a variety of roads, lanes and tracks through countryside ranging from flat stretches along beaches and rice paddies, to high elevation forests and tea plantations, was a great way to be introduced to Sri Lanka. The accompanying support team was superb.

It was a fantastic cycling and travel experience that we could never achieve with a traditional tour. Sri Lanka is a great destination for its people, the nature, the historical and cultural heritage.

I think the guide did a tremendous job in balancing the needs and capabilities of the different participants, offering frequent stops and refresh options. Time schedule was kept without adding stress and pressure. Some of the lunch and accommodation were really great and always in line with the spirit of a cycling tour.

This was our first trip with Redspokes and it certainly won’t be our last! The organisation, the support team and our guide Mr. Waruna were all first class. Nothing was too much trouble for them to ensure we had a memorable trip. We have been on many tours across the world, but cycling in Sri Lanka is there amongst the top.

I cannot praise Red Spokes highly enough. My protracted signing on process (all my own doing) was patiently and calmly handled by the Red Spokes UK staff. But I’m over the moon that I went. The Sri Lankan staff were fantastic with their knowledge, humour and care and attention to our needs and wants. They attended quickly to any bike issues, they managed transfers and logistics smoothly and carefully. They are enthusiastic about their country and that enthusiasm is infectious.

The route chosen was at times challenging and character-building, always safe and scenic and often utterly spectacular. Sri Lanka itself provided a stunning landscape and visual and sensual feast. Cycling was a gorgeous way to experience all that. I was delighted to share a significant birthday and explore some family history with a wonderful band of fellow travellers, guides, drivers, and logistics technicians all of whole were invested in the journey. Where to next?

Kasun and Veejay were a great team, very helpful and supportive, always ready to lend whatever assistance was necessary.

I highly recommend the Sri Lanka classic tour with wonderful guide Kasun Akalanka. It's a brilliant trip covering national parks, a tough uphill mountain day, meanders through rice field paths, undulating rides through tea plantations, a window into village life and immersion in tropical jungle. The food and varied accommodation are also highlights. 10/10.

It was an excellent overview of Sri Lanka, with a good mix of culture and wildlife viewing to complement the cycling. Both food and accommodation were remarkably good throughout.

A fantastic ride through amazing scenery, with bucket loads of culture and wildlife.

Some great riding for those who like a bit of a challenge whilst accessible as well for those who prefer an electric bike. No better way to see Sri Lanka.

One of the best cycling tours I took part ever, excellent balance between cycling and visiting cultural highligts, very good accomodation, helpfull and flexible guides, interesting and sometimes surprising visits and also food.

Inbetween three mostly challenging days in terms of climbing, but the roads are good to cycle an the team is looking to be helpfull in any case.

For a relatively small Island, Sri Lanka packs in a mind boggling mix of history, culture, heritage, nature, wildlife and spectacular scenery, which changes from sweeping coastlines to misty highlands and lush jungle throughout the trip. Every day is different and the journey is enhanced throughout by delicious food and the warmth and joy of the people.

On a bike you are immersed in everything this Island country has to offer – that's the real beauty of travelling under your own pedal power and it's the perfect was to experience Sri Lanka.

This was an unusual trip as there were only 3 participants and we were travelling in Sri Lanka at a time of national crisis following the Easter Sunday bombings. In several of the places that we stayed in our group were the only guests and the staff in all the hotels we went to were grateful that we were visiting the country at a time when most tourists had left Sri Lanka and many countries (including the UK) had advised against all non-essential travel.

I cannot speak highly enough about the cycle guide, Sampath and the driver Gayan. Both were endlessly helpful, patient and conscientious in their work with our group. They were always ready on time and kept the bikes in tip-top working order and they both went out of their way to respond to all kinds of requests from the group. They kept us constantly equipped with cold water even when the outside temperature reached 40 degrees and well supplied with bananas.

This was my first ever organised tour after decades of independent travel, and I loved the whole thing! Everything ran smoothly including the hired bikes (Cannondale hardtail in my case). The support crew were fantastic – an extremely knowledgeable guide who could explain any part of Sri Lanka's history, culture, education or political system, and Mr Sampath, a cycle guide who seemed to know every back road in the country.

The crew were totally flexible with requests from those who wished to cycle further than the scheduled distances. We had a great mix of accommodation styles, from isolated colonial bungalows to more "resort-style" hotels, an ate everything from street food to in-house buffet dinners. A very strong thumbs-up!

We had a thoroughly enjoyable experience in this beautiful country. Our guides were such kind ,warm and friendly people. Their knowledge of local wildlife, agriculture and history was fascinating. They could not do enough for us. The hotels were way above our expectations and the food was fabulous. If you want to get a feel for the charms of Sri Lanka this tour is definitely a must.

A brilliant trip. We were looked after really well by Waruna and his team. Accomodation was excellent and it was great to stay in such a range of different places, all with their own characters. It was a great mix of cycling, culture, wildlife, landscape and fabulous food plus great company from everyone in the group.

My partner had never done a trip like this but I'd done many, we both loved every minute of the trip and the guides Nuuwan and Gayan were fantastic. Great support with water and food when needed.

Helped us out with all the small things to make the whole trip go smoothly. Thanks loads.

The redspokes Classic tour is a great way to experience some of the historic sites of Sri Lanka as well as having a chance to see some of the more rural life. If you are planning a visit to Sri Lanka this is the way to do it. Lots of wildlife: elephants, egrets, kingfishers, and monkeys guaranteed! A zoom lens is recommended for the keener photographers. Maybe not to carry on the bike but you will have lots of opportunities to put it to good use!

The riding took us through a variety of terrain and scenery. Usually “undulating”, “sometimes steeply”, and often “mostly up”. The tea plantations are really lovely. The support team was excellent. Our guide, Kasun, was always informative and was constantly finding interesting wildlife for us to observe. He also made a point of regularly checking in with us to make sure that the accommodations and tour in general were not lacking in any way. Sangeen, our driver and chief water-carrier, was always ready with a smile. Thanks to redspokes for organizing yet another wonderful tour.

redspokes' Sri Lankan Classic tour was fantastic – great routes, accommodation and food. Our route guide was amazing with his knowledge of the back roads and our tour guide always giving us interesting and knowledgable information on the cultural aspect of the country and the places we visited.

This was an absolutely wonderful trip. Waruna and his team were so hardworking, and looked after us very well. The accommodation was excellent, and the lunches at local people's homes were a highlight.

Everyday brought a new adventure, from white water rafting to an elephant safari, with enough challenging cycling to make it all worthwhile. I would thoroughly recommend this trip.

This was my first redspokes trip. Our guide, Waruna and his team were excellent. Attentive to all of our needs. I could not fault them.

We cycled through the beautiful countryside of Sri Lanka and got a range of conditions, thunderstorms and mid 30’s temperature which made for interesting riding. We were emersed in the food and culture of Sri Lanka which was a great experience. I would highly recommend this trip.

This trip was over all expectations. Riding the bike all day with local guides has been an amazing way to discover a new country, people, culture, food and traditions.

It was such a fulfilling trip in all ways that it will be hard to travel in any other way in the future. Thanks for this great experience!

This trip is extremely well organised and confidently led by the tour leader Kasun. You will not find a guide who knows the roads as well as he does. The scenery and sights are stunning, particularly in the high country and the safari in Udawalwa National Park is an experience not to be missed.

The cycling can be tough in the heat and when the hills rise up, but the constantly smiling Sri Lankans give you that lift needed to keep turning the pedals. Many thanks to Kasun, Karlinga and Lasantha for looking after us so well.

I want to rave about the guide Waruna. He was one of the best guides I have ever met — quality all the way through. the bike guide, Sampath, was very good too. as well as excellent drivers and support staff.

As always, redspokes exceeded expectations. Beautiful scenery. Millions of birds. Great food. Friendly people. Fascinating and rich culture with an undercurrent of sadness which made it an educational and thought-provoking trip.

Very impressed with the quality of service by this local company it could not have been better in terms of 'the team'. Waruna and the other 6 members were excellent. I felt that Waruna managed us as cyclists well. Despite us being a diverse group in terms of needs and abilities I felt that he changed and amended routes/enrichment experiences constantly!

I have no hesitation in recommending this trip to anyone. I will indeed based upon this trip be booking another one in the future!

Really felt as though we were part of the culture , thanks to the team guiding us .

Felt the cultural input of Mr Waruna made the holiday special. His enthusiasm for his native country was palpable.

Kasun was an excellent guide, he was very attentive and made sure that we had had a good day and were happy with the accommodation all the way. He was very informative and patient, and had a great sense of humour. And his back up team were also excellent, but as their English was a bit limited, not so easy to ask them questions. And we had lots!! I liked that there were plenty of stops to refuel with water and snacks. And that we stopped ot local villages for morning tea.

There was lots of different terrain, and it was great to be on the rural back roads as much as possible. Accommodation was generally excellent, especially the ones with swimming pools to cool off. And the opportunity to go rafting was great too. All in all, a very well run trip – highly recommended, even if I couldn't make it up the hills on day 6!

This is my second redspokes trip. I continued to be impressed with the in-country planning and coordination. Our crew and guides were thoughtful, kind and helpful. They were always happy to answer questions no matter how silly. I especially enjoyed the cultural parts of the trip- we cycled and then we would visit temples and learn about the history and culture of Sri Lanka. I like doing both. The food was excellent- I liked the roadside restaurants the best- although the hotel food was good- the off the beaten track restaurants had more interesting food options. Mr. Sampath's knowledge of the small canal roads that took us away from traffic and guided us through quiet villages and beautiful landscapes was wonderful. These roads are not an maps which clearly showed how much he knew about his country and his committment to give us an enjoyable experience.

Mr. Waruna is such a kind, patient, knowledgable guide. He did a great job handling our group, communicating with us and ensuring that our needs were met. I highly recommend Sri Lanka to people interested in a cycling vacation- it was the perfect blend of cycling, learning about the history and culture of Sri Lanka and enjoying a beautiful country.

We have just returned from our wonderful Sri Lanka Classic cycle tour. As we are middle aged and not particularly fit we decided to take the e-bikes. Although these did help us, they did not stop us from getting a lot fitter by the end of the tour. Our guide Chamara and driver Janika were extremely experienced and benevolent. We learnt so much about this beautiful country from the spices and teas that are grown there, to the gems that are mined. We visited Buddhist temples and world heritage sites. The lunches were varied delicious and memorable as were the snacks, black tea and fresh coconut stops.

It was an opportunity to see parts of Sri Lanka that very few others can or do. The people are incredibly friendly and the children run down the road after you for a ‘high five’. I don’t think that there was one moment where I didn’t have a smile on my face. Thank you “redspokes” for a wonderful tour.

Kasun and Lasantha (our driver) were excellent and went out of their way to ensure everything was okay for us, and nothing ever seemed too much trouble.

The outstanding highlights for me were the three lunches we had in local people's homes.

This was a great trip with a good mix of culture and activity, it was a superb way to experience Sri Lanka. Kasun was an outstanding group leader and was supported by a fabulous team who managed to cater for everyone's tastes and abilities.

Our guide, Mr Sampath made this holiday. His knowledge was vast, the country side, plantations, routes, animals and birds was a joy to talk with him. he gauged our wishes well, managed to find great cycleways, tracks/roads that were fascinating, noting the animals, birds and reptiles plus the visits to the spice garden, gem museum, botanical gardens and several ancient cities we enjoyed a lot.

The driver, Diane, he was very good at looking after the bikes, local provisions and such a careful driver, this made all the difference to a well supported and relaxing holiday and travel in the support vehicle.

The trip with everything – flat long runs, arduous hills, beaches and lush greenery in the tea plantations, as well as plenty of wildlife. Definitely one worth doing. I absolutely loved it and am keen to return to do one of your other Sri Lanka tours.

Our Sri Lankan guide’s intimate knowledge of the roads and byways granted access to areas that no coach or van could ever visit and we were rewarded with sights and sensations that were sometimes the same, but never repeated. For every photo there were a thousand more I wished I had taken.

The variety of flora and fauna is quite remarkable. Sampath’s advice allowed us to eat and drink produce from the side of the road, creating interactions with local people, who were always pleased to see us.

Fresh coconut water was a particular favourite. The cycling is comfortable and the few climbs rewarded with corresponding descents.

Excellent food with so much choice in the buffets. Kasun's attention to detail was amazing, all the information about the day's ride was extremely clear his knowledge on the history and the places of interest that we visited was excellent.

I would recommend this tour to all riders, a cultural yet challenging ride through a beautiful country with a great ride leader and support crew.

Well organised and very helpful attentive guide. redspokes seem to find excellent guides.

Sri Lanka is a wonderful country and a must see for all it has to offer! The variety of terrain from beach views to incredible tea fields was a feast for the eye. Beauty at every turn.

This trip was awesome – scenery, people, food & accommodation really of a good standard (much better than Laos). Great to meet Damien & Stephen who were real "Flag Bearers" for Dermot.

A truly memorable trip. Such a beguiling country, from its people, philosophy, history and landscape. Every day had something new to offer, and you feel you are seeing the real Sri Lanka.

This was a fabulous trip, Sri Lanka is a super country, lots of interesting cultural sights, rice, tea and fruit growing everywhere, lively people, good food.

The cycling was great and a brilliant way to experience parts of the country away from the tourists areas.

Waruna, our guide, was amazing, he had so much knowledge and he and the support team couldn’t do enough for us. And my fellow travellers were a great group. I wanted the trip to go on and on!

I enjoyed this trip very much. It was great to cycle through the country and to experience the hospitality of the Sri Lankan people. Stopping off in small street cafes for a cup of tea was fun and all the better for having just cycled through the lush green plantations where the tea is grown. Kasun our guide and the two drivers looked after us very well and made sure all our needs were met.

All the other cyclists were great company and I was sad to leave everyone at the end of the tour.

I recently had the incredible opportunity to explore the enchanting landscapes of Sri Lanka and it was an experience that surpassed all expectations. The journey was made truly exceptional, thanks to the exceptional guidance of Mr. Sampath and Mr. Waruna.

From the lush tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya to the pristine beaches of Galle, every turn of the pedal revealed a new facet of Sri Lanka's diverse landscape.

This was my second Red Spokes trip and it didn’t disappoint. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and Warruna and his team took time to introduce us to the many delights the island has to offer. Warruna is a fabulously knowledgable guide and provided us with a wealth of historical and cultural information. The food throughout the trip was amazing and the views along the route were fabulous. Each hotel was a delight.

I didn’t want to leave each one but was delighted to find the next was amazing too. I loved the night in the mountains.Looking forward now to my next trip!

Sri Lanka is beautiful and amazing and a bike tour with Redspokes is the best way to see the country. Our guides worked tirelessly to provide a rich cultural experience and their hospitality amazed us. Best to switch Strava off for this tour.

We had a fabulous time. Sri Lanka is a beautiful country, with such wonderful people – not least our Guide and Drivers – and the tour enabled us to see so many aspects of its culture and heritage. It was a great experience, really well organised by redspokes so the cycling was manageable, and something we’ll never forget.

Cycling through breathtaking scenery and eating my body weight in delicious Sri Lankan food everyday. A match made in heaven. #livingmybestlife

Another fabulous trip from red spokes. Our guide Waruna and all his team couldn’t have been more helpful. Lots of water stops and snacks en route were amazing, they took great care of us. Loved staying in the tea plantations and visiting homesteads for fabulous Sri Lankan cooking. We had the opportunity to visit a reserve where we saw elephants and crocodiles in the wild and lots of amazing birdlife. Really feel Waruna and the team wanted to show us the best of their country which is totally beautiful. Waruna is very knowledgeable about the wildlife and gave us a good insight into the culture and religious beliefs in Sri Lanka Can’t recommend it enough!! Fabulous Thank you all.