Sri Lanka at a glance Location & Physical Features: Sri Lanka, an island in the Indian Ocean is located to the south of the Indian subcontinent. It lies between 5 55' and 9 55' north of the equator and between the eastern longitudes 79 42' and 81 52'. The total land area is 65,610 sq. km. and is astonishingly varied. A length of 445 km. and breadth of 225 km. encompass beautiful tropical beaches, verdant vegetation, ancient monuments and a thousand delights to please all tastes. The relief features of the island consist of a mountainous mass somewhat south of the centre, with height exceeding 2,500 meters, surrounded by broad plains. Palm fringed beaches surround the island and the sea temperature rarely falls below 27 C. Climate & Seasons : In the lowlands the climate is typically tropical with an average temperature of 27 C in Colombo. In the higher elevations it can be quite cool with temperatures going down to 16 C at an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres. Bright, sunny warm days are the rule and are common even during the height of the monsoon - climatically Sri Lanka has no off season. The south west monsoon brings rain mainly from May to July to the western, southern and central regions of the island, while the north-east monsoon rains occur in the northern and eastern regions in December and January.
Demography: Sri Lanka has a population of 20.3 million of whom the majority are Sinhalese (74%). Other ethnic groups are made up of Sri Lankan Tamils (12.6%), Indian Tamils (5.5%), Moors, Malays, Burghers (of Portuguese & Dutch descent) and others (7.9%). Although Sri Lanka is a multi-religious country, Buddhists constitute the majority with 69.3%. Other religious groups are Hindus 15.5%, Muslims 7.6% and Christians 7.5%. Sri Lanka's literacy rate of 88.6% is one of the highest in Asia. Sri Lanka is mainly an agricultural country. The chief crop is rice with which the country is almost self sufficient. Tea, rubber and coconut are also important agricultural crops, with tea being a major foreign exchange earner. In addition, other crops of importance are cocoa and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper and cloves. Fruit and vegetables, native to both tropical and temperate regions, grow well in Sri Lanka. What to take: You will need the following: Sunhat / Sun cream / Water bottle / Light casual clothing / Warm sweater/fleece Sandals / Walking shoes Especially when visiting temples men s and women s clothing should cover shoulders and be on or below the knee.
02 nights / 03 days Cycling Tour in Sri Lanka
Day 01 : Colombo / Kaduwela Early morning start you re riding through the main capital in Sri Lanka Colombo. It is advisable to start early morning to avoid hustle & bustle of the city.
You can visit the Kelani Temple in the morning. This is one of the most valuable and one of the most beautiful Buddhist Temple in Sri Lanka. We believe the temple to have been hallowed during the third and final visit of the Buddha to Sri Lanka. Situated about six miles from Colombo, set within a sacred area of around ten acres, the Kelani Vihara stands beside the Kelani River.
After visiting Kelani temple once again start you re riding along the Kelani River. Also you may have chance to witness people making bricks along the river back. You are riding along the Hanwella-Avissawella road, passing through a panorama of contrasting landmarks of coconut and rubber plantations with paddy fields. Over Night stay at hotel in Kaduwela. Ride 55 km B L D
Day 02 : Kaduwela / Kithulgala After Breakfast you are going to cover a cycling route in between Kaduwela to Kithulgala. The trail involves riding through Plantations (Rubber, cococnut & tea estate roads) & Local Village. There are many steep hill and mountain climbs involved on this tour and it requires riders to be in very good physical condition.
Kithulgala - Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. It is in the wet zone rain forest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the wettest places in the country. The Academy Awardwinning The Bridge on the River Kwai was filmed on the Kelani River near Kitulgala. Over Night stay at hotel in Kithulgala. Ride 60 km B L D
Day 03 : Kithulgala / Colombo In the morning, we will do white water rafting in Kitulgala.You are sure to have an unforgettable experience.
As all good things must come to an end. After a ride of 60 km, we will rack up the bikes and continue the rest of our journey by our vehicle, giving your tired legs a break. In the evening proceed to Colombo by the vehicle. Ride 60 km B L