Challenge level: 4 out of 5
Need a hand? Get in touch...
9 February - 18 February 2024 | On Sale | |
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6 September - 15 September 2024 | On Sale | |
Duration | 10 days |
It's time to go wild and trek across the tear drop island of Sri Lanka for animal charities. Home to over 800 amazing animal species and all sorts of exotic plants, Sri Lanka is the closest thing to paradise this planet has and we can't wait to challenge ourselves there with you!
Together, we’ll trek through rolling rice fields and tropical farms, climb the ancient Sigiriya rock, meditate with a monk and finish at the very special Elephant Transit Home, initiated by the Born Free Foundation. Hiking up mighty hills for extraordinary panoramas and passing through small towns, we’ll gain insight into the serene Sri Lankan culture and even spend a night sleeping in a monastery.
It may sound peaceful, but your legs won’t be sleeping by day! We’ll trek from Dambulla in the heart of the vegetable farming region in the dryer side of the country to the Bandarawela Buddhist temple, nestled in the misty South. Climbing the eighth modern wonder of the world, the Sigiriya Rock, is a challenge in itself and that’s only a fraction of our trek!
At the end of our adventure, we'll enjoy a jeep safari in the important wildlife reserve of Udawalawe National Park, home to elephants, buffalos, monkeys, eagles, lizards and Sri Lanka grey hornbill - and that's only to name a few.
Finally, as if this challenge couldn't get any better, we spend our last day relaxing at the paradise beach at Hikkaduwa.
The distance walked over the 5 days is testing with a moderate level of elevation gain over the week and a maximum altitude of 1,900 m, not considered to be a risk of altitude sickness. Temperatures and humidity will be challenging as will be the varied terrain underfoot throughout the trek.
Pay your registration fee (£349) and airport taxes/fuel surcharge (capped at £475), and fundraise £3,990 or more for your chosen charity.
£3,990
Minimum sponsorship target
Pay the registration fee (£349) and challenge costs (£1,995) + airport taxes/fuel surcharge (capped at £475).
£1,995
Pay the balance
Whilst we encourage people to fundraise for an animal charity, shelter or sanctuary on this trekking challenge in Sri Lanka, we are happy for you to support a different type of charity.
The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your charity trek in Sri Lanka, and we will support you all the way. We're always on hand to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.
Once you've signed up, we will send you a Trek Walk on the Wild Side Trek Sri Lanka 2024 Welcome Pack with everything you need to know about your overseas challenge, including the itinerary, an example insurance policy, details about our challenge destination and the weather we can expect while we're trekking in Sri Lanka, the structure of an average trekking day, a full kit list and a realistic training plan to help you get fit for the challenge. The training programme builds up gradually as the trek gets closer.
We'll also send you regular email updates in the lead-up to the adventure, with more important details, motivational resources, and seasonal fundraising ideas.
During the trek, we'll have a UK doctor with expedition medicine training accompanying the group at all times, along with a team of outdoor remote first-aid trained challenge guides.
Please don't be! The majority of people will sign up on their own and our Dream Challenges are renowned for the amazing camaraderie and life long friendships made as our groups take on these incredible feats together.
Once you've signed up for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group for everyone registered for Walk on the Wild Side Trek Sri Lanka 2024.
Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow trekkers on your training and fundraising. You may also want to reach out to the fellow participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.
Our non-competitive overseas charity challenges aren't about living in the gym. Many people who sign up for Walk on the Wild Side Trek Sri Lanka are likely to have a low level of fitness level when they sign up.
The point is to train, do your best, and reach your fitness goal. Our supportive challenge guides and community spirit will help you conquer the challenge of a lifetime. You're also likely to improve your mental health and well-being, and you can make a huge difference for the animal charity closest to your heart.
We strongly recommend you train for the trek. We'll tackle very steep climbs and descents through the mountains on uneven terrain. You also need to be prepared for trekking an average of 6-8 hours every day in humid conditions. We'll break this up with short breaks and lunch stops
Once you register for our trek in Sri Lanka, we'll send you a realistic training plan. This builds up gradually over time so you'll be ready and raring to go by the time we depart for Sri Lanka. We also recommend checking out our top trekking tips here and our indoor training ideas here for the days you don't feel like facing the weather!
Everyone who is at least 18 years old by the challenge date is more than welcome to join this awesome challenge. There is no maximum age limit. One of the amazing things about the challenge is that people of all ages will come together to do something very special.
If you know someone under 18 who would like to join the challenge with you, please get in touch with our team to discuss their participation. Simply email us at bookings@dream-challenges.com or call us on 01590 646410.
You will of course need a pair of walking boots. We will supply you with a comprehensive list of everything you will need to take on the event well before your departure date.
We will stay in comfortable hotels throughout this challenge, except for one night spent in a wonderful Buddhist temple.
The temple we sleep in is comfortable but modest, so the facilities are limited with shared showers and a handful of private showers.
*We organise our accommodation on a twin-sharing basis. However, if you would like to pay for a single supplement and have a room to yourself wherever possible, please get in touch at least 17 weeks before the challenge and we can arrange this for you at an additional price.
Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay in Sri Lanka, simply get in touch and we can find flight options for you.
Please let us know if you decide to do this at least 17 weeks before our departure date by emailing us at bookings@dream-challenges.com or calling us on 01590 646410 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
We anticipate the group size to be around 30 people. You're sure to make a group of amazing new friends.
Your registration fee of £349 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
Your challenge costs of £1,995 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the sponsorship option) cover:
*Accommodation is included on a twin-sharing basis, but you may choose to pay for a single supplement. If you would like to do this, please get in touch at least 17 weeks before your challenge and we can arrange this for you at an additional price.
In addition to paying your registration fee (£349) and either paying your challenge costs (£1,995) or fundraising the minimum sponsorship target (£3,990), you'll need to budget for your:
Travel Insurance
Please take out your own travel insurance upon registering for our trek in Sri Lanka, covering health, accident, loss and repatriation. We advise you to arrange your insurance as soon as you can after you register to ensure you have coverage for your booking as well as the challenge itself.
In your Walk on the Wild Side Trek Sri Lanka 2024 Welcome Pack, you will receive information about an insurance provider that specialises in our type of overseas charity challenges and also covers you for cancellation due to medically-diagnosed COVID-19.
You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity trek in Sri Lanka. Please ask the insurer about the nature of the cover. It is your responsibility to ensure you have adequate coverage for your challenge.
Visa
You will be required to obtain a tourist visa for entry into Sri Lanka, we will send you all the relevant information and forms to do this before the challenge.
Yes, we'll have a UK doctor with expedition medicine training, a Challenge Leader and a team of outdoor remote first aid trained challenge guides.
As we're not medically trained, we're afraid we can't offer you advice on this. We recommend you contact your GP or your local travel clinic, who will have the latest travel health advice.
We also recommend you visit the NHS Fit for Travel website here, to keep up to date with current travel health news and advice on staying healthy abroad.
NHS Fit for Travel website: https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home
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