Days 1 & 2
UK – Negombo, Sri Lanka

Our 2021 adventure for heart charities begins when we meet at the airport in London. From here, we catch an overnight flight together to Negombo, arriving in the stunning country of Sri Lanka on Day 2. Our team of local challenge guides will be there to greet us and together, we transfer by coach from the airport to our hotel in Negombo.

In the afternoon, we have our bike fitting and take some time acclimatising to the awesome tropical climate! We end the day with a challenge briefing and our first group dinner.

Day 3
Negombo – Kitulgala | approx. 60km

After breakfast, we mount our bikes at the hotel and kick off along the West Coast. We follow a route through stunning scenery that welcomes us on to our challenge. Pedalling through towns and small villages, bustling with friendly locals, we’ll also pass lush rice fields, before descending through rainforest-like rubber plantations, to our hotel in Kitulgala.

Hydration is key and we’ll stop regularly to rehydrate ourselves with water, King coconut and fresh fruit. We may even take a dip in the streams we pass that are suitable for swimming, if you really need to cool off!

Day 4
Kitulgala – Kotagala - Nuwara Eliya | approx. 60km

Today, we conquer Sri Lanka’s central hills. Beginning with breakfast at the hotel, we transfer to our starting point in Kotagala. From here, we spend the day cycling uphill through beautiful tea plantations. The spectacular views more than make up for the tough ride, with breath-taking panoramas of the rolling tea mountains on every side.

Finally, we reach our hotel in the beautiful city of Nuwara Eliya. Nestled in the hill country of the Central Province, Nuwara Eliya is sometimes known as “Little England”, due to its rows of Tudor-style hotels and bungalows with pretty gardens. Here, we settle down for dinner and a good night’s rest.

Day 5
Nuwara Eliya – Kandy | approx. 65km

Breakfast at the hotel fuels us up for a longer, but equally as stunning, day of cycling. We mount our bikes at the hotel and ride first to a fantastic tea factory and plantation. We take a break here to make the most of the brilliant opportunity to learn how Sri Lankan tea is made. Surrounded by rows of Ceylon tea plants, we take a tour and get some insight into the manufacture of the delicious local drink.

Then we’re back in the saddle for a picture-perfect descent through rural villages and yet more beautiful tea plantations. Passing through the small towns of Pupuressa and Galaha, we eventually come to the suburban Peradeniya, where we meet our coach transfer. After an enchanting day’s ride, we rest tonight in the city of Kandy.

Day 6
Kandy – Dambulla | approx. 60km

Hopping on our bikes after breakfast, we cycle into the central cultural region of the country! Passing through charming villages along the way, we enjoy handsome vistas of small gardens, lush greenery and tropical spice plantations.

From our saddles, we’ll likely see a great variety of flowering plants growing, including vanilla, rubber, cinchona, jackfruit, cocoa and cardamom. We stop for a lunch in a traditional spice garden in Matale, where we enjoy a taste of the local curry, amidst a spice paradise.

Then it’s back on our bikes, until we come to our hotel in Dambulla, the closest town to the famous Sigiriya rock fortress. Of course, we make the most of this fab opportunity to climb and explore it! Widely known as the eighth Modern Wonder of the World, this is an ancient archaeological wonder, formed from the magma of an extinct volcano. It reaches 370m above sea level, overshadowing its surrounding jungles by a whopping 200m.

Day 7
Dambulla – Trincomalee | approx. 98km

We’ve made it to our last day of cycling! Although we’ve experienced a range of contrasting terrains and ecology on our challenge already, we have yet another mix-up.

Our route takes us along an almost perfectly straight road, with wide plains sprawling on either side, all the way to our finish line! We end our mighty 343km challenge at the beautiful beach of Trincomalee, on the east coast of the island.

Tonight, we celebrate our incredible achievement for heart charities with a bonfire on the beach and shots of the local spirit, Arrack.

Day 8
Trincomalee

Today is free for you to spend as you wish at the peaceful and picturesque Trincomalee, one of the world’s finest natural harbours. You can kick back on the sandy beach and soothe your muscles in the turquoise waters, visit the Shiva temple or tour the historic town for souvenirs!

To allow you more flexibility on this well-deserved day of leisure, only breakfast is provided. This leaves you free to try out the various restaurants and cafes for lunch and dinner.

Day 9
Trincomalee – Negombo

We bid goodbye to the east coast after breakfast and transfer back to the west coast to Negombo. For the rest of the day, you’re free to explore the city, arrange your own lunch and enjoy an awesome sense of achievement at the place where our ride began. We meet back up in the evening for our farewell dinner, with a magical view of the sun setting over the Indian Ocean.

Day 10 & 11
Negombo – UK

After a final breakfast in Sri Lanka, we transfer to the airport for our overnight flight back to London. This is where we part ways and make our own way back home.