The Big Heart Bike Ride in Sri Lanka 2021
Challenge level: 4 out of 5
Challenge level: 4 out of 5
Need a hand? Get in touch...
| 3 September - 13 September 2021 | On Sale | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 11 days |
Discover the stunning diversity of Sri Lanka on our next life changing Big Heart Bike Ride.
Together we’ll ride from the west to the east coast of the serendipity island, with a magical finish at the paradise beaches of Trincomalee. And the best part? It's all in support of the heart charity or cardiac ward of your choice.
Our beautiful route takes us across the rainforest-like rubber growing west of the country to the sprawling plains and idyllic beaches of the east. We’re treated to unending amazing panoramas the whole way, as we pass through rolling tea plantations, bustling towns, remote villages and the lush tropics, where vanilla, cardamom, jack fruit and cocoa grow.
We also have the awesome chance to visit the famous, ancient Sigiriya rock fortress and to taste Sri Lanka’s tea culture with a tour of one of the island’s gorgeous plantations.
We finish with a free day at the beach in Trincomalee, to relax and enjoy one of the world’s finest natural harbours.
The Big Heart Bike Ride
The Big Heart Bike Ride is a heartily popular challenge that brings together people from all cycles of life to raise invaluable funds for heart charities and cardiac wards. Over the years, these amazing cycling challenges have raised thousands of pounds for a number of different heart charities and cardiac wards.
The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your challenge and will support you all the way. We are on hand from the minute you sign up to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself.
COVID-19 - keeping you safe
As we hope you know, the health and safety of our participants is always - and has always been - our highest priority.
Our team of experts here at DC has created a brilliant 14-step initiative, to minimise the risk of coronavirus and maximise your safety. Please click here to see our ground-breaking plan and rest assured that you're safe booking with us.
Worried about fundraising? Don't be...
The Big Heart Bike Ride is an Open Challenge – this means you have the option to self fund your participation and there is no minimum fundraising requirement. You are, of course, more than welcome to commit to a minimum sponsorship target instead and fundraise for a heart charity or cardiac ward of your choice; but it's completely up to you.
Places for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure are likely to go in a heartbeat, so please register early to avoid missing out.
Pay your registration fee and raise the minimum target for your chosen charity.
$5,250
Minimum sponsorship target
Pay your registration fee and your challenge costs yourself.
$2,625
Pay the balance
As we hope you know, the health and safety of our participants is always - and has always been - our highest priority.
Our team of experts here at Dream Challenges has created a brilliant 14-step initiative, to minimise the risk of coronavirus and maximise your safety. Please click here to see our ground-breaking plan and rest assured that you're safe booking with us.
With even the government unsure how exactly the coronavirus situation will eventuate, we can't make any guarantees; but we can promise you that we will always put your health and security first and will always be just and flexible in any decisions we have to make, regarding postponements and transfers.
If the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against travel to Sri Lanka in 2021, the tour will either be postponed until a safer time or cancelled.
In this situation, we will email all participants registered for the challenge with options you can take, such as transferring to the postponed date or another challenge.
All tour operators and holiday insurance providers, including us, take our guidance from Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice. Dream Challenges is also proud to be a member of ATOL and ABTOT, which means your money is always protected.
Absolutely! As part of our amazing 14-step initiative to minimise the risk of coronavirus and maximise your safety on all our challenges we're delighted to have found a fantastic travel insurance policy, which covers you for COVID-19.
You can see the insurance policy here or click here to check out the full 14 actions we're taking to keep you safe.
This cycle is not designed for Olympic athletes – it is designed for people looking for an amazing goal to train and get fit for. A number of the people who will take part in this challenge will have a low level of fitness when they sign up.
This adventure in one of the world's most beautiful places is the perfect motivation to get fit, while raising vital funds for a very important cause.
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 lifelong 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 the Big Heart Bike Ride in Sri Lanka 2021. Please feel free to use this space to swap questions, advice and updates with your fellow cyclists on your training and fundraising.
You may also want to reach out to the other participants in this group to see if there's anyone in your local area you can meet up to train and fundraise with.
Absolutely not! One of the amazing things about the challenge is that people of all ages will come together to do something very special. Everyone who is at least 18 years old by the challenge date is more than welcome to join our awesome Big Heart Bike Ride.
There will be around 40 participants in our group for the Big Heart Bike Ride in Sri Lanka 2021. You'll no doubt make a bunch of awesome new friends!
Your non-refundable registration fee of £299 per person is used to administer the challenge and secure your seats with the airline.
Your challenge costs of £1,750 (ie. 50% of the fundraising target if you choose the sponsorship option) cover:
In addition to paying your registration fee and either fundraising or self funding your challenge costs, you will need to budget for:
A cycle helmet is essential and must be worn at all times. Cycling shorts are also recommended and everyone will need their own water bottles or a camel back-type hydration system.
Apart from that, no specialist equipment is required. We will supply you with a list of everything you will need to take before you go.
Cyclists will have the use of 18 or 21-gear bikes and we suggest you bring the saddle or gel cover you are used to riding on.
We stay in comfortable, three-star class hotels throughout this challenge on a twin-sharing basis.
Yes of course! If you wish to extend your stay in Sri Lanka, please let us know at least fourteen weeks before the challenge start date and we can arrange this for you.
The best way to get in touch is by emailing events@dream-challenges.com or you can call us on 01590 646410 during office hours (9am - 5pm Monday - Friday).
You will need to take out your own personal travel insurance covering health, accident, loss and repatriation.
Dream Challenges has a recommended policy that provides appropriate cover for this type of activity. We will send you the details once you have registered.
You can, however, take out your own insurance, providing it covers you for a charity cycle in Sri Lanka. 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.
The Dream Challenges team are here to help you achieve your challenge and will support you all the way. We are on hand from the minute you sign up to answer any questions that you may have about your training or the challenge itself. Once you have registered, we will send you a realistic training programme to help you get fit for the challenge. The programme builds up gradually as the event gets closer.
During the cycle, we'll have two qualified doctors accompanying the group from the get go and at all times throughout the challenge, along with a team of experienced challenge guides and porters.
We’ll have an event leader, plus two qualified event doctors, who will be with you the whole time. We'll also have a team of 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
