Cycling in Srilanka: Part-1: Colombo-Matara-Nuwara Eliya-Kandy
Srilanka (historically known as Ceylon), is an Island country in South Asia. It is separated from Indian peninsula by Gulf of Mannar. I had a long time wish to visit this country. Finally, I travelled this wonderful country on my bicycle from 2nd -26th December’24 along with my cyclist friend, Mr. PH Patil (from Karnataka).
Day-0: 2nd December’24: Reaching Srilanka:
I reached Bhandaranayeke International Airport at 9.45 pm by Srilankan Airlines, UL196) with my cycle. There were no extra charges for my oversize luggage (box size 1500x813x229 mm, 28 kg) and immigration was also hassle free.
I withdrew some Srilankan rupees (LKR) from my forex card and taken a Srilankan mobile SIM card (Dialog) at the airport itself. My partner, Mr Patil reached at 11.45 pm from Bangaluru. We booked a Van (7700 LKR) and reached to our pre-booked hotel (Hotel Ocean Edge & suits, Marine drive, Colombo-3, 30 km from airport) at 1 am.
Day-1: 3rd Dec’24: Colombo City: 25 km cycling:
After our complementary breakfast in the hotel, we walked to Marine drive sea shore where road and railway line run parallel to the sea (Indian Ocean). We were looking for any cycle shop to get our cycle assembled. When we failed to find any shop or mechanic nearby, we unpacked the boxes and assembled our cycles ourselves. It was a great learning experience.
In the afternoon, we came out to see the Colombo city on our cycle. First, we went to Galle face sea front and then to Lotus tower (351.5 m high, tallest tower in South Asia). We roamed around the Tower but we didn’t go to the top as entrance fee was very high (20 USD). We cycled through the President house and other secretarial buildings and reached to the famous Gangaramaya temple (one of oldest Buddhist temple cum museum, entrance fee LKR 400) and finally we visited the Independence Square. We purchased few essential items for our journey and returned to our hotel room. We ate hoppers (dosa in bowl shape) at a restaurant.
Day-2: 4th December’24: Colombo to Bentota: 65 km
After finishing my kriya and breakfast in the Hotel, we started our journey. First we went to Prasanna money exchange (57, Galle road, Colombo-06). Here, we exchanged our INR into LKR (1:3.4 ratio) and started paddling towards Galle via highway no. A2. Roads are exceedingly excellent with sea and railway tracks running in parallel. There were many road side stalls selling raw coconuts and fruits. We used to take break after every 5-10 kilometres.
On the way, we visited Kalutara Buddhist Temple. We reached Bentota at around 5 pm and started looking for home-stays. By seeing the hoarding, we found a very good AC room (Pearl Ocean Villa, 0765571693, LKR 3000) near bentota lake. In the evening, we strolled near the bentota lake and had dinner in the room (veg biryani, 900 LKR).
Day-3: 5th December’24: Bentota to Galle: 60 km.
Bentota is famous for boat safari. There are many back waters, rivers and islands. We took a boat safari at Madhu river (Nilwala boat safari, 0776020422, LKR 4000 for 2 persons) at Ahungalla (Balapitiya). There were beautiful mangrove forest along with many other plants all around the water bodies. We were taken to Cinnamon island where cinnamon plants are grown. We could see the processing of cinnamon spice, oils, tea, etc. In another island, there was a Buddhist temple complex (Kothuduwa Buddhist Temple). We sailed through many islands. We saw many water animals and birds. It was an excellent boat safari for 2 hours.
We continued our cycling, had lunch (rice & curry) on the way and reached Galle at 4 pm. We visited the famous Galle fort (a world heritage site), light house, etc. Being on bicycle, it is very convenient to find a Homestay/hotel inside a locality at a very cheap rate because other tourists find it difficult to reach there very easily. We got a non AC room at a home stay (Real rich, 0765500257, LKR 2200) on Matara road. They arranged tiffin box (Rice and curry) for our dinner (LKR 300 each).
Day-4: 6th Dec’24: Galle to Matara: 50 km
There is a Japanese peace pagoda near Galle on Matara road. We left our hotel in the morning with our baggage. It is hardly 2 km from the main road but GPS misguided us and we had to ride a long route which necessitated pushing the cycle, walking, trekking to reach the pagoda. Anyway, after visiting the pagoda, we came back to the main road and continued cycling towards Matara. On the way, we had very good breakfast with herbal drinks and millet porridge at a roadside stall.
There are many beaches on this route such as Thalpe beach, Koggala beach, Kabalana beach, Midigama beach, Mirissa beach, etc. We visited few of them. Mirissa beach is famous for whale watching trips but we didn’t find any such trips, may be, it was not proper season for whale watching.
We reached Matara by 4 pm. We again got a good non AC room (Yhostel room, 0774874777, LKR 2000) near beach road. In the evening, we walked on the Matara beach and visited the Buddhist temple (Matara maha seya) on a small island, connected by a bridge with the main land. Matara is a quite busy town having a big bus terminus. We enquired about availability of bus for Ella. We had our dinner (hoppers & dal) at a restaurant near bus terminus.
Day-5: 7th Dec’24: Matara to Wellawaya (140 km by bus) to Ella: 15 km cycling:
We reached to the Matara bus terminal and boarded a bus putting our cycles at the diggy of the bus after removing the front wheels. That particular bus was going upto Wellawaya (27 km short of Ella) but we didn’t wait for the direct bus upto Ella as many buses may not have empty spaces in their diggy.
We reached Wellawaya (140 km) at around 1 pm. After having lunch, we started cycling towards Ella (a hill station in Badulla district). Road was good with beautiful forests on both sides but after 10 km, it was stiff climb with hairpin bends. We were finding it difficult to paddle and was looking for some vehicles. Suddenly, we saw a young couple driving an empty mini truck and they agreed to give us lift upto Ella. After a few kilometers, one tyre of the truck got burst but he continued to drive it with flattened tyre and dropped us at Ella.
Here, we met a new friend Andrew (a backpacker from Hamburg, Germany). Along with him, we reached to Sadew Homestay where he had pre-booked his accommodation. We also took a luxury room there (LKR 6500 with breakfast & dinner). Room was very specious with 2 separate double beds with neat and clean bed linens. In the evening, we strolled around the Ella town which is a very happening place with lots of foreign tourists. Host lady (Mrs Ishanka, 0761493324) was very nice and she provided us authentic Sinhalese sumptuous foods at dinner.
Day-6: 8th Dec’24: Ella stay: 10 km cycling
Today we wanted to see sun rise at Ella Rock. We woke up at 4 am and started walking along the railway line (4 km)and then treking through the hilly forests (2 km) and finally climbed for about 900 m to reach the Ella rock view point. Entrance fee was 930 LKR for Indians. It opens a panoramic view of Ella gap, the Little Adam’s peak and the green mountains all around. Because of clouds, we couldn’t see the sun rise. But stunning beauty was worth of the challenging uphill hike. As it was very windy, we decided to descend. While returning, we wanted to visit Ravana cave but GPS could not guide us properly. We reached upto a point from where it was showing only 50 m away but we could not find the path. So after wasting about 1 hour in the jungle, we returned to our hotel.
In the afternoon, we cycled to Ravana cave through the proper road. Entrance fee was 250 LKR. It is not a very big cave. There are many stories about this cave. Some says Ravana lived here, etc. After visiting the Ravana cave, we went to the cave temple at the base of of the cave mountain. The temple is indeed very beautiful where lord Buddha is worshipped.
After visiting there places, we returned to our hotel and enjoyed sumptuous dinner prepared by Ishanka.
Day-7: 9th Dec’24: Ella to Nuwara Eliya: 65 km (by train)
Early morning, we walked along the railway line (3 km) towards Badulla to reach the famous Nine Arch bridge (also known as bridge in the sky). Bridge is made up of rocks and bricks, standing on nine pillars having nine degree curve on each pillar. It is an example of engineering excellence during colonial era. We enjoyed this places along with many tourists.
Day-8: 10 Dec’24: Nuwara Eliya to Katukithulla: 45 km
Today, we cycled to Ashok Vatika (Seetha Amman temple) where Sita Mata was captivated by King Ravana. The temple is excellent with forest/garden in the back and water steam flowing in between. This is the place where it is believed that Hanuman met Sita and gave her Lord Rama’s wedding ring as a sign of hope. Being a Ramayana sthal, there were many tourists (mostly Indian).
After spending for about 1 hour, we returned to our hotel and packed our luggage and started cycling towards Victoria park area. We went to visit the Sri Gayathri Guru Peetha, a Hindu temple dedicated to worship Goddess Gayathri. It is planned to install 108 Shiva Lingams (brought from Narmada river, India) in this Temple. It is believed that Meghnad (Son of King Ravana) used to meditate at this Peetha.
We returned to Victoria park area which is a more happening place as compared to the lake area and I wish we could have stayed in this area instead of the Gregory lake area which was very lonely. After visiting Nuwara Eliya, we started cycling towards Kandy at around 2 pm. It was down slope and there are lots of tea gardens on both sides. Riding bicycle on this road was very enjoyable. We visited the Damro tea factory and tested their black tea and a tea cake. On the way, we found the Hola Bojun Hela (food courts run by local ladies trained by Government). We tasted some freshly prepared authentic foods such as jackfruit cutlet, coconut laddu, dosa, namkeens, etc.
We again continued our cycling and reached Bhakta Hanuman Temple of Chinmaya Mission of Srilanka (47 km before kandy) in the evening. We couldn’t find any accommodation there as it was full. But the manager provided me a phone number of a local Homestay (Tearamb’s holiday bungalow, katukithula, 0712996062). It started raining by that time and we could not move further. The owner of Homestay was very kind and he guided us to his place and provided an excellent suit at a very cheap rate (LKR 2500 as against 13000). Otherwise, it would have been very difficult for us to find any accommodation at that juncture. He provided us very good complimentary dinner also. The bungalow was excellent, nestled in trees all around. Rain continued for the whole night. We slept well amid the pitter-patter of rains.
Day-9: 11 Dec'24: Katukithulla to Kandy: 50 km
We started at 7 am. As road continued to be down slope, we reached Kandy (via Peradeniya) comfortably by 11.30 am . We took a room in a homestay (Home sweet home, Pillayar Kovil road, 0741-777750) near Kandy bus terminal. We parked our cycle in the homestay. After taking bath and having lunch, we went to bus terminal. There is no direct bus for Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. So we took a bus upto karandupura on Colombo road and another bus upto Rambukkana (40 km from kandy). We reached at 4 pm and we could see the bathing of the orphan elephants in the river and then we roamed around the sanctuary that houses the orphaned baby elephants and injured elephants found in the wild. We returned to our homestay in Kandy in same way by bus.
This way, we completed the first part of our cycling trip in Srilanka. We have cycled for 320 km and travelled in bus & train for another 200 km through the beautiful western, southern and central provinces. My further journey from Kandy to the Northern province will be described in next part of my blog.
I remain,
Anukul mandal (Mob. 9818738602)
Email: anukul1962@gmail.com
YouTube channel: @cyclingbeyondlimits
Instagram: anukul.mandal.37
Very interesting. Brief description and photos.
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