Cycle the Back Roads of Sri Lanka

Holiday of a life-time

An amazing experience with Exodus & Suresh as tour leader.

We have just returned from cycling the back roads of Sri Lanka with Exodus. Quite wonderful… a lot of miles across multiple landscapes on very good bikes staying in great accommodation, eating local food all managed & led by an exceptional guide. A joy every day with so much seen and experienced.

This is a great trip.  Cycling is varied, accommodate overall very good.  A lovely country to see by bike.

As I am getting older these sort of adventure trips are more important to me than one can imagine because the time will come soon where I will act my age.Having started the trip on a disastrous note where I fell very ill on the plane trip to Sri Lanka.Combination of a virus and my medication[inappropriate medication for the trip/climate]the big tip is check with your local doctor before embarking on said trip.I thus missed a couple of days cycling and wasnt as strong re cycling as usual.The trip went like clockwork from the beginning to the end and the group jelled really well .As luck would have it we had a doctor and a nurse within the group [lucky me]The trip staff were excellent and food was great and the country worth the effort to see The locals were tremendous and never saw a cross word to anyone anywhere,a serene country.

I've done a number of these cycling trips and this was way 'up' there compared with some of the others - all of which have been fabulous. It was fairly challenging in that it was hot and a number of roads were 'under construction'. I almost didn't go, being recently diagnosed with a condition but am so glad I still went ahead. It helped knowing that the van was behind, just in case.

One of my best trips ever, the group was absolutely great, the group leader absolutely fabulous and the cycling is just absolutely great. Sri Lanka itself is a great place to be with various landscapes, one more beautiful then the other, people are so friendly and being back here in Europe, i miss the smiles and i miss the Hellos and Byes of the kids, the waving hands ... food yeah food ... i just loved it .. rice and curry, pol roti, coconut sambal .. just wonderful .all in all .... MARVELLOUS 

Gosh where to start... we have been on 3 trips now with Exodus and each time l think the guide is good, but Suresh was a true Ambassador not only for Exodus but most importantly Sri Lanka. He was so proud of it, the people, its geography, wildlife, flora and fauna and of course its culture. That deep knowledge helps convey a strong level of confidence and insight whenever he was "guiding" or asked questions about Sri Lanka. So that's him in a nutshell but there is so more to talk about what he and the supporting team delivered during our 2 weeks. The team were excellent, they were well briefed understood exactly what was needed, nothing was ever too much trouble. Every morning the bikes were cleaned if dirty, chains were cleaned and oiled & of course checked to ensure our safety. Whenever we stopped the team would quickly remove our drinks bottles and refill to ensure we kept hydrated, it was after all hot! In addition to our guide we also had two other cyclists riding, both were excellent at either supporting riders at the back of the group or riding ahead at key junctions to point the way or many cases stop the traffic so we could just continue cycling. We also had 3 others in the support team who were equally as helpful and again just could not do enough for you. Nobody could fault the team. I would say the group had a mixed level of experience, but at no point did any of them ever indicate that they always felt riding with them. They were always very encouraging. Many of the roads were as the trip notes state were just back roads quiet and full of life - local people, children shouting hello or goodbye, animals and birds. Traffic and driving in Sri Lanka can at times be described as a little chaotic, but even when we had to ride on main roads (A roads) they were never that busy. Whilst cycling Suresh’s knowledge of his environment was second to none, he ensured that we never missed anything - he even ensured that we had the right "lucky" Jeep driver to ensure we saw a Leopard in Yala National Park. His “management” of us was very professional, courteous and exceptionally polite when asking for people’s attention, it is often difficult to get but he did through his knowledge, respect and of course good humour. His ability to laugh at himself is a great virtue! When it came to the day to day logistics of riding, no stone was ever left unturned. Suresh ensured we received 100% service from not only him and his team but also those who provided us with Sri Lankan hospitality. Whether it was a simple & basic tea house, 4* hotel, or a dinner on the beach the relationship he had created with them meant service was second to none. It was evident that if any of these were not delivered to his exacting standards then he would tirelessly secure somewhere better. All these establishments knew that. I could say more but where to stop my final example would be on our departure day from the group. We decided to stay an additional week near Galle, so we asked Suresh if he could book us train tickets, contact the HomeStay to see if we could hire bikes, etc. which he duly did. Come the day of our departure at 6am from the Hotel, Suresh organised a tuk tuk for all 3 of us to get to Colombo train station. He accompanied us on to the right platform and ensured we get on the train safely. Once we were on he then of course left us. We then saw him 10 minutes later back on the platform. He had sent some photos of us on the platform to the WhatsApp group but when asked did we have seats he then had to stop his journey back to the hotel and return to the station to take some photos of us in said seats as evidence. Why would you do that? Simple because he truly cared. We absolutely loved every minute of our holiday to Sri Lanka, the people, its culture, the birds, wildlife, history and geography. All of this was fully exposed because of the insight and passion that Suresh and his team had. They truly bought it to life, guides can make or break a holiday, they made it for all of us. We will have no hesitation in returning and recommending this trip to other cyclists. It was ACE!!!!

Highly recommend this tour, so many different highlights to mention them all but cycling the backroads through the rice fields, seeing the wonderful wildlife, felt like i was on the set of Madagascar on several occasions, even saw wild elephants. The tour guide, Suresh, and his team are great. Making sure everyone is well looked after, with regular breaks with great snacks, sampling some of the local dishes..the pancake with dessicated coconut being one highlight. 😋 The food was great, suresh organising some great lunch stops and also an evening meal demonstration from one of the local chefs was great, so good to get some curry tips and it tasted delicious.. This cycling tour is a great way to see the country, especially with suresh providing great commentary, good insights and passing on his knowledge and passion for his country.

Tougher rides than expected because of heat and rough terrain in places. A good mix of cultural, social and wildlife experiences. Good organisation with excellent back up team