A Sri Lanka Adventure

by Wendy Fougner

At the end of this past November, Bruce and I embarked on a biking trip through Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an amazing destination with stunning landscapes and warm, friendly people.

On the first day of our trip, Bruce and I visited the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage which provides care and protection to orphaned elephants found around Sri Lanka. At PinnawaIa you see the elephants outside of their natural habitat; however, I found this more enjoyable because it allows you to get up close with these fascinating creatures. There, I got the opportunity to feed an adult elephant chunks of pineapple and watermelon, which was very memorable. I was also able to feed a baby elephant from a bottle, which was really neat. Holding a warm bottle to the elephant’s mouth, the animal slurped up the entire contents within seconds! Visiting the elephant orphanage was a very unique and visceral experience like no other.

After visiting the elephant orphanage, we began our first exploratory bike ride. Our driver and bike guide were phenomenal, and our mountain bikes were in great shape. Our bike guide, LH, fitted our bikes for us and was very accommodating. It is recommended to take your own helmets and we also brought along my bike seat and Bruce’s pedals. There would have been room for 2 other passengers as the back row of seats is removed to transport the bikes.

Exploring Sri Lanka by bike was a wonderful experience as the country offers beautiful, picturesque landscapes. We rode along fields of rice paddies, followed meandering rivers and climbed through tree plantations in the mountains. As we biked, we encountered workers planting rice, making cigarettes, picking tea and coffee, and local children racing on their bikes. There was always lots of activity in the fields and the people we encountered were very happy and friendly. Everywhere we turned we were met with genuine good mornings, big-grinned hellos and lots of hand waving. The kindness and hospitality of the local people made us feel very welcome. Now that the war is over, there is a sense of warmth and happiness.

One day we were riding along the river and the road was flooded with water up to our knees. A farmer came along on his tractor and took me and my bike through the flooded area. The farmer really had to work his tractor, was happy to help us on our way and expected no compensation. Later on the trip we encountered another farmer who invited us into his home, offered us fresh coconuts and showed us the collection of spices that he grew. We often encountered children in the local villages, running out of the schoolyard and saying hello as we passed on our bikes. I had never experienced that sort of warm openness in a destination before, and am unsure how long it will last.

For most of the trip we biked along quiet country lanes and we often choose to sit in the van to get up the long steep climbs, though not all of them. Some of the routes through the tea plantations were only suitable for off road vehicles.

Some of the highlights of our journey included the ancient capital of Polonnaruwa which was established in the 12th century, climbing up (and down) the old fort site at Sigirya (I didn’t know that Bruce had an issue with heights), Kandy, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (one of Buddhism’s most important temples), driving in 1st and 2nd gear over the one lane roads of the Knuckles range, the beaches at Negombo, Dambulla Cave Temples, and the shopping and dining in Colombo.

Throughout the journey we stayed in a variety of accommodations, from 5 star boutique hotels to more moderate hotels. While the upscale hotels were nicer and more beautifully furnished, the moderate accommodations certainly were still very nice, clean and comfortable. All of the places we stayed were half-board, meaning they provided a buffet breakfast and dinner. No matter where we stayed there was always a great selection of fruits and salads, as well as a wide variety of Western and Asian dishes. When we biked during the day, our guides would bring us delicious fresh pineapple and banana as a snack for our breaks, which was lovely.

Sri Lanka is an unbelievable destination and this biking adventure stands out as one of the best trips we have ever taken. I would highly recommend a trip to Sri Lanka to anyone. The people are warm and wonderful, the scenery is spectacular and there is much to see and do. However, I would recommend going sooner rather than later, as the country is likely to change as tourism becomes more common. Overall biking Sri Lanka was a fabulous, feel-good journey.