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Anyone traveling Sri Lanka, the beautiful and varied island in the Indian Ocean with Dylan Wickrama, will discover his former home in an unconventional and adventurous way. Cultural highlights mix with visits to places that are far away from the tourist path and you get to know the traditional and authentic Sri Lanka. We experience people, nature and wonderful motorcycle routes with open senses.
The trip starts in the coastal town of Negombo and leads us inland through small back roads. Via the old city of Anuradhapura we continue towards the east coast, where we can explore the beach and colorful Hindu temples inTrincomalee. We drive back inland and reach the so-called “cultural triangle”of Sri Lanka. We drive further inland and spend the night in Madura OyaNational Park where we are definitely the only tourists. Then it goes into the Knuckles Mountains and the tea plantations of the plateaus. On small, varied roads, it goes back over the highlands and along Adam's Peak towards Negombo.
Everything you need to know about this tour. Do you have any further questions? Please contact us!
After about half an hour's ride you will reach the coastal town of Negombo where you will meet the rest of the group. If there is enough time, we will take a first test ride with the rental motorbikes. On the beach you can choose to relax, watch the fishermen catch their fresh fish and prepare them for trading. The fishing boats with their brown sails, called Oruwa, are Negombo's trademark.
We leave bustling Negombo and head north inland. The traffic soon becomes quieter and the roads wind through coconut plantations. In a small village, we visit a well-known family of Dylan and learn more about their lives. Hopefully we will have many of these encounters on the Reies, as Dylan enjoys sharing the stories of his fellow countrymen with you. We reach Maho in the evening and enjoy a cool dip in the pool.
We ride along a river landscape to the ancient Buddha statue of Aukana and have the opportunity to observe life on the river on the way. We drive on the smallest roads to discover the authentic Sri Lanka. In the afternoon we continue towards the dry zone of the country, along man-made reservoirs to Sigirya. In the late afternoon, those who have the energy and desire can climb the Pidurangala Rock, which offers a wonderful view of the famous Lion Rock, the jungle and the sunset.
Before we head north, we visit the impressive cave temple of Dambulla, which can be reached via a long staircase, in the cooler morning hours. We then ride north again on small roads to reach Anuradhapura later on. The city used to be the capital of Sri Lanka. The many temples and huge stupas (dagobas) bear witness to the long and mainly religious history of this place. The sacred Bodhi tree, the direct descendant of the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment in India, is a hive of activity. In the evening, when the believers light incense candles and coconut oil lamps, the atmosphere is particularly beautiful and we take the time to visit the 103 metre stupa - the largest in the country - in Anuradapura and watch the people.
After breakfast, we head eastwards. Our destination for the day is the harbour town of Trincomalee, situated on a peninsula, and the sea! Vanakkam - this is how you are greeted in Tamil culture. We enjoy dinner by the sea and fall asleep to the sound of the waves and palm leaves.
Today is our first rest day, but we won't be bored. For culture lovers, we visit the colourful Hindu temple Koneswaram, where numerous divine statues and a huge golden statue of Shiva adorn the sanctuary. Due to its unique location, the view from the Swami rock offers a beautiful view along the coast with postcard flair. The fishermen return from their tour in the morning and the fish market is bustling with activity. In the afternoon, you can go for a swim, enjoy the beach and the peace and quiet or take a short motorbike tour along the coast.
There is quite a bit of off-road riding ahead of us today. If you feel safe enough, you can drive from the coast through the jungle towards Monorathenna / Welinkanda. Those who prefer travelling on the tarred road have the option of taking a longer, but easier diversions with the support vehicle. Before we turn off into the jungle, however, the route takes us along the sea. We watch the fishermen at work and enjoy a picnic lunch on the beach. The overnight stay at Monarathenna/Welinkanda is in a bungalow where every room has a garden connection and a view of a lake with thousands of birds. If we are lucky, a few elephants will also pass by.
Today is another off-road day through the jungle of Maduru Oya. With luck, we will see herds of elephants roaming through the tall grass. A day full of adventure! Here, too, there is the option of travelling behind the support vehicle on paved roads for those who prefer a little less adventure. In the evening we spend the night at the Batticaloa lagoon. Here we are back in Tamil territory and can once again immerse ourselves in Hindu culture and Tamil food.
Batticaloa is already rather untouristic and today we go a little further off the beaten track. There are practically no tourists in Ampara and yet there is plenty to see. The region has captured Dylan's heart in recent years and should therefore definitely be shown to you. As tourism is still in its infancy, the infrastructure is not very well developed. We spend the night in a simple guesthouse in a spectacular location. It is right on the shore of Lake Malyiadi and if you like, you can move your bed outside in the evening. Sleeping under an open shelter is even better, because as soon as it gets dark, all we can hear are the sounds of the jungle. And a guitar. We are visited by Dylan's friend Viraj Batthia. He is a well-known folk musician in Sri Lanka and is guaranteed to bring his music with him.
"What a fantastic time we had in Sri Lanka. Martina & Dylan are truly wonderful people and great messengers for this fascinating country and they succeeded in turning this "guided tour" into an adventurous and dreamlike beautiful trip with friends and an unforgettable time, which allowed us all numerous impressions, especially away from tourism and it infected me with a new wish to renew and deepen my knowlegde... A heartfelt thank you".
Today we enjoy the morning at the lake. We can paddle out on the raft ourselves, watch the fishermen at work and relax in the hammock. In the afternoon we set off in the direction of Senanayake Samudraya reservoir. A boat safari awaits us there at sunset. We see the elephants from the lake and have a unique experience almost to ourselves. Compared to other national parks, there are only a few boats here.
We leave the jungle and the hot and humid climate: today we head for the highlands. In the Knuckles Mountains we enjoy the peace and quiet and the cooler temperatures. We ride along the 18 Bend Road, the most impressive winding road in Sri Lanka, and enjoy the onward journey: the adventurous route takes us deeper and deeper into the mountains. At the very end, the road to our overnight stay today becomes a little challenging. But we're lucky: we don't have to return for another two days.
This day is free for hiking tours or a motorbike trip further down the valley to Meemure, the oldest village in Sri Lanka. On the way we can observe how the climate zone is changing. The dense pine forests in the valley become rice plantations and it is warm enough again for us to swim in the river. A beautiful day with marvellous views of mountain peaks and valleys.
After a few days of travelling far away from tourism, today we ride through the mountains towards Ella. A tourist centre in the mountains. The climate can still be cooler. We spend the night in a family homestay and can take advantage of the tourism in the evening: The choice of restaurants and good coffee is definitely there in Ella.
This morning we have breakfast with a view of the 9-Arches Bridge. Afterwards, we can organise the day as we please. A hike to the small Adams Peak, for example, or we can hop on the train and take the most beautiful train route in Sri Lanka from Ella to Nuwara Elya through forests and tea plantations. With the train doors open, the journey is guaranteed to be a unique experience. As always, Dylan has an exciting idea in store for us today.
From Ella, we first descend a few metres in altitude - back into the warmth - before climbing back up to 1868 metres above sea level in the evening. On the way we have time to conquer the Devils Staircaise. The name of this particularly bumpy slope says it all: if you feel like it, you can challenge your skills today and take on the devil and some pretty big rocks. If there's enough time, or for those who aren't looking for such a big adventure, we take the quiet roads to the Buduragalae rock temple, which is located in the middle of nature. The closer we get to our destination for the day, the more tea bushes we see. Now we have definitely arrived in the tea-growing region. Tea plantations with colourfully dressed tea pickers characterise the landscape. Today, Sri Lanka is still one of the largest tea producers in the world.
After leaving Nuwaraelya, we visit a tea factory en route, where we learn how the green tea leaves are turned into tasty Ceylon tea. We spend the rest of the day in the region where Dylan lived for many years and knows the small roads through the plantations and villages. In the evening we experience Gampole, a town with charm. It has the right mix of market alleyways, temples and traffic and is therefore much less strenuous than touristy Kandy, for example.
Dylan's mum and brother live here in the region. We enjoy rides through the region, chill out in the bungalow and visit Dylan's mum, where we can once again enjoy the hospitality and savour a home-cooked curry.
Today we are building a raft - or at least almost. A few kilometres along the river you can go slow-tubing à la Dylan: in old truck tires we comfortably float along the river and see from the water how important the river is as a lifeline for people who still live here in the simplest conditions.
Today we head straight back to Negombo, where we return our beloved motorcycles and enjoy the last evening together on the beach.
You will get a transfer to the airport. Individual return flight home.
On this trip, we´ll ride Honda 230 / 250 cc or equal motorcycles. In case of damages to the motorcycle caused by you, the material cost for the repairs has to be carried by you. Seat height about 86-88 cm (34"-34.5"). In Sri Lanka we drive on the left side of the road.
During this tour we will not drive to noteworthy altitudes or through extremely deserted areas. We´ll ride light motorcycles on well-developed roads as well as back roads, at times with bad asphalt and some gravel and forest slopes. Off-road experience is therefore recommended. Offroad basic training is very useful as preparation. In doing so, you learn how best to handle the motorcycle off-road. The daily stretches are not long, which allow for the opportunity to take pictures of different villages and scenery. An inconvenience may be the traffic density in and around the cities. Many motorbikes, scooters, tuktuks and bicycles make their way through the streets every day. Careful with the trucks on the main road (which we avoid as much as possible) because the traffic rules seem to be up for discussion... We will ride about a third part on dirt roads, not every day.
A helmet is mandatory, as well as motorbike clothing with built-in protectors, decent gloves and boots or solid footwear. Especially in spring and autumn it can get very warm in the lower regions. Therefore, we recommend wearing breathable protective clothing. On the higher, colder parts of the mountains you can wear extra warm clothing under your motorcycle-clothing. Nevertheless, we have to take short rain showers into consideration each time. Lastly, temperatures in the mountain regions in winter (December& January) can drop to up to 5 C (40F), so take warm clothing with you as well.
For Sri Lanka you need your valid driver's license together with a valid international driver's license and a 'Sri Lankan driving permit' which we organize for you. A valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity) is required. Many citizens need a visa to enter Sri Lanka.The visa must be applied for in advance as an “Electronic Travel Authorization”(ETA) in the online procedure at www.eta.gov.lk, costs were 35, - USD but this tend to change and was also offered for free. You are responsible to find out VISA requirements specifically belonging to the passport you hold. You can verify up to date information from your local embassy, or consulate in your country of citizenship or find information online for example via https://visacentral.com/
Consult with your travel doctor for up to date medical travel information well before departure. It is your responsibility to make sure that you obtain your visa and have immunizations completed in time.
We are very happy that this motorcycle tour in Sri Lanka is guided by WorldTraveller/adventurer/writer/filmmaker Dylan Wickrama ( Mc Gyver). After riding his motorcycle around the world for three years, Dylan 'arrived at the end of the road', the Darien Gap - an almost impenetrable area between the Panama and Colombian jungle. He built himself a raft powered by his BMW R 1150 GS and made his way across the Pacific Ocean towards Colombia. Together with Martina Zürcher, he wrote a very inspiring book and made a film 'When the road ends' about his trip. Dylan was born and raised in Sri Lanka and lives in Europe. A motorcycle vacation in Sri Lanka with Dylan guarantees adventure! More info on https://www.ride2xplore.com/
Rider starting at: € 3690,-
Pillion: €3250,-
Single room up-charge: € 450,-
Pocket money to bring: € 550,-*
Minimum number of riding participants: 6
Maximum number of riding participants: 12
Maximum number of passengers: 2
Visa (Exclusive): $ 35,-
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