Reviews

Sri Lanka December 2022

Fabulous cycling trip, filled with amazing activities.

A Fantastic Trip

I found the Wildlife of Sri Lanka amazing, everywhere we went, not just the in the game reserves. Generally cycling along, we found crocodiles, long Lizards, a variety of bird life, mischievous monkeys, etc. One day an elephant was on the road, just before we cycled through. I wasn’t expecting so much nature outside of the reserves.

Rowan, the trip leader, and the boys were amazing in every respect. You will be well looked after.

Be ready for early starts and a quick departure to take advantage of the cooler mornings. The heat and sun when ascending, was challenging, but the bus and truck were always there if it got too much.

I felt completely safe in Sri Lanka. Although there are lots of problems there regarding fuel and food, we did not experience any problems as tourists, so don’t let the News put you off. They badly need tourism to return to pre-covid levels to support their economy.

Cycling in Ceylon

What an amazing holiday! This best thing I have done in ages & up there with my best trips.
I booked at the last minute as there was a cancellation due to COVID and was very apprehensive as to what lay ahead. Would I cope, what will the group be like etc. etc.
I don’t cycle regularly and took the e-bike option and really glad that I did. Some days were hard, especially the uphill ascent to Nuwara Eliya and some days were undulating. Using the e-bike allowed me to enjoy my holiday and took away the angst of thinking whether I could do it.
The holiday was great on so many levels: –
Guide & trip support
Suresh was our guide and what a beautiful person he is, kind, caring, thoughtful, funny, always going the extra mile to ensure everyone was happy and catered for… a true professional. I can not rate him highly enough; in many ways, he made the trip.
Suresh was supported by a fantastic team – Suranga, Ruwan and crew. Suranga provided technical support, ensuring all the bikes were ok, he would even be checking them as we cycled. The guys worked so hard behind the scenes to make sure everything ran seamlessly. Making sure that we were fed, watered as we cycled from place to place. In the morning all the cycles were lined up, clean & checked ready to go.
Trip
The trip itself is fantastic, every day was filled with something different to do and see.
Cycling is a wonderful way to see Sri Lanka especially cycling the back roads. It’s so vibrant and provides an assault on the senses… all the colours, smells, sounds, beautiful vistas, wildlife and people. The Sri Lankan people are so welcoming and friendly, children and adults waving as we cycled past…shouting ‘Hi’ ‘Bye’
Accommodation
The accommodation overall was fantastic and even better than expected. I particularly liked the hotels in Sigiriya, Kandy and Ahangama. It was easy to cycle from one place to another…Suresh would check us in & our bags would be waiting for us in the rooms! When leaving we would just leave our bags outside the door and the bag fairies would sort everything.
Food
What can I say…yum, yum yum! So many gorgeous vegetable & meat curries, not forgetting the egg hopper. One must try when one is in Sri Lanka. Suresh took us to some fantastic places to eat. I really enjoyed the family meal where our food was cooked in banana leaves.
One of the things I really enjoyed were the cycling tea stops. We visited small cafes, a Sri Lankan home. We were offered the most divine fresh fruit-mango and pineapple and lots of spicy snacks-I’ve forgotten the names. We had some great lunch stops too.
Activities.
These are all listed in the itinerary and were great and plentiful, I am amazed we packed so much in. Climbing Lion rock, climb in Eliya, visit to gem factory-shop, spice garden, safari-we saw the elusive leopard, tea factory, I skipped the whale-watching as I needed a relax!
Group
As well as Suresh the group really made the holiday for me. I wasn’t sure at first but as the days unfurled, we bonded. We had lots of fun and banter…what a lovely group! I hope we stay in touch.
We even saw the infamous ‘yellow elephant’
Big thankyou to GI Jane & Captain Chris, the lovely Janine & Darren, Sue-‘Queen of the Mountains’, Lady Julia, Richard of Wales, Sir Roger, Peter the Great, St. Simon, Neil Young-the one & only, Jimmy Carter and Bob Hope.
Personal
Final note, I had a bad 2021, felt in a bit of a rut. It was a big step for me to book this trip but I’m so glad I did. It made me feel alive again…what more can I say!
Thankyou Suresh and team, group and Sri Lanka xxx

Beautiful island, great cycling

This is a wonderful trip. The landscape is beautiful, nature everywhere, monkeys, birds, even elephants and crocodiles. Gentle people, interesting history. Cycling started with 2 easy days then the build up to the big hill after the rest day in Kandy. All those who started the hill finished it and were glad to have done so – but it is a long hard day. The second week has a visit to Yala safari park which was terrific and a day and a half on the beach – optional whale watching. The guide Suresh is the best leader I have come across by a distance. The way he organises everything brings us into the heart of the country and its people. Super efficient use of time at tea stops etc by his use of a group kitty. And supported by a greedily and very practiced team. And no bus time until the second week. We cycle from hotel to hotel. Hotels variable but fine. Food is good and plenty of it.

The Best Way to Experince Sri Lanka

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.

utterly brilliant trip!

Sri Lanka on a bike – was outstanding. This was our 5th trip and it certainly was one of the best so far- the country is beautiful, the people so friendly and the cuisine was delicious. The trip was made even better by the outstanding tour leader – Ruwan was so organised, considerate and knowledgeable about so many aspects – his country, religion, wildlife, plants, demographics -we can thoroughly recommend this trip.

Holiday of a lifetime

Sri Lanka is a Beautiful island and what better way to see it than on a bike. The cycling varies with some days very challenging and others easy. Our guide Suresh was fantastic. I cannot rate him high enough and his team could not do enough for us. Suresh guides the whole group through the ten days keeping us safe and ensuring every one us gets the most we can from the holiday keeping us entertained with his great sense of humour. The hotels are varied depending on where you are at the time but you always feel exodus has booked you into the best available for the area with some being excellent. The meals provided are excellent and the group always ate together in the evening which was always fun. This was my first group tour and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to book my next.

Maximum Respect and thanks!👍

I am just back from the first of these trips post lockdown- it was wonderful and I would highly recommend it. For me the trip was a good balance between cycling and sight seeing and I can’t quite believe how much we packed in (food and activity!) thanks to the brilliant organisation and planning of Suresh and his lovely team. I have been on several Exodus trips over the years and have always been impressed with the standard of guiding but Suresh exceeded all my expectations. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, was too much trouble, and it really was like Suresh had ears everywhere and if something was wanted or needed it would magically appear, from ice-creams to Dosas, new bikes to Arak and blankets in the bar! Suranga was on alert for all our cycling needs with problems fixed in a jiffy and water and snacks flowing with ever memorable smiles from Sangeeth and Sangey. Suresh organised all our meals and showcased Sri Lankan cuisine to us by special orders at the hotel or taking us to lovely local places where we got to taste a great variety of local dishes and met local people. I am not sure we quite met his expectations of “maximum damage” at the buffets but we tried hard! My waistline certainly feels like we did! This is a really nice trip, a good combination of cycle time and other time but made all the better by an outstanding guide who knows the tour like the back of his hand and uses that knowledge to greatly enhance the experience for his guests and the lovely Sri Lankan people.

Cycling and curry

A wonderful holiday with wonderful people! Our exceptional hosts Ruwan and team lead us on an amazing journey, exploring the countryside, the wildlife and introducing us to their culture and way of life. I was very much looking forward to my first trip to Sri Lanka and I loved it. Cycling through the countryside, paddy fields teaming with bird life, being greeted with big smiles and high fives from the locals was a real pleasure. I really enjoyed the hilly days, some are challenging then the lion beer, curry and rice at the end of the day are perfect.

Cycling and curry

A wonderful holiday with wonderful people! Our exceptional hosts Ruwan and team lead us on an amazing journey, exploring the countryside, the wildlife and introducing us to their culture and way of life. I was very much looking forward to my first trip to Sri Lanka and I loved it. Cycling through the countryside, paddy fields teaming with bird life, being greeted with big smiles and high fives from the locals was a real pleasure. I really enjoyed the hilly days, some are challenging then the lion beer, curry and rice at the end of the day are perfect.