Cycle Ella to Katharagam

Highlights

  • Stunning valleys and surreal sugar cane fields
  • Enjoyable downhill cycling
  • Spot wild animals such as peacocks, monkeys and boar
£94 pp
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What you'll do

Experience this beautiful cycling route, from the stunning hills down into the surreal sugarcane plantations.

One of the best cycling routes in Sri Lanka, this route is a combination of beautiful downhill cycling from the hills of Ella, into paddy plains of the Uva Province and then into the sugar cane fields of Katharagama.

The route starts in the tea plantations close to Ella. On this cycling adventure, you will travel along winding back roads with wide views of the valleys below before reaching the plains.

First you will travel through paddy fields and farming villages before entering the sugar cane district of the south. This is a truly surreal route, with peacocks calls and mongooses running across your path.

Along the route, you will stop at a remote village house to enjoy your picnic lunch before the last 10kms through the sugar cane fields. From the end point we can transfer you back to Ella or to Tissamaharama/Yala.

The total ride distance is 70kms.

This tour is perfect for people travelling from Ella to Yala.

What's included

Included

  • Lead cycling guide
  • Mountain bikes, helmets, water bottles and support equipment
  • Water and refreshments en route
  • Picnic lunch
  • Transport from end point back to Ella or Yala
  • First aid kit
Your local host

Prateeque

Hi! My name is Prateeque, your host. I grew up in India, in Bangalore and after completing an engineering degree, I decided to not actually follow this path and chose to follow my passion of travel. I quickly got a job as an actual tour guide in the wonderful southern region of Kerala, India, for a few months and ended up staying for 2 years.

An opportunity opened up to go to Sri Lanka to become manager for the country, so when I was offered it, I jumped at the chance. During my time working in travel, I’ve travelled the majority of both India and Sri Lanka and discovered almost place you could possibly explore in these crazy, yet amazing countries.

I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and exploring, even as a kid. ... Read All

Hi! My name is Prateeque, your host. I grew up in India, in Bangalore and after completing an engineering degree, I decided to not actually follow this path and chose to follow my passion of travel. I quickly got a job as an actual tour guide in the wonderful southern region of Kerala, India, for a few months and ended up staying for 2 years.

An opportunity opened up to go to Sri Lanka to become manager for the country, so when I was offered it, I jumped at the chance. During my time working in travel, I’ve travelled the majority of both India and Sri Lanka and discovered almost place you could possibly explore in these crazy, yet amazing countries.

I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and exploring, even as a kid. I would go out on my bike and get lost and then try to find my way back. I grew up in an urban setting, so any chance I could get I was out exploring. The feeling of release you get from the outdoors, is completely different to anything you can feel.

The one thing that inspired me to work in travel and pursue it as a long term career, is the feeling of pure amazement when discovering something new or seeing something spectacular for the first time. It’s an indescribable feeling, but you’re just totally immersed in this place and you just forget about everything else for a while.

And seeing this look on people’s faces and being with them when they’re doing this, is something I found out very quickly when I was tour guide I absolutely loved and just had to pursue this further.

Another thing is, you always learn in travel, there’s always something new that comes up, whether it be an experience, untapped location, or new people, you’re always learning and this pushes me to find new things to do.

It’s fair to say that Sri Lanka is oversaturated, there are plenty of companies here offering the same tours to the same places. We however, like to go off the beaten track. It’s unbelievable how much there is to see in this wonderful country away from the main sights. For example, the busy national parks e.g. Udawalawe National Park can have up to 600 jeeps a day on it’s roads. But if you go just 2 hours away at Gal Oya national park, it’s much less busy and you can get much closer to the wildlife.

Prateeque image

Location

Ella is a small town in the Badulla District of Uva Province, Sri Lanka governed by an Urban Council. It is approximately 200 kilometres east of Colombo and is situated at an elevation of 1,041 metres above sea level. Ella is surrounded by hills covered with cloud forests and tea plantations, and is a must-see for anyone visiting Sri Lanka.

FAQs

What time does the tour start?

7:30am.

Where can I get picked up from?

From your hotel in Bandarawela or Ella.

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