Touring Tuesday - Cycling Sri Lanka

Gwyn stayed at this private residence on his Sri Lankan trip

The weather has warmed up a little, but it's still pretty cold here in Indiana, so I'm thinking of tropical places where someone could go bicycle touring. Sri Lanka looks like it might be a good choice. It's not very far north of the equator, and since it's an island, the ocean ought to moderate the temperature somewhat.

While searching the Internet, I found an account by Gwyn Williams of New Zealand, who spent two months cycling around Sri Lanka. It's out on the Crazy Guy on a Bike website, which is a great resource if you are looking for first person information about cycling almost anywhere in the world. Gwyn took it pretty easy on his trip, averaging only about twenty miles per day. He must have spent a lot of time taking photos, because there are over 500 on the website - Many are of the local population.

Here are a takeaways from Gwyn:

• He never camped - He always stayed at small hotels, guest houses or private homes. The owners of the home in the photo we're glad to have him. They said they needed the money.
• Traffic was much less chaotic than in India.
• Main highways were always in good shape. Other roads could be pretty rough.
• Food was good as long as you like it hot.
• National parks and archaeological sites are pricey - $100 (U.S.) or more
• Mosquitoes weren't bad, and most accommodations had mosquito nets. Gwyn carried one with him - Some had holes in them.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=1mr&page_id=180232&v=At