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Sri Lanka is rapidly increasing its adventure activities on offer and we recommend the following adventure activities as side excursions for your Sri Lanka trip that you might want to discuss with us and pre-book prior to your departure.
White Water Rafting
Sri Lanka has the highest density of waterfalls in the world with the tallest waterfall twice as high as the height of Niagara Falls. Sri Lanka's premier rafting area is located near the unspoilt village of Kithulgala, with this area having some of the highest rainfall in Sri Lank producing verdant foliage with misty forests of palm trees, ferns and wild orchids and the fast running Kelani river providing superb white water rafting excitement. If you saw the movie; "The Bridge On The River Kwai" - it was filmed entirely on location in this beautiful area around Kithulgala.
The rapids are fast but also are suitable for beginners, so previous experience is not necessary. White water rafting in Sri Lanka provides a great experience for seasoned experts as well as beginners. The Kithulgala run is 6.5 km in length and takes about 90-100 minutes and has spectacular scenery. It is rated as a grade 2 - grade 3, with seven rapids: each with quite "different" names - ie: 'Virgin's Breast', 'Butter Crunch', 'Killer Fall' 'Rib Cage' 'Head Chopper' and more.. all with their own distinct character.
White water rafting is entirely dependent on the river levels of the Kelani River at Kithulgala so it is imperative to check with us and book your rafting trip before you travel to Sri Lanka. The scenery is spectacular and the level of rapids vary. Kitulgala, where the "Bridge on the River Kwai" was filmed, is fast developing into the most popular location for white water rafting.
Mountain Biking, Trekking & Camping
Sri Lanka's rugged jungle mountain bike trails both for the novice and experienced rider are hard to top as is the vast array of hiking trails. With an amazing mixture of locations including jungles, temples and ancient cityscapes, tea estates, rain-clad misty tropical mountains it's difficult to find a better and more eclectic range of locations for both trekking and mountain bike riding. All the terrain location(s) have a large range of topography with the a choice of trails - challenging for the more experienced rider and sedate for the more junior or inexperienced user.
Most mountain bike operations in Sri Lanka provide a good mixture of rides that are both flexible, leisurely and extremely scenic, offering good pre and post ride facilities as well as accommodation and usually only running small groups of approximately 10 persons with usually 2 guides to the group. We can also arrange (as building custom built itineraries is our speciality (!) )to build you a custom mountain bike/trekking/camping tour. Itineraries of course will vary with the time of the year - particularly during the wet or monsoonal season and the ability to arrange campsites or accommodation at that time.
Trekking (hiking) is well entrenched as an adventure sport in Sri Lanka with many sorts and types of choices available from the easy one day hikes to rugged multi day overnight camping hikes - they all vary widely. One of the most sought after treks in Sri Lanka is in the Peak Wilderness Region. For sheer unspoilt natural beauty few other places in the world are as good as Sri Lanka for trekking/hiking, particularly as you meet the real Sri Lanka people and are warmly welcomed by local villagers in isolated rural communities and villages when you set up camp of an evening.
Rock Climbing
Although a relatively new adventure sport in Sri Lanka the sport is growing quickly. Rock climbing is a very challenging sport- both physically and mentally, testing climbers to the limit of their endurance, strength and mental ability. It requires at any level a knowledge of correct climbing techniques and climbing equipment as well as safety. Mountaineering is another adjunct of this sport which is also about skill and the climbers level of fitness.
Climbing in Sri Lanka offers a range of unique experiences from the very advanced offering extreme climbing to the more middle range types of climbing - all offering exhilarating climbing routes with stunning natural views. The main climbing area is the Knuckles mountain range which is ideally positioned with its strong eco-tourism background and its pristine natural landscape, located about 160 kilometres from Colombo. Other areas that provide great climbing are the Ella Adventure Park, Habarana, Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa, Horton Plains and Buttala.
Apart from indoor climbing (mainly in Colombo) Sri Lanka also has a number of areas for amateur climbers; Babarkanda, which is Sri Lanka's tallest waterfall is an exciting - yet not too difficult climb with two climbing paths, one professional and the other for beginners.
Hot Air Ballooning
This activity needs little introduction. There is something rather mystical and wonderful about flying at dawn across misty jungles and plains, where you can see elephants, deer and other wild animals roaming freely and drinking from water holes. Ballooning is an amazing experience as well as a peaceful and relaxing way to see Sri Lanka's natural beauty.
Flying areas are generally the Cultural Triangle in the North Central area: Dambulla, Sigiriya, Kandalama, Polonaruwa and Sigiriya Rock - or over wildlife parks such as Minneriya, Uda Walawe or Yala. Ballooning in the southern Region is usually around the in the Galle area. Ballooning season is usually from November to April with prices approx £100 per person.
Groups, Incentives and Conventions
If you want a tailor made incentive tour, corporate training, want to put together a group or set up or attend a convention in Sri Lanka - or want something really different - contact us to discuss your ideas or requirements. After all , our fulfilment team are specialists with meetings, groups and incentives as well as business travel.
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