(SKU: LK77009485) This tour takes you on a cycling tour through the little known Bentota countryside. Visit a historic Buddhist temple. Bike through bright green paddy fields. Get to know more about the native alcoholic beverage toddy and how it is made. Visit cinnamon gardens and rubber plantations. Pass through a fishing village. An interesting journey of traditional and modern elements.
Highlights:
- Buddhist Temple Visit
- Rubber Plantation and Cinnamon Garden Tour
- Toddy Tasting
- Visit to fishing village
Includes:
- Cycles and Cycling Guide
- Back up vehicle (truck)
- First Aids and supporting crew
- Refreshments
Experience:
You will start your tour at 8:00 am from the bustling coastal city of Bentota. An experienced cyclist will meet up with you, along with a backup vehicle. The bicycles and other equipment will be provided to you. You will also have first aid equipment and a support crew to deal with any difficulties that may arise.
Your will first be cycling through some paddy fields. A farmer will explain to you about the chena (seasonal paddy) plantations of Sri Lanka, and how the monsoonal rains affect them. After this you will continue on to visit a historic Buddhist temple nearby, Kande Vihara. The monk will explain to you about the history of the place. The temple has some beautiful architecture that is quite interesting to view. You will also like the image house with its Buddhism related imagery.
Your next destination would be a cinnamon garden. There you will be taken on a tour of the gardens and get to know more about the spice and how it is harvested. You will also see how the various qualities of cinnamon are processed. You will be able to purchase some fresh cinnamon to take home with you.
The tour will then take you to a toddy collection point. You will see how toddy is collected from coconut palms and how the alcohol is created. You will be able to taste many aged and fresh toddies and understand the differences in quality. You can buy some toddy as a souvenir here or for your own consumption.
Following this you will be biking through a rubber plantation. You will see how the sap (milk) from the rubber trees are collected. Afterwards you will visit the rubber factory and see how it is turned into rubber with addition of chemicals and further processing. There will be some basic goods such as flip flops or rubber mats for sale here.
The final destination in your tour will be a modern fishing village. You will be able to view the lifestyle of a fisherman in this era and learn how technology has improved their way of living. You will be able to see the boats which are pulled up or visit a local's house.
Your tour will visit all these places but the order may differ slightly. After your tour is complete, you will be returning to the city by 12:00 pm completing your tour.
