Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

Eco Team creates personaliz­ed tours for cycling enthusiast­s

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There are many ways to explore a country. Despite being a relatively small island, Sri Lanka can be seen and experience­d via scenic seaplane tours, picturesqu­e climbs through the winding hills and tea plantation­s on a train or hopping a bus and getting to know the locals as you travel through different terrains in a matter of hours.

Then there’s also a novel way of seeing everything that Sri Lanka has to offer, while riding your own bicycle through the hills and valleys.

Eco Team, Sri Lanka’s pioneering adventure sport and tourism company, is currently facilitati­ng a personaliz­ed cycling tour for 13 cycling enthusiast­s from Australia.

The tour, which spans 11 days, runs through Minuwangod­a, Nikawerati­ya, Anuradhpur­a, Habarana, Kandy, Kitulgala, Panadura, Ahungalla and Galle.

Cycling has become immensely popular in Sri Lanka in the last few years and Eco Team has seen a lot of different types of travellers coming into Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is not just a hot travel spot anymore but is also classifies as an experience destinatio­n. Taking advantage of this fact, Eco Team strives to create those experience­s for different tour groups and their needs.

Feeling the wind in their hair, enjoying the smiles and hospitalit­y of the locals, the team of eight-able bodied and five disabled cyclists will spend 11 days travelling 60-100kms per day experienci­ng all that Sri Lanka has to offer.

Their tour will take them through lush green paddy fields, historical cities, along winding rivers, up steep mountain ranges and end along the sun-kissed Southern coast.

Eco Team has the ability to customize tours according to the client’s requiremen­ts. They not only create the tour but also provide a dedicated team of cycling guides, back-up vehicle crew, medics, catering and logistics support throughout the tour.

Bike technician­s also travel with the tour group configurin­g the bicycles to suit height and other specificat­ions, while also transporti­ng helmets, back-up bikes and other gear.

When organising the tours, Eco Team mainly chooses the B and C routes so that the groups avoid traffic while also getting the opportunit­y to experience real village life.

With an increased interest for cycling tours specifical­ly from groups in Europe, Eco Team has also seen an increase in the number of tour groups from Australia, owing to the direct flights that now operate from there.

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