Sri Lanka

[matt2matt2002]

I'm off for a month touring around the north and east of the island.

Anyone going to be there during July?
Anyone been there? Tips?
Any contacts on the island?

I've doing plenty of planning and blog reading.
B&B/ hostels. No camping!

Fly out June 26. Back July 23.

Thanks folks

[simonhill]

I was there Jan/Feb for a month. I then went back a week later, but had to abandon due to death of a friend. It was my 4th trip since 1980.

The Jan/Feb trip was to North and East.

Happy to answer any questions.

[MrsHJ]

Envy here- I've been twice and have in laws there but haven't been north or east yet (it was the civil war last time I visited). I'd love to visit Jafna and Trincomalee.

[simonhill]

Forgot to say. Bill Weir has a few entries on SL on crazyguonabike. I think the one for the north is called something like a swing through the north and east.

Bill used to edit the Arizona handbook and his journals are very detailed.

[matt2matt2002]

A quick bump up.
I fly out from Edinburgh a week today.
Any folks going to be on the island during July?

Thanks for all previous advice. I think I'm as well prepared as can be.

Matt

[matt2matt2002]

20 days into my 30 day stay on this wonderful island.
I'm sticking to a complete circuit of the island for technical reasons.
The forks on my Thorn Raven were bent on the flight here. A local guy straightened then out and the bike runs fine but I'm not totally comfortable with the thought of big down hills and hard braking. Hence sticking to the flat outer edges!

Anyone needs any info on Sri Lanka, please M me.
Temp 30°+. Local folk very helpful . Guesthouses £14/ night.
Rarely spend more than £8/ day on food.

[22camels]

May I ask how the fork got bent? I fly with a Thorn Sherpa and hoping to avoid such hassles.

Wanted to go to Sri Lanka for a week at the end of August as am currently only a short flight away in South India, but doesn't look like I will have time now.. maybe in a few months.

[matt2matt2002]

Hi 22camels

It looked as if the box had slipped half off a carriage used to take suitcases across the tarmac.
Know what I mean?
The lower edge of the box was shredded. The fork spacer had gone. The front mudguard was ripped off. One of the forks was misaligned so the axel could not pass through and secure the wheel.
A local guy bodged it back so I could get onto the road.

Not sure how I could have protected it better. Apart from the one edge that had been dragged, everything else was fine.

It was a strong thick cardboard box from my local shop. Giant make.
Plenty of bubble wrap and styrofoam. But sustained dragging would rip anything.

Good luck with your Thorn.

Matt

[Therealsouthstander]

Would love to go to Sri Lanka for 9 or 10 days cycling with the wife in February. Thing is she doesn't like massive hills and tends to favour organised trips. They are looking fairly expensive ,don't suppose anyone has any local contacts ?


What area did you prefer and why?


Thanks

[Sweep]

Your last trip wasn't an organised one though?

Ie - the two of you.

I had the impdession thaf it went rather well.

[ubert767]

Hello all,
I'm interested in a trip to Sri Lanka too, this would be our first tour in more exotic climes. Please can anyone advise on the travel injections needed, and any health precautions to take, my wife has concerns!

Thanks
Rob

[Therealsouthstander]

Hi Sweep


Yes the memories of thst wonderful trip to Sardinia are still fresh..

That trip was with my friend. Me and the Mrs have done organised trips to South Vietnam and Cambodia these last 2 years..

This winter we're looking at Burma or Sri Lanka..

She's not keen of self guided tours to these places..


A trip of around 10 days followed by a relaxing time most probably in some quiet Thai beach that not ma have heard of..

[matt2matt2002]

Hello folks.
I traveled north from Negombo to the top, Jaffna. And then South down the east coast.
At Agram Bay I cut across westwards through the hills u too I reached Negombo again.
All the coast roads are pretty flat. I was really looking forward to the hills in the South.

I am writing up my blog on Crazyguy.
Welcome to the jungle
Matthew Newton.

Lots of good pictures and map/ cost details.

Pm me for any specific questions.

It's certainly somewhere I would visit again. Great folk. Many speak English. Good roads.
Bad drivers of course.
If you want to go cheap it's easy. But there are plenty of up market places to splash the cash.

[simonhill]

re the injections question from Ubert.

For most of Asia there are no compulsory vaccinations, unless coming from an infected area.

I would be wary of getting detailed medical advice on a forum like this. There are plenty of views on what precautions to take, usually depending on how often you travel. Most first timers have the full gamut of injections and pills. Many more season travellers are a bit more circumspect.

The usual advice is to ask your Dr, but you need to be careful as they usually just read off a script aimed at people going to normal tourists destinations. Nonetheless, Drs are a useful first stop. There are also a number of International advice sites that give lists of recommended vaccinations, etc, eg CDC http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destination ... single-001 Some guidebooks also list recommended jabs.

All this means that you need to do a bit of research, then think about what risks you are prepared to take.Also think about the season of travel, for example mosquitoes are far more prevalent in the wet season and (in my opinion) rarely seen in the dry. This affects how I think about taking anti malarial's. Also consider how good is the health care in the country should you fall ill.Cost may also be another consideration.

Turning to the general question of DiY tours to tropical countries:

My advice is do it, it is easy and fun. Sri Lanka is a good option, but for a first timer, I would normally recommend Thailand. Thailand is a wonderful country for cycle touring, ranging from big hills in the north, to tropical beaches in the south. Good roads, great food, plenty of cheap accommodation (no camping necessary), plenty of culture and wonderful people. If you don't like hills or the tropical south, then there are a few hundred kms of Mekong River to cycle along. Most busses take bikes although the best is to take a sleeper train for a few pounds, your bike safely lodged in the baggage car.

One thing i would caution against is that I don't think 10 to 14 days is long enough for a DiY longhaul trip. You can do it, but the travelling, the jet lag/acclimatisation, the getting out of arrival city, the getting ready to fly home, etc, etc all take time and would eat into a meagre 10 to14 days. I reckon a sensible minimum would be 3 weeks.

Go and enjoy.

[matt2matt2002]

Good advice in previous post.
I'd just add that up here in Scotlandshire, the pharmacies quite often offer a travel clinic and advice on jabs.
Or as we say, ' jags'.
Not sure about the rest of UK.

My local pharmacy was great.
Mind you, my daughter owns it.


Also, good point about short trips.
I always knock off 3 days to allow for travel and setting in & packing to leave. I guess it's all part of the holiday but no wheels on tarmac so no distance covered.