Most Inspirational Moment
Not easy to pick one particular highlight but with virtually no transfers we were able to take in the sights, sounds and smells (of the wonderful cooking) as we moved from place to place by bike. Whilst the cycling was tough at times there was time to see historical monuments, visit a few temples and witness the way different religions worship and prey, sit by the pool and beach, take a short hike up a mountain, watch wildlife, eat the wonderful food and of course sample the local beer! The variety has been superb - the scenery and climate changed as we explored this gem in the Indian Ocean allowing us to see paddy fields, tea plantations, wetlands, forests and more. The roads were in general pretty good - better than most backroads I cycle on in the UK - and we tended to avoid most of the traffic. The people of Sri Lanka are the icing on the cake. The children wave and say hello as you whistle past on your bike and in general we got a very warm welcome everywhere we went.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The Exodus team were exceptional and its easy to see why Suresh has been recognised for his abilities. Not only did he make sure everything run like clockwork but he worked tirelessly to make sure we got every ounce of enjoyment from the trip, pulling out a few pleasant surprises along the way (I'm not going to say more - you will have to go and find out for yourselves!). Suresh was well supported by Upali, Sandy and Vijay who kept us safe, watered, fed and happy... I didn't have to pick up my suitcase for the whole trip and am still trying to work out how they found out who's bag was who's.... They clearly enjoy their jobs and it mattered to them that we had the best of holidays. Thank you so much.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a brolly for the occasional shower and be prepared for some early starts.