Night Cycling City Tour
BackBy day, Colombo – the country’s tumultuous commercial capital – is an all-engulfing sprawl of dizzying traffic, bustling markets, high-rise hotels, tiny corner shops, temples, street hawkers and everything else you can think of. By night, as the traffic begins to filter out, the city is transformed. Well-lit streets, beautifully illuminated monuments and a warm evening breeze lend the city an air of grace. Once a popular east-west trading route and the chosen ruling place of the Portuguese, Dutch and British, Colombo has an overwhelmingly colorful history brought to life through sensitive restorations and stories passed on from generation to generation. Riding through Colombo at night is an adventure and this unique addition to Colombo’s nightlife scene is a welcome one. See the sights without the crowds, get a feel for the rhythm and pulse of the city, dine on local snacks and finish up with a beer out by the ocean. What more could you ask for?
Experience Overview
Cycling through the chaos of traffic in Colombo might sound a little intimidating at first, but this carefully constructed route allows you to bypass much of the bumper-to-bumper traffic allowing you a relatively easy passage. A well-driven back up vehicle even acts as a barrier between you and the major swell of vehicles ensuring that you never feel at risk at any point. Safety always comes first on this adventure, and we’re not kidding here. You’ll start out with a thorough safety briefing with your local host who will equip you with everything you need for a comfortable and practical night cycling experience from a reflective safety jacket and helmet through to glow stick wrist-bands! Starting out in Independence Square – a favorite for local joggers and also the grounds of the memorial hall commemorating the end of the British rule – you’ll take a few test rounds on the area’s bike paths before you get started on the roads. Your host will take you into the Arcade – once a mental asylum – and out to the Racecourse, where he’ll explain the surprising history of these landmarks. From there you’ll peddle through to the end of Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo’s most elite neighborhood, and after a short stop for tea and some Indian sweets you will make your way over to the commercial district of Slave Island and on to the historical area of Pettah. Here you will see the Gangaramaya and Seema Malakaya temples, the Dutch Hospital, The Grand Oriental Hotel, and the Fort lighthouse and clocktower, as well as the continually changing landscape of the city’s best known districts. The tour gives you a great introduction to the city, covering a large area and allowing you a unique insight into Sri Lanka’s often overlooked capital city. End your evening with some Sri Lankan streetfood which would undoubtedly include some of the local favourites.
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