The inaugural Tea Route Cycling Tour, taking riders over 2600 km from Kochi, India to Colombo, Sri Lanka, crossed the finish line just over a month ago. Now that the cyclists who took part in this sold out adventure have returned home, let’s see what they had to say about their experience…

“This was my first tour with TDA and it will not be my last! The route was well scouted, the trip leaders were supportive and generous with their knowledge and the other participants were just awesome….the landscapes, the historical buildings, and most of all, the local people were absolutely amazing. I have traveled in many places in the world and have found very a few places with people as friendly as southern India and Sri Lanka. I would go back in a heartbeat and do it all over again – challenges and all. Thank you TDA for creating and executing such a rich experience.” – Bob Bathrick (USA)

“The Tea Route ride was great!I enjoyed the places we visited, the cities and villages and meeting Indians and Sri Lankans. I really enjoyed seeing art and temples on the trip. The Indian and Sri Lankan food was delicious! I loved seeing the nature and animals/birds in India and Sri Lanka.” – Fiona Efron (Australia)

“This tour was an adventure. Sri Lanka exceed expectations in almost every way and should be considered a world class cycling destination.” – Justin Ripley (USA)

“It was an epic adventure in which so much happened each day that thinking back over the prior week or so was almost overwhelming. There is just so much to see, do and experience.” – Michael Talbert (USA)

“From our 1st day on the Tea Route in Kochi, India, and from the moment we rode out our of the hotel door on a daily basis, India was full of humanity, cultural diversity, colour, craziness, surprise and stimulation around every corner. Sri Lanka is more relaxed, being a scenically beautiful country with interesting villages, towns, landscapes, coastlines, rice paddies, coconut trees, full of wildlife, with a long history, culturally fascinating, where the people are friendly and welcoming, and also much to see around every corner.” – Maurice Efron (Australia)

“I loved the Tour. It was even better than what I expected. The group was great and the staff very helpful. Well done everyone.” – Marie-Jose Vasseur (Canada)

“A fascinating immersion in local cultures and the activities of daily life, which you can only get by riding through small communities at all times of day (early morning, when people are going to school/work, midday, afternoon).” – Max Davis (USA)

“The Tea Route takes you through a variety of tropical regions where you see bananas, cardamom, rice, coconuts, cinnamon, and tea. The tea plantations are amazing to see in both India and Sri Lanka. The people are very friendly and helpful…The scenery is spectacular. There are a variety of religions in the region: Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Moslem, and Jewish. The fresh fruit is amazing: pomegranates, bananas, pineapple, mango, papaya, guava, etc. The hotels were 5 star. There is a lot of very good food every day.” – Michael Dreiling (USA)

“I love a deep dive into other cultures. I am very grateful for the opportunity that TDA gave me.” – Kathy Herson (USA)

Registration for the 2028 Tea Route Cycling Adventure is now open.

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Tea Route

Tea. It wasn’t until the British arrived that this wild plant was turned into a commercial crop both in India and in Sri Lanka, creating those...

The inaugural Tea Route Cycling Tour, crossing Southern India and circumnavigating Sri Lanka has finished. A few days ago we arrived on the outskirts of the Sri Lanka’s capital city, Colombo, and began to celebrate our adventure.

Henry and Tour Leader Ezhil at the finish line

To many of us, because the island is situated so close to India, the expectation was that we will be visiting a ‘Little India’. And though in certain aspects, that may be the case, the island is certainly not India.

Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon) was once visited by one of the most famous of all travellers, Marco Polo, who called it the finest island of its size. I have no idea how many islands Signore Polo visited and whether it was pure serendipity that brought him here, but he was obviously impressed. As were we.

Each day brought us a different taste of the island, and by this I don’t mean food, though there is plenty of that to sample as well. Every day we witnessed the lushness, the natural richness, the fauna and flora that was all around us. Every day, each and every one us had the opportunity for a random encounter with a local who would bring a smile to our faces.

For myself, it was an encounter with an older monk who was walking ahead of me during a rest day, holding a magnificent umbrella made, I believe he said, of palm leaves. I was admiring it from behind for a few minutes when he suddenly stopped, turned around, and started a conversation that went on for a while and included a discussion of the current state of the world.

Another day I was sitting on a bench waiting for a corn on the cob that I ordered from a vendor that I had spied as I cycled by. The corn wasn’t quite ready when a big, new 4×4 stopped to buy some corn. The person who ordered the corn from the vendor came over to me and said the Bishop of Mannar, a city to which I was heading, was inside the car and wanted to talk to me. I walked over and there in the front seat, wearing all the religious paraphernalia, was the bishop. He wanted to know what I and the other foreign cyclists that he had seen while driving were doing, where we came from, and so on. We had a lovely chat and he invited me to visit him at home. Before leaving he asked me if I was a Christian. I smiled and said, no, I am Jewish. He smiled back and said, well, then we are brothers. I smiled back and agreed.

Cricket with the locals

One day I had yet another brief encounter that brought a big smile to my face. I was cycling up a small hill and passed an older man, maybe as old as me or older still, on his single speed, rattling bicycle. Not long afterwards, he passed by, showing me exactly what he was made of. At the top of the hill he turned off the road, stopped, looked at me and smiled. I smiled back with a big grin. For a few seconds, we were brothers, doing the same thing. I write this simply to point out that every one of us had these kinds of serendipitous encounters, meetings that made us smile, laugh, and be happy about what we are doing on Serendib Island.

You will have noticed that I have used the word serendipity several times. That is because it comes from Serendib, the name Arab traders used for the island. Later, when the English arrived, they couldn’t believe their luck, thus the word serendipity. I could go on and on about how many ways Serendib or Sri Lanka, which apparently means resplendent island, surprised, pleased and otherwise welcomed us.

I will only point one more example. All of us had serendipitous encounters that made us smile but I think most of us were smiling each day for a different reason. Every day as I left the hotel for another day on two wheels, it wasn’t long before there would be a child, a teenager and elderly man or a woman, people in general, greeting me, smiling and waving at me. When I waved back, when I responded in any way, there was even a warmer reaction.

I have yet to visit a country where such brief interactions, particularly with children, brought so much joy to them and to me. If you ask me what the highlight of cycling in Sri Lanka was, I will quickly respond that it was the hundreds of children, women and men smiling at me as we exchanged brief acknowledgments of each other.

What a way to spend three weeks. I think I have developed many, many, more laugh lines.

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Tea Route

Tea. It wasn’t until the British arrived that this wild plant was turned into a commercial crop both in India and in Sri Lanka, creating those...

The inaugural Tea Route Cycling Tour, which combines traversing Southern India and circling Sri Lanka, has arrived in Mahabalipuram – our last stop in India. This first section started in Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala and ended in this UNESCO World Heritage site in Tamil Nadu, one of the India’s famous tourist destinations. Soon, we will be on a plane to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

This is my fourth visit to India, the most populous country in the world with almost 1.5 billion people and the largest democracy on the planet. As on each visit, I am left with a sense of wonder, puzzlement, exhilaration, and confusion, or to put it in other terms, bewildered.

This section gave the riders and I an opportunity to glance and taste the wonder of two Indian states – Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They are different from each in language, size and a multitude of other ways but at the same time, in their diversity, they share the essence and core of what this country called India is. I write, glance and taste, because to discover the essence and core of India for foreigners like me would likely take a lifetime.

Tea plantation, Kerala

So, what would be the essence of India? If you start your visit in India with Kerala, then what strikes me is the cultural mix that exists because of the oceanic trade that existed there, from the times of King Solomon and possibly before, to this day. Waves of traders came from various distant lands – some stayed, brought their religions and culture, intermarried and, over millennia, have left their mark on the state.

The Brihadisvara Temple, locally known as Thanjavur Periya Kovil.

In Tamil Nadu what strikes me most is the spiritual heritage of India. On this tour, we had an opportunity to visit two remarkable sites, Thanjavur and the already mentioned Mahabalipuram. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, both having arresting temples that are as impressive as any other UNESCO sites that I have visited, probably much more. Both have thousands of Indian visitors and pilgrims as well, of course, foreigners such as myself. Both are deeply rooted in the spiritual pantheon that is Hinduism, a religion that I can only wish I understood. Yet over one billion people have no problem comprehending and adhering to it. Both sites show artistic creativity that is simply other worldly.

However, the essence of India is most likely not these historic sites and temples. Instead it is the people we have encountered as we pedalled through small towns and villages, meandering among rice fields, plantations forests, vegetables gardens, tea stands, infinite numbers of motorcycles, cows and dogs and, yes, even piles of garbage, of which there are plenty. The warmth that these people have shown us everywhere we went, the welcome they continuously expressed, the willingness to assist and help, the curiosity they showed about us, that is what undoubtedly makes India unique. I imagine this is the result of ancient practices, traditions and the forces that act on a society made of billion and half of people sharing the same landmass. Whatever the reasons, we have enjoyed our stay.

And now, after a short flight, we go from a large subcontinent to a small island of less than 25 million people. What will we see and learn there?

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American cyclist Eve Holland has participated in 9 TDA Global Cycling tours beginning in 2016 on the Trans-Oceania. In 2026, she will add the Tea Route Cycling Tour to that impressive list.

On the 2024 Pub Ride

I think I was born to travel. In 1947, my mother boarded an airplane and flew to West Point so I could be born where she and my Dad had been married the previous year. My father was in the Army for the next 20 years and during that time we moved almost every one or two years. We had the good fortune to spend 3 years moving around Germany and, even at 10, I was aware of how fortunate I was to be experiencing that country on a day-to-day basis. We went to Brussels for the 1958 World’s Fair, and had an amazing road trip through Italy to Rome. In those days, there were still oxcarts on the road!

When I got married at 20, my husband went into the Air Force for 2 years and we moved each year. When he was done, we moved to Columbus, Ohio to establish his dental practice. I gave up my Military ID and was shocked to realize I would no longer be identified as an Army brat or an Air Force wife! Babies, work, and all the trials and tribulations of life impacted my travel, except for short vacations to the beach or elsewhere.

Eventually I met my wonderful husband Greg, who also has a travel bug. I’d only known him for 6 weeks when I found out I had to take a business trip to Nice, France, so I called him up and asked if he had a passport. His answer? “Where are we going?” I knew right then he was the man for me! Together we discovered the joys of traveling by bicycle, first on our tandem, then on singles. We were still working so could only do short trips. We took a week-long ride in Ohio every June and cycled from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC, on the GAP and C&O Canal trails.

On the Dempster Highway

Our first longer cycle trip was from Vancouver to Inuvik, with Cycle Canada. We bought our singles for this trip, not sure if our relationship would survive the Dempster Highway on a tandem! Plus, being the captain on 450 miles of dirt road would have been pretty stressful for Greg. On that trip, we met some TDA alumni who had just returned from the Tour d’Afrique Cycling Expedition. That was our introduction to TDA. We’ve been hooked ever since.

A street scene in India on the Hippie Trail. You’d never be able to get this close if you were in a car.

We will be riding the Tea Route (our 10th TDA trip) in January, 2026 and while filling out the visa application, we had to list all the countries we’ve visited in the last 10 years. Turns out that number is 41! And the vast majority of this travel has been on a bicycle with TDA. Although we haven’t loved every minute of every ride, we have really loved every ride. There is just nothing else like seeing and experiencing a new place on a bicycle.

This summer we made the decision that the Tea Route would be our last ride with TDA and we would start doing easier travel. Recently I was looking at our flights to and from this trip and realized we would encircle the globe. We leave from Phoenix and travel east to NYC and on to India, then on the return we travel from Sri Lanka to Seattle to Phoenix. What a fitting way to end all the fabulous travel we have been so fortunate to experience!

Of course, TDA keeps coming up with new rides. The Plum Ride looks really nice. Island Hopping Japan would let us ride on that really cool cycle path between islands, although there would be an awful lot of climbing. What about the Amber Route – that could be fun . . .

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Tea. It wasn’t until the British arrived that this wild plant was turned into a commercial crop both in India and in Sri Lanka, creating those...

Growing up in the white bread suburbs of Montreal in the 1960’s, my mind always wandered overseas, to all the exotic countries I so ardently planned (wished!) to spend my life exploring. One of those that especially interested me was the pearl-shaped island of what was then Ceylon. Over the years, much to my mother’s chagrin, I did manage to visit many distant lands but Sri Lanka always managed to remain beyond my grasp. In 1990, I spent many months in India but the aftermath of an armed revolt in Sri Lanka, led by the Marxist–Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), nixed the idea of extending my trip to the island. I watched as Sri Lanka suffered through a long civil war and then the horrible 2004 tsunami, events that precluded any realistic plans to visit.

The tide turned in the fall of 2023 when we held our AGM which included some canoeing in Algonquin Park. One of meetings we schedule is always about future tours and this time I suggested a route through Southern India and Sri Lanka. Everyone agreed it was a good idea and, miraculously, I was going to help with scouting the Sri Lankan portion of the trip in late 2024. Finally, I thought, I am going to achieve my life-long goal of visiting the ‘Resplendent Island.’

Stage 10 may need to be re-scouted

Forward to November 2024. Monsoon season in Sri Lanka. Add in a nasty tropical cyclone. Perfect scouting conditions. If the route worked in these conditions, it should be amazing during its scheduled January/February 2026 time slot.

Did the country live up to the high expectations that I had created in my own mind? Yes, absolutely yes! Having experienced many frustrating, irritating, confrontational, obstructive border officials in my time, my arrival in Colombo was a good omen. No lines. No chaos. A smiling customs official glanced at my passport and welcomed me to his country. Took all of 30 seconds.

I met the rest of the scouting team in the beach town of Negombo, just north of the capital, Colombo where we had decided to begin the Sri Lankan section of the tour. In addition to myself, our group consisted of longtime TDA Master Mechanic, Baba, frequent TDA field staffer, Ezhil, who proved to be a virtual encyclopedia about all things Sri Lankan, as well as a resourceful local driver/guide, Shakoor.

Leaving this surprisingly Christian town, we headed inland toward Kurunegala, once a royal capital in the 13th century. Spinning past pineapple farms and black pepper vines, we spotted our first mongoose followed immediately by a ‘Beware of Peacocks’ sign. Hmmm…better note that in the tour manual! Verdant rice paddies lined the roads but in the distance, mountains begin to appear.

Fragrant jasmine bushes (thanks Ezhil!) covered in brilliant white flowers led us to the first of some amazing 6th century Buddhist ruins at Arankkele, sprawled amongst an ancient forest. As was to be the case throughout the island, we virtually had the place to ourselves. Incredible. The route continued north past the towering Yapahuwa Rock Fortress (be sure to make the climb!). The terrain began to flatten out and we spotted numerous treehouses that Shakoor informed us acted as lookouts for elephants and wild boar during the harvest season.

Buddhist Stupa, Anuradhapura

Our first scouting day came to a close in Anuradhapura, the country’s sacred city and a World Heritage Site. While the Tea Route riders will enjoy a rest day here to explore the city’s incredible history, we hurriedly headed northwest, try to stay ahead of the approaching cyclone. Winding roads seemed to bring new sights around each bend – monkeys, elephant fences, colourful birds, a cool temple with a long line of colourful Buddhas. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a small sign for the Thanthirimale Temple. Should we stop? Silly question, of course we should. Turned out to be another of Sri Lanka’s hidden surprises – a 3rd century temple spread out over a stunning rocky landscape. And we even received a Buddhist blessing from the resident monk.

Inspired, we pressed onward. The landscape now completely flattened out and it wasn’t just the scenery that was being transformed. We were now entering the Tamil influenced northern part of the country and encountered more cows and fewer people. Mosques replaced temples and the presence of the army was now unmistakable, a hangover from the country’s decades long civil war.

We encountered numerous wild donkeys, the descendants of animals sent to work on local coconut plantations in the distant past. There was now water, water everywhere. And the birds. Unbelievable. They filled the skies and the mangrove swamps that now lined the road. It is no wonder that this area is a magnet for birders around the world.

In Jaffna, we were now in the heart of the the island’s Tamil culture and, of course, reminded of the country’s tragic civil war. The government had banned any public mention of the Tamil Tigers, especially their colours – yellow, red, black, and white. While driving we kept seeing fields with posts and lines decorated with these exact colours and Shakoor informed us that it was Maaveerar Naal (Great Heroes’ Day), a day of remembrance for Tiger fighters that had died during the conflict and that the authorities were now turning a blind eye to small events like the ones we were passing.

We headed south, veering off through cool teak forests and past de-mining signs (Don’t step off the road to pee!) on the way to Sri Lanka’s undiscovered northeastern coast. We drove past endless mangrove swamps and the occasional salt farm or Buddhist temple but essentially it was just us and the endless flocks of birds – so peaceful. At the historic port city of Trincomalee, we headed inland. Up until now we had avoided the worst of the cyclone but that night, we watched out over the Indian Ocean as the skies grew dark, the lightning flashed and the waves grew fierce.

Cyclone Fengal approacheth

We drove through forests and rice paddies under a darkening sky. Suddenly another ancient monastery appeared, inviting us to explore it ruins accompanied by the friendly staff. Not another visitor in sight. Anywhere else in the world, it would be packed. A beautiful road along a canal led us into Polonnaruwa, another of the country’s stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Our route continued the next day in a light drizzle, past the incredible 5th-century city rock fortress at Sigiriya and up into the hills of central Sri Lanka. Then the cyclone arrived. Roads were flooded and blocked by landslides. We struggled to remain on our planned route and took refuge for the night in hill city of Kandy, home to the famous Temple of the Tooth.

We left the next morning in a steady downpour but despite the conditions, the views were incredible. Suddenly we were in tea country with vast plantations spreading unchecked across the shimmering green hills. We passed endless market gardens and roadside veggie stands. We stopped to admire Black Tree ferns, the world’s largest and popped into a tea estate to sample their wares (delicious!). Eventually we started to descend out of the highlands and passed some absolutely spectacular waterfalls along the way.

We spent another night in Tissamaharama, the base for exploring the wildlife in Yala National Park, before spinning west along the southern coast with its endless golden beaches and amazing birdlife. We passed fishermen perched on stilts in the sea and cinnamon branches lying by the side of the road to dry. We marvelled at the 16th century Dutch fort in Galle before heading north past more beach resorts to the finish line in Mt Lavainia, a historic town just south of Colombo.

So what sticks in my mind from this experience? The musical sounds of bakery tuk-tuks (the locals love bread products). The variety of themed tuk-tuks – Batman, Star Wars, etc. The brightly coloured buses. The heavy teak furniture. The lazy, lazy dogs. The incredible friendly and welcoming people. The lack of tourists. The cleanliness of the country. The temples, the tea plantations and the beaches.

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Tea Route

Tea. It wasn’t until the British arrived that this wild plant was turned into a commercial crop both in India and in Sri Lanka, creating those...

“Looking deeply into your tea, you see that you are drinking fragrant plants that are the gift of Mother Earth. You see the labor of the tea pickers; you see the luscious tea fields and plantations in Sri Lanka and India. You know that you are drinking a cloud; you are drinking the rain. The tea contains the whole universe.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

We have run cycling tours in India since 20211 and over the years, riders who have taken part in those adventures have marvelled at that country’s incredible scenery, history and culture. At the same time, we kept our eye on Sri Lanka, waiting for a chance to add it to our list of cycling destinations.

That time has arrived. We are pleased to announce the Tea Route, a cycling exploration of tea culture in Southern India and Sri Lanka. Kochi to Colombo. A 41 day, 2580 km journey through the Indian states of Kerala & Tamil Nadu and the island nation of Sri Lanka in January/February 2026.

>>Related: Click here for dates, prices and full details

This adventure will take you from the lush rainforests of Kerala’s coast and up through vast tea plantations before descending to the plains of Tamil Nadu, home to some of the world’s most stunning religious temples. A quick flight brings you to Sri Lanka where you will cycle past ancient ruins and remote temples; pedal through the country’s sprawling hill country, home to its famous tea fields; and spin along the southern coast’s famous sandy beaches.

We hope you will join us on this one of a kind cycling journey through Southern India and Sri Lanka.

Registration is now open.

Lion Rock, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka

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Tea Route

Tea. It wasn’t until the British arrived that this wild plant was turned into a commercial crop both in India and in Sri Lanka, creating those...