Idle Information

	Paddy Trail	Paddy & Lake Trail	Hiyare Hill Climb	Regular Group Tour
Distance	11km	26km	41km	11km
Private or Group	Private - just your group	Private - just your group	Private - just your group	Group - book slots in a bigger group
Tour Start Times	Flexible - you choose a time from 6am-4pm	Flexible - you choose a time from 6am-4pm	Flexible - you choose a time from 6am-4pm	Fixed - 9am Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Duration	1.5 hours	2.5 hours	3 to 4 hours	1.5 hours
Passing Through	Rice paddies, villages, bird sanctuary, tea gardens, jungle garden	Rice paddies, villages, bird sanctuary, tea gardens, cinnamon plantations, Koggola lakeside	Rice paddies, villages, bird sanctuary, tea gardens, Hiyare wildlife conservation park and reservoir, cinnamon plantations, Koggola lakeside	Paddy Trail route - rice paddies, villages, bird sanctuary, tea gardens, jungle garden
Snacks	King coconut in jungle garden	Fruit and king coconut lakeside from local ‘kade’ stall	Local snacks and fruit en-route from ‘kade’ stall; king coconut in jungle garden	Sri Lankan ‘short eats’ at the bike shed before tour (from 7am)
Entrance Tickets	x	x	Included (for Hiyare reserve)	x
Number of Participants	Minimum two riders	Minimum two riders	Minimum two riders	One to many
Kid Friendly	All ages welcome (Under 12s half price)	16 years and over	16 years and over	16 years and over
Price	$25/pp	$35/pp	$45/pp	$20/pp

FROM & TO	Idle Bikes HQ, Yatagala Junction
ROAD TYPES	Rural backroads and tracks. Never on main roads
DRINKING WATER	Provided from the water fountain at our base. Please bring your own reusable bottle to fill.*
ON RETURN	Cool refreshing towels
SUPPORT VEHICLE	Always on standby to help out if needed
AT THE BIKE SHED	Toilets, ample parking
BIKE SELECTION	Imported lightweight aluminium hardtail mountain bikes with Shimano gears; plus a number of upright bikes and ladies step-through bikes
KIDS BIKES	Available for all kid-friendly tours
HELMETS	Provided for all ages (included in price)
Child SEATS	We have child seats and also tagalongs and bike tow ropes. USD5 per item, please book in advance.

What should we wear?

We recommend T-shirts, shorts and trainers. If you’re as comfortable cycling in flip-flops as our local guides, that’s ok too. No shirtless cycling please.

Will we be in a group with strangers?

That’s up to you. You can book a private tour if you’d like to be with just your friends and family. Or you can slot into a group with our regular Group Tour and meet like-minded explorers. Either way, our friendly guides will make it a ride to remember.

Isn’t the weather too hot for a bike ride?

Sri Lanka is blessed with average temperatures of 28 °C. If you’re worried about the heat, simply book an early morning or late afternoon ride. We’ll always take great care to pause and find shade if needed. And to keep you well hydrated.

Do your guides speak English?

Absolutely. We’re a friendly bunch. And all very experienced at taking our guests on our southern Sri Lankan bicycle tours and sharing our local wisdom.

What happens if it’s raining?

Sri Lankan rain storms tend to be late afternoon bursts that pass through quickly, so we can normally work around them (even in the rainier seasons). But if it’s bucketing down without a break, we’ll reschedule or refund your bike ride.

What happens if we have an issue on our bike tour (mechanical or other)?

Someone run out of puff? Bike got a puncture? No problem! Our Idle Bikes support tuk tuk is always ready and waiting at our base. A quick call from your guide and we’ll send it out to scoop up whoever’s out of pedal puff or bring a replacement bike. Or provide whatever support is needed.

Will we be charged anything on top of the per-person cycle tour price?

Helmets, drinking water, standard en-route refreshments and nature reserve entrance tickets are all included in the price.

Can we make a last-minute bike tour booking?

Yes! If you’re already in Sri Lanka and have a last-minute urge to head off on a bike ride, just call or WhatsApp us to see if we have any free spots. The earlier you book the better, but we’ll always do our best to fit you in.

Do we need insurance to go on a bike tour?

We highly recommend you have your own travel insurance. We have public liability insurance and tour operator insurance at Idle Bikes.

What’s your cancellation policy?

If you need to cancel, please contact us as soon as possible and we’ll try and rearrange or if possible refund