Hill Country Adventure Trek Sri Lanka

Trekking week is the perfect opportunity to make friends with your fellow volunteers before your project starts, or as a week of sightseeing after your project ends. If you love being outdoors and adventurous, you will love the sporty activites on this project, as well as relaxing by the campfire!

• Accommodation
• 3 meals p/day weekdays / 2 meals p/day weekends
• Arrival airport transfer (Sat/Sun arrivals)
• Filtered drinking water, coffee & tea
• 1 day orientation
• Daily transportation to project
• In country 24/7 support & emergency assistance
• Fundraising support
• University course credits (where applicable)
• Certificate of Completion

• Airfares
• Travel Insurance
• Tours, Souvenirs & spending money

Programs begin every Monday, and volunteers are required to arrive the day prior, for orientation before the project. Your accommodation on the Sunday is included in the program fees.

A free airport pickup is included when arriving to Bandaranayake International Airport (CMB). You must arrive between the hours 05:00 to 21:00 on Sunday.

If you arrive outside the pickup times, you can book a private transfer for an extra fee.

If you want to book any extra nights before or after your program, you can do this for an extra fee.  

Alternatively, if arriving early you could wait at the arrival’s terminal for the pickup time, book accommodation at the airport and meet us during the pickup times or make your own way to the project (we will advise on how to do this).

From the airport to the Kandy accommodation, it takes around 3-4 hours by road and to the Ambalangoda accommodation, around 3 hours.  

Monday

Commence the week with a hike to Ambuluwawa Peak to enjoy the scenic green valleys. The summit boasts a white tower offering a unique perspective akin to floating in the sky. Ambuluwawa serves as a multi-religious center, featuring a Buddhist temple, Hindu temple, and Islamic Mosque. Post-hike, visit the Loop Temple before returning to the accommodation for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Tuesday

After breakfast, head to the train station for the renowned train ride. Upon reaching Ella, transfer to a guest house for an overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Wednesday

Take the day to explore Ella independently, followed by an overnight stay in Ella. You will have time to explore Ella on your own.

As a solo traveler in Ella, Sri Lanka, you’ll find a variety of activities to enjoy:

Suggested activities in Ella.

Little Adam’s Peak: Hike to Little Adam’s Peak for stunning panoramic views of the Ella Gap and the surrounding tea plantations. The trek is relatively easy and provides a rewarding experience.

Nine Arch Bridge: Visit the iconic Nine Arch Bridge and witness the impressive engineering. Time your visit to coincide with a passing train for a picturesque scene.

Ravana Falls: Explore Ravana Falls, a beautiful waterfall located just a short distance from Ella. Enjoy the scenery and, if you wish, take a refreshing dip.

Tea Plantation Tour: Discover the art of tea-making with a visit to a local tea plantation. Many plantations offer guided tours where you can learn about the tea production process.

Dova Temple: Explore Dova Temple, a small but culturally significant site. The temple provides insight into the local religious practices and offers tranquility.

Ella Gap Viewpoint: Head to Ella Gap Viewpoint for a mesmerizing vista of the Ella Valley. The viewpoint is easily accessible and provides a great spot for photography.

Ella Main Street: Stroll along Ella’s main street, lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops. Engage with locals, try authentic Sri Lankan cuisine, and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere.

Remember to embrace the relaxed pace of Ella, interact with locals, and take in the natural beauty that surrounds this charming town.

Meals: Breakfast only

Thursday

After breakfast, board a bus back to Kandy. Depending on your arrival time, we’ll transfer you to Sigiriya for the overnight stay.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

Friday

Embark on a morning hike to Pidurangala for a captivating sunrise. Following this, climb Sigiriya Rock or Lion’s Rock to explore the ancient palace ruins from the 5th century BC. Lion’s Rock is recognized as the eighth wonder of the world. After the climb, return to Kandy accommodation by bus.

Meals: Breakfast and dinner

***This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.***

*Schedule possible to change due to the project and community needs at the time. Volunteer flexibility and adaptability is important to a positive volunteering experience. 

Here are a few things you can do in Sri Lanka!

Royal Botanical Gardens

The Botanic Gardens are situated around 5. km to the West of Kandy. Once being only for the Kandyan royalty, they are now open to the public to wander around at their leisure. There’s 60 hectares of beautiful garden to explore, where you will see a huge Javan fig tree, pretty orchids and even monkeys!

Knuckles mountain range

This stunning mountain range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and hosts many walking trails. You will find small villages, beautiful waterfalls, numerous native wildlife and rice fields. This is the perfect place for people who love the outdoors and adventurous hiking trails.

Sigiriya (Lion Rock)

Another UNESCO World Heritage site, this ancient rock is situated around 91km North from Kandy and is very popular with tourists, who can climb up to the top for some seriously stunning views. Along the way you will see antient rock carvings and paintings on the walls of this sacred rock. It will take roughly just over an hour to climb up.

Yala National Park

Located on the South coast of Sri Lanka, this stunning park hosts one of the highest leopard densities in the world. Not only that, you can also spot elephants, monkeys, birds, buffalo and more. There are numerous tours in Yala, from day tours to over several days of safari.

Adam’s Peak

Around 91km South of Kandy you can climb to the top of this sacred sight, just as the locals do for pilgrimage. It’s a bit of a trek up in the dark but totally worth it to see the sun coming up over the clouds, mountains and lush forest. You will be greeted by stunning views to reward your efforts!

Hortons Plains National Park

You can trek through this beautiful national park to ‘World’s End’, a 9.5km round loop trail, taking around 3 hours. This is a pretty easy walk, but you will be greeted with amazing views out over the countryside and above the clouds! It’s best to visit here early (before 10am) as the clouds can roll in after that and block the incredible views.

Udawatta Kele Reserve

Situated near the Kandy lake, this nature reserve is complete with monkeys and birds- fantastic for wildlife and nature lovers. Here you will find wooded forests, over 400 species of plants and 70 bird species. You can trek through the forest for a relaxing break away from the city.

Tea Plantations

Kandy and Nuwara Eliya are both popular places to visit a tea plantation, for a refreshing taste of some of Sri Lanka’s best fresh tea! Not only do they produce great tea, the landscape is stunningly green, with endless hills rolling off into the distance.

Additional Requirements

The following are further necessary in order for both the participants, local staff and everyones involved to have a meaningful, enjoyable and safe beach experience.

• Older participants or over 65 years are required to have a medical clearance as proof of their physical fitness as they may perform various activities.
• Participants below 18 years old need a signed parental consent as proof of involvement of their children for the program. If possible, accompaniment by an adult is highly advised.

• Due to the length and active nature of this program and as there are lots of outdoor activities under the heat of the sun, a decent level of fitness is required.
• Excellent time management and self – organizing and strong desire to take on new challenges and learn as much as possible.
• Recommended a COVID – 19 Vaccination, purchase travel insurance, medical and Covid – 19  insurance prior to your arrival.
• Recommended vaccinations often include hepatitis A, typhoid, tetanus and polio.

Additional Equipment

Personal belongings such as:

• Comfortable and sturdy shoes as there are lots of activities taken by foot such as trekking, walking and hiking activities.
• Bring Personal toiletries such as basic soap, shampoo, toothpaste and towels and blanket.
• Bring also hat, sunglasses to protect from the heat of the sun particularly during hiking and beach/waterfall days.
• Bring proper swimming gear that you will wear during the beach/waterfall day. Dry clothes for change are also required during the beach/waterfall day.
• An environmentally friendly sunscreen or lotion is also advised to protect you from the heat of the sun and please carry with you preventive agents during outdoor activities, such as mosquito repellents for insect bites or other insects that may irritate your skin.Protective measures against mosquitoes, you might consider a net for your bed.
• Medicines you may require and especially if you have to take specific medicines on a regular basis, bring them along. Also you can bring a simple first aid kit with yourself.
• You might want to bring a prescription of Keflex, or another type of oral antibiotic that can help with stomach ailments.
• Refillable water bottles and hydration packs to stay hydrated throughout the day particularly during exploration and outdoor activities.

Dress Code:

• Modest and Tidy clean clothes for temple visits. Wherever you go into a temple ladies MUST cover their shoulders and knees, and basically the more that is covered the better. Carrying in your bag a large scarf to cover shoulders and arms and a sarong for the legs, is a good idea. For men it is also best to cover as much as possible in a religious site.
• The locals do tend to dress more conservatively and the safest choice of clothes to bring is “smart casual” as a great compliment and a sign of respect for their culture.
• Comfortable sandals are a must, and should be easy to take off as most Sri Lankans do not wear shoes indoors.

With a population of 20 million, the democratic socialist republic of Sri Lanka, formally known as Ceylon is a tear drop shaped island off the south eastern coast of India. Steeped in over 2000 years of history, the culture is unique to Sri Lanka and known for it’s export of tea, holistic medicines, cinnamon and gemstones including a unique blend of music, dance and visual arts.

Colinised by the British, Dutch and Portugese, there is a multi-culturalism with distinct Sri Lankan flair that feels similar to India, only a whole lot more chilled out! Sri Lanka, better known as the “nation of smiling people” is predominently buddhist (approx 80%) with some Hindu, Muslim and Christianity.  

Sri Lanka has eight UNESCO World Heritage sites and given it’s size it’s easy to experience them all in a short period of time. From the world’s oldest living tree in Anuradhapura, to the colonial architecture of Colombo, to the white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, to lush natural forest, picturesque cities, thousand year old temples, and ancient civilation ruins there are really so many reasons to visit this amazing land.  

Sri lanka has a tropical climate with distinctive wet and dry seasons. Temperatures vary and it can get much cooler in the mountains than it can on the beach.

On average temperatures in Sri Lanka vary from 28- 32 degrees, but in the mountain regions this can go to as low as 16 degrees. 

From mid-April to September the Southwest moonsoon rains come, affecting the West, Southwest coastline and the Hill Country. On the East coast, the monsoon rains start from November to March but are not quite as severe. 

December to March are the best months to visit the West or South coastline and the Hill Country. For the East coast or the North, the best time to visit is from April to September. 

Sri Lanka and known for it’s export of tea, holistic medicines, cinnamon and gemstones including a unique blend of music, dance and visual arts.

Colinised by the British, Dutch and Portugese, there is a multi-culturalism with distinct Sri Lankan flair that feels similar to India, only a whole lot more chilled out! Sri Lanka is predominently buddhist (approx 80%) with some Hindu, Muslim and Christianity.  

There are many festivals in Sri Lanka. Here are the dates for some of them!

• January: Duruthu
  Celebrates the Buddha’s first visit to Sri Lanka. During Duruthu, thousands of people attend colorful parades, which consist of three processions on the nights before the full moon. The processions consist of fireball performers, drummers, dances, decorated elephants and the most important – a gigantic tusker treading a white carpet.
• April 13th or 14th: Avurudda (New Year)
  Avurudda celebrates the Sinhalese New Year in Sri Lanka. According to Sinhalese astrology, the new year begins when the sun changes from Meena Rashi (Pisces) to Mesha Rashi (Aries).
• June: Poson Festival
  Poson Festival takes place on the full moon day of June and celebrates the arrival of Buddhism, which occurred when Arahat Mahinda, the son of the emperor of India, converted King Devanampiyatissa to Buddhism.
• October or November: Diwali (Festival of Lights)
  Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival that signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, hope over despair, and good over evil. It is celebrated with millions of lights shining over houses, temples, and buildings. 

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