I’ll start my trek from the historic Galle Fort in the south of Sri Lanka and travel north-east towards the Hiyare Rainforest. I’ll stop off at Akuressa, Deniyaya, Sinharaja Forest Reserve (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and then on to Ratnapura. This will be Leg 1, around 120km and take five to seven days, I think.
Galle was a city founded by Portuguese colonists in the 16th century and was the point where most Europeans coming to Sri Lanka in the Victorian era arrived. During Queen Victoria’s reign, and up until the country’s independence in 1948, Sri Lanka was a British colony called Ceylon. I expect to reach Jaffna at the northern tip of the country around 9-10 weeks and 1500km later.
The Jungle
Hiyare Rainforest is just 19km from Galle, about a 4 hour trek, and provides an accessible introduction to the Sri Lankan rainforest. Here, I’ll be in search of the cute purple faced langur monkey, the giant squirrel and the elusive leopard. I’ll probably stay a couple of nights in the rainforest or close by in the town of Akuressa where tea, rice, coconut and rubber are produced. It will then be on to Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a much bigger rainforest than Hiyare. It may then take a few days to cross the leech-infested rainforest towards Ratnapura.
The Sinharaja Reserve, which means Lion King, is off the beaten track. It’s believed by many to be the home of the mythological Sri Lankan lion, from whom the Sinhalese trace their descent. The guidebooks say that it’s compulsory to hire a guide to get around this forest, and looking at what I can expect, I’ll certainly be doing that!
From the forest I’ll trek on to Ratnapura, best known as Sri Lanka’s gem capital. Ratnapura is surrounded by deep, rustic, high producing gem mines. I visited one of these seven years ago on my first trip to Sri Lanka and wrote about it: http://www.marciatrekssrilanka.com/2020/10/13/a-memorable-trip-to-a-gem-mine-in-sri-lanka-from-grotty-rock-to-sparkling-gem/ I look forward to descending one of those mines again and this time finding a real gem myself!
Who fancies joining me for Leg 1? Appropriate footwear to protect from leeches is apparently a must!
Let me hear your thoughts below and if you enjoyed this then join my email list for further updates Xx
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[…] massive snails, spiders in webs, lizards, and best of all a purple faced langur monkey. Click here for my earlier blog dedicated to this shy […]
[…] this leg look more, or less, appealing than the Galle to Ratnapura Leg? Comfortable footwear for hiking will be a must and we’ll need to get in a few hill walks […]
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Thank you Janneke – I think your questions will have now been answered in my later blogs 2-9. Let me know if not any any further info you’d like
Hi Janneke – wherever reasonably possibly I’ll be walking. Cycling too where cycle available and occasional tuk tuk rides and the Ella to Kandy train to get around the hill country area. Will be walking part of that as well though. Once I start I will link my Strava account to the fundraising page so followers can track progress. I may even do this beforehand so my training will be highlighted too. I think leg 2 would be great for you as it’s the pilgrimage up and over Adam’s Peak. Xx
Wow this is so amazing. I can’t wait to hear more about it and follow you on your trek. When will leg 2 be coming out? Wishing you all the best for this amazing cause.
Thanks Shazza! You will certainly be hearing more about it! Going to try and write one blog piece each week on the run up to it and then daily when actually doing it next year. Xx
Cute
?
Very demanding walks…. how much time will be jungle walking and road walking?
It’s difficult to know at the moment for sure. Leg 1 I think will be a lot of rainforest and very remote. Generally to get from Galle to Ratnapura you would drive almost up to Colombo along the coast road and then turn into the interior. This looks like a huge way round but the roads are not good from the south into the interior and I think many are impassable. I do need to get more local advice on this but it does seem doable going up through the middle.