Kat and I both enjoy motorcycle touring and have taken two long (90 days) rides over the past three years. Our third trip will start in April and go through Greece, Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, and much of the Balkans, ending five months later in Romania. But a good friend in Sri Lanka, a native, and highly experienced motorcycle tour leader, is structuring a great intro tour of his island country the end of this year. Simone has been leading Sri Lanka tours for many years, along with organizing rides in Nepal and Bhutan!

Here’s a quick video intro: https://www.facebook.com/rideonlk/videos/595089500072616/?rdid=ulioNqoLyZg1um3v#, and this will be a great place to start if you’ve not done anything like this before. Pretty much everything is included, from bikes/ gas (Royal Enfield 350 bikes) to rooms (plus all meals), to a support vehicle tagging along to carry all your gear and deal with any mechanical issues. Airport transfer to start the ride is also included, and all support staff speaks English. The tour will be 8 days/ 7 nights and cover 803 km, about 500 miles, which means not a lot of “long rides” each day, and the roads will be 80% paved with 20% a little rough. The price is under $2500 and $1500 for extra riders, which is a great price! This is an early bird special and the fun starts Dec 5, 2025. And here’s a brochure with particulars: https://1drv.ms/…/EaYOeBNA0mdJrMd6ZA….

The 350 cc size is great if you are short in stature or not an experienced rider. It has enough power to carry you, but keep it under control. For ladies that might want to test the waters, this might be a great way to enjoy a safe guided ride, not have to worry about mechanical issues or lodging, nor carrying any excess gear. Plus have lots of fun on the way!

Sri Lanka is an amazing country, and on the route you will probably see wild animals and literally ride through safari type scenes! If you’ve wanted to do an African safari but were intimidated by the environment or expense, this may offer you a better option to immerse yourself (safely!) among the native wildlife. The web site has a full day x day agenda, so contact Simone directly through that link, mention us, and if you have specific questions about long distance touring, hit me up!

Oh, and if you have ever thought about going to India, it’s right next door, just a ferry ride away. In the other direction, Southeast Asia is a quick flight, great if you need some medical testing in Malaysia, or want to check out Thailand or Bali