Paddy Field Cycling

The ancient kingdoms of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa were built on rice, and the great reservoirs, or wewa, created by their kings still water the fields today. Around Anuradhapura, tanks such as Tissa Wewa and Nuwara Wewa are well over a thousand years old; at Polonnaruwa, the twelfth-century Parakrama Samudra spreads beside the ancient city. Cycling the quiet lanes and bunds between them shows how closely the island’s history is tied to water and farming.

With a guide setting a relaxed pace, you pass farmers at work, irrigation channels, village shrines and wetlands busy with egrets, painted storks and kingfishers. Depending on the season, the fields may be freshly ploughed, newly planted, lush and green, or golden at harvest. There are plenty of stops to talk with farmers, and the ride can easily be combined with a visit to the ancient monuments.

Good to know

• Ride early, from around 6.30am, or in the late afternoon; the dry zone is hot by midday.
• The terrain is flat and suits anyone comfortable on a bicycle; bunds can be narrow or muddy after rain, and walking short sections is fine.
• Rice follows two seasons, Maha (roughly October to March) and Yala (roughly April to August), so the landscape changes through the year.
• Bring a hat, sunscreen and water; light long trousers help in grassy sections.
• Ask us if you would like a helmet or a child’s bicycle arranged.

The ride can be added to any private itinerary in the Cultural Triangle, with timing arranged around your sightseeing.