Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip
Australian Cricket Tour To Sri Lanka 2025 | Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip
Confirmed Schedule Coming
Tour: Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip
When: Feb 1 - 9, 2025 (8nts) - TBC
Starting: Colombo Hotel
Staying: Nuwara Eliya | Ella | Arugam Bay
Ending: 1st Test
Twin | Double*: A$2600pp (TBC)
Single Room*: A$3700pp (TBC)
Book:
Visit: SO Sri Lanka
*Pricing is land only, based on 2024 hotel rates. 2025 Hotels subject to availability. No flights included.
Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip
We love road trips, and when chance comes to create one for our Australian Cricket Tour we don't pass it up.
On our Australian Cricket Tour To Sri Lanka 2022, we drove one lap of the country on our Four Points Road Trip, visiting the furthest compass points of Sri Lanka's mainland. We thought about it again, but opted to drive one (near) straight line across the country.
Included In Your Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip:
- 2 Nights In Colombo
- 2 Nights Nuwara Eliya
- 2 Nights Ella
- 2 Nights Arugam Bay
- All Road Travel As Required
- Train Nuwara Eliya to Ella
- Breakfast Daily
- Dinner Nightly (except Colombo)
- Airport Pick-Up In Colombo
- Accredited Sri Lanka Tourism Guide
- Local Sightseeing
- Visit To Tea Estate In Nuwara Eliya
- Optional Visit To World's End (Payable)
- Sightseeing Drive Around Ella
- All Entrance Fees As Required
- Travel To The 1st Test
*We no longer offer twin-share unless you book to share a room with someone you know. If you are travelling alone, you must book SINGLE or phone a friend.
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Starting with 2 nights in Colombo, we drive into the hills for 2 nights in the cool tea-town of Nuwara Eliya. It is then to beautiful Ella for 2 nights, and onto the hip east coast flop-spot of Arugam Bay to create our Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip. We'll have 2 nights in 'A Bay' before driving to the 1st Test, wherever that be.
This cool drive takes us between the 2 widest points of Sri Lanka, Colombo and Sangamankanda, ticking the box on yet another unique geographic measure.
Although our drive wends through the gorgeous tea country, on reaching the coast at Pottivul, it is a near horizontal line from Colombo with just .05 degree difference of latitude. Pottivul is 20km south of Sangamankanda and 2km north of Arugam Bay.
More specifically, on leaving Colombo, we first stop at Kanatte Cemetery, one of two Commonwealth War Graves in Colombo, where 55 Australian rest. 64 rest in Liveramentu Cemetery.
After paying our respects, we drive to Hatton, the base for walking to Adam's Peak, in the Sripada Peak Wilderness Sanctuary. February is perfect to climb yet a midnight start for 5 hours walking with hundreds upon thousands to see the sunrise from Sri Lanka's holiest place is best done when travelling alone. If you really want to climb, you must leave Colombo one day earlier.
After lunch we continue our wend to Nuwara Eliya where we stay for 2 nights at The Grand Hotel. Nuwara Eliya is a cool little place, great for walking the forests of tea that carpet the hillsides. Arriving by 4pm after a mere 6 hours drive is perfect for sundowners on the terrace of Nuwara Eliya Golf Course.
With dinner included, tuck in early to tuck in early to hike to World's End. Horton Plains National Park is 40km from Nuwara Eliya and requires a 4am start to fight through the entrance throng so you can reach the beautiful escarpment after a 2-3 hours easy walk.
Having been there and done that many times, this is not included but available and payable at the time if you want to want to do it. You will be back by 12pm.
For those staying home, we'll drive to view points & waterfalls around Nuwara Eliya, or you can walk the gardens, markets, or beautiful golf course.
An optional visit to Pedro Tea Estate in the afternoon is a perfect chance to photograph the colourful ladies tea-picking away through the day.
The next day we take the slow, winding train to Ella. The train is better than the bus to experience the breathtaking tea-scapes and quaint railway stations. You can ride in the engine (with a tip) for a unique view of this very popular journey.
We'll have lunch before checking in for 2 nights at a flash hillside hotel. Don't get comfy as the train to Badulla leaves at 5pm. We're not taking the train instead taking photos of it crossing famous 9 Arches Bridge.
Wander back & forth over the bridge, clamber up & down the hillsides for different vantage points, and before you know it the train from Badulla will cross just before 7pm, after which is dinner at the hotel.
The next day we do a lazy 4 hour drive visiting Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory, view points, and Badulla, returning for sundowners and dinner on the hotel terrace.
After breakfast, we stop at Ella Rock Vew Point, Ravanna Waterfall, and Secret Waterfall on the drive to Arugam Bay.
We hit the coast in time for lunch and an afternoon on the beach, sipping cocktails and fermented freshness, if not by the cool pool of our cool hotel.
'A Bay' is the east coast's hot spot, akin to the west coast's Hikkaduwa, only smaller. Woodfired pizzas, burger bars, seafood grills, vegan alleys, swish cafes, and funky bars line busy Panama Road, which at night is a glow with the flow of people seeking their perfect kick back.
For those that didn't visit Sri Lanka's eastern-most point, Sangamankanda, in 2022, we'll go after breakfast the next day; and better prepared. Jeeps will take us to the point and back in 2 hours, making it not so exhaustive as 2022.
After Sangamankanda, the day is yours to do as you please. Flop on A Bay, bar hop to Pottivul, or Twitchers can focus on Sri Lanka's premier birdlife sanctuary, Kumana National Park to where a visit can be booked & paid for at the time.
We clink glasses for one last night in A Bay as the next day we're off to the 1st Test of our Australian Cricket Tour To Sri Lanka 2025. Kandy & Hikkaduwa are 5 hours drive and Colombo 6.5 hours to end our lush Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip.
#GoTeam
Australian Cricket Tours:
- Sri Lanka 2025
- Cricket In Colombo
- Cricket In Kandy
- Cricket In Galle
- Sea-Tea-Sea Road Trip
- Journey To Jaffna
- Match Tickets Package
Book Sri Lanka 2025:
