A feast for the senses — gravel riding in Sri Lanka

The overwhelming chatter of the cicadas ramps up like a Mexican wave as you take the smooth tarmac through the forest, cheering you on. Unfamiliar sounds echo between the trees – they could be the vocalisations of exotic birds, other insects or monkeys – though more reminiscent of a jungle exhibition at a zoo than anything you've ever experienced before.

The foliage is lush and abundant, huge glossy leaves soaking in the bright sunlight. They're just the same as the ones you try to grow in your living room at home, except here they're thriving in the heat, sun and humidity.

As you pass between tea plantations in the high mountains, faint whiffs of spices catch your attention. As you cycle past the fish markets on the coast, it's hard to let anything else catch your focus.

The roadside shacks offering up all kinds of local delicacies are too welcoming to resist; hot sweet Ceylon tea or passion fruit coolers? Savoury roti or coconut and treacle string hopper wraps? 'Dynamite' chilli sauce or a sprinkling of sugar? All washed down with the cooling, isotonic water of a freshly harvested king coconut, slurped fresh from the source.

In this Collection, you'll find the five rides we enjoyed with Ride Sri Lanka, a subsidiary of Sri Lankan Holidays. The trip's mission was to help them better understand what cycle tourists seek when it comes to gravel riding in far-flung places and to showcase the best of the island in just a week for a group of cycle journalists like me. A gravel bike was perfect for the terrain, with a mixture of dirt tracks, smooth tarmac and broken road, but nothing too technical.

Riding in Sri Lanka was like nothing I'd ever experienced before. While the humidity and heat do take a little getting used to, you soon learn that keeping moving keeps you cool, and even a headwind is a delight. Of course, the moment that you start taking to the mountains, things start to ease off a little, and starting riding early in the morning is a must to avoid the midday heat.

I had many anxieties about riding there before travelling out, but many of these were quickly laid aside. While the wildlife is abundant, it's easy to steer clear of the snakes and crocodiles that the travel guides had warned (perhaps a little too strongly) about. There were many, many stray dogs, but they were almost all chill. Staying in hotels and guesthouses means that it's easy to avoid the worst of the mosquitoes and I didn't suffer any stomach upsets as I'd previously experienced in Morocco. Most places offer less spicy curries for visitors like me who can't handle the heat well – just look out for spicy mango chutney!

Taking short bus transfers between rides allowed us to see more of the island in such a short stretch of time. The local guides were also able to secure permits that allowed us to ride through several of the national parks, which really added to the experience. I'd also highly recommend the Ella Odyssey train journey, which we took on day 4 up into the mountains from Ella to Ohiya, and is touted as one of the most scenic train rides in Sri Lanka.

The most remarkable thing about Sri Lanka is just how regional it is. The island may only be 135 miles (220 km) from east to west, but across that you'll find drier areas and monsoon areas depending on the time of year, tea plantations and ride paddies, verdant jungle and high grassy plains. A number of different religions coexist peacefully side by side on the island, with many Buddhist temples and stupas, whitewashed Catholic churches, Islamic mosques and ornate Hindu temples all found here.

All images by Michael Blann.