G Adventures Launches Sri Lanka Sailing Trips

A tripling of demand for trips to Sri Lanka in the past year has prompted G Adventures to launch a new program of small-group sailing tours along the southern coast.

The seven-day “Sri Lanka Sailing” trip, which travels from, and returns to, Mirissa, begins on Feb. 2, 2018, making it the perfect winter escape. The trip can also be combined with a land-based itinerary in Sri Lanka – known as “the pearl of the Indian Ocean” – to create a 14-day land and sea getaway.

“We’re thrilled to be the first adventure company to explore Sri Lanka by sea. They say great things come in small packages and Sri Lanka is a fantastic destination with plenty to see, do and eat,” says Vince Donnelly, global sailing manager, G Adventures. “These sailing trips have a local chief experience officer (CEO), skipper and cook onboard, so travellers will also experience the local culture and flavours as they explore the stunning Sri Lankan coastline.”

Highlights of the new itinerary include Galle, a fort city on the southwest coast, which was founded by the Portuguese and feels like a small European town. Travellers will also visit Ussangoda National Park, the newest national park in Sri Lanka, home to a variety of wildlife and rare medicinal plants. Its red earth is said to be the result of an ancient asteroid that crashed into the land.

While onboard travellers will be also able to spot the largest animal on earth, the blue whale, as the giant creatures are drawn to feed in the deep-sea trench just off the coast.

The launch of Sri Lanka sailing brings the number of sailing destinations offered by G Adventures to eight, with 19 different itineraries across the British Virgin Islands, Croatia, Cuba, Greece, Indonesia, Montenegro and Thailand.

(photos courtesy of G Adventures, http://www.gadventures.com)