At an age when many travellers are opting for poolside retreats, Catherine Cruse was lacing up her boots and making history on one of Asia’s most exciting new trails.
In January 2025, the intrepid adventurer completed all 22 stages of Sri Lanka’s internationally acclaimed Pekoe Trail in a remarkable seven days — trekking more than 300 kilometres from Hantana to Kandapola through the island’s dramatic hill country. The feat placed her among a very select group of hikers to have conquered the entire trail in a single push, navigating rolling tea estates, mist-wreathed mountain passes, ancient cloud forests, and remote highland villages rarely seen by conventional tourists.
What gave the achievement an even deeper resonance was the motivation behind it. Catherine undertook the gruelling challenge to raise funds for her brother, who had been affected by the devastating wildfires sweeping the United States at the time. Battling exhaustion, unpredictable weather, and relentless elevation changes, she pressed on — driven by both personal purpose and a growing love for the extraordinary landscape unfolding around her.
Throughout the journey, Catherine shared vivid dispatches from the trail on social media, capturing the warmth of local communities, the hypnotic beauty of Sri Lanka’s tea country, and the rare privilege of travelling through landscapes untouched by mass tourism. Her story resonated widely, drawing attention to the Pekoe Trail at a time when its global profile is rising fast among serious adventure travellers.
But as it turns out, Sri Lanka had not yet finished with Catherine — nor she with it.
A Return Worth Following
This June, Catherine is back on the island she clearly can’t get enough of — this time leading a group of ten international travellers on a fully curated Sri Lankan journey put together by specialist inbound operator Connaissance De Ceylan (Pvt) Ltd.
Joining her is David Cruse, owner of Spicy Wicket, a popular Sri Lankan restaurant in Australia and a passionate advocate for Sri Lanka Cricket and island tourism. Over the years, David has introduced countless cricket and special-interest groups to Sri Lanka, building a loyal following for the destination across Australia. Together, the Cruses make for an irresistible travel pairing — combining adventure credibility with genuine cultural connection.
The group travels from 6th to 18th June across a route that weaves together the best of Sri Lanka’s adventure, nature, culture, and authentic local experiences. Highlights include two of the Pekoe Trail’s most scenic stages: Stage 1 from Hantana to Galaha, and Stage 8 from Norwood to Bogawantalawa — both threading through the heart of the island’s celebrated tea country.
Beyond the trail, the itinerary ventures into some of Sri Lanka’s most iconic territory — Sigiriya’s ancient rock fortress, the cultural heartland of Kandy, the breezy mountain town of Ella, the legendary Nine Arch Bridge, the gentle climb of Little Adam’s Peak, and the pristine wilderness of Gal Oya National Park, where boat safaris and the Monkey Mountain Trek offer wildlife encounters of an altogether different kind.
Sri Lanka’s Moment
Catherine Cruse’s return speaks to something larger happening in Sri Lanka tourism right now. The island has quietly become one of Asia’s most compelling adventure and experiential travel destinations — offering hiking, wildlife safaris, wellness retreats, scenic train journeys, ancient heritage sites, world-class beaches, and encounters with local culture that feel genuinely unscripted, all within a compact and extraordinarily diverse landscape.
In many ways, Catherine has become an unofficial ambassador for the destination — proof that Sri Lanka is far more than a relaxation retreat; it is a place capable of transforming the way you travel, and perhaps the way you see yourself as a traveller.
Her story, after all, carries a message that resonates well beyond the trail: adventure has no age limit — and in Sri Lanka, it has never looked more inviting.
Catherine Cruse’s June journey is curated by Connaissance De Ceylan (Pvt) Ltd.
