L–R: Chandra Wickramasinghe, Chairman/MD, Connaissance De Ceylan; Saminda Perera, Head – Marketing, SriLankan Airlines; Alexandre Debanne, Founder/Organizer, Raid Amazones; Matthieu JOHN, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives; Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism; D M S A Niroshana, Managing Director, SLTPB; and Maxime Wickramasinghe, Director – Marketing and Business Development, Connaissance de Ceylan.
Sri Lanka is set to welcome back Raid Amazones, one of the world’s most recognized women-only adventure challenges, from November 2 to 10, 2026, with the eighth Sri Lankan edition taking place in the scenic district of Kalutara.
More than 250 international participants, together with organizers, international media representatives, and medical teams, are expected to take part, creating an important global platform to showcase Sri Lanka as a destination for adventure, nature, and experiential tourism.
Turyaa Kalutara will serve as the official accommodation partner.
Founded in 2001 by French adventure-event specialist Alexandre Debanne, Raid Amazones brings together women from around the world for a unique blend of endurance, teamwork, outdoor adventure, and cultural discovery.
“This will be the eighth time the Raid Amazones are coming to Sri Lanka. Out of the 26 editions we have organized, Sri Lanka has hosted the event more than any other country,” commented Alexandre Debanne, Founder, Raid Amazones.
Sri Lanka has maintained a long-standing association with Raid Amazones since 2004, having hosted editions in 2004, 2009, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2023, including two groups during the 2022 edition. Over the years, the event has taken participants across diverse landscapes and communities, showcasing the country’s beaches, forests, lagoons, rural landscapes, and cultural heritage to an international audience.
The event has also become a powerful platform for destination promotion. Previous editions of Raid Amazones have generated more than 300 international media features, as well as extensive television, radio, digital, and social media coverage.
“Raid Amazones has played an important role in promoting Sri Lanka to a global audience. The international media exposure generated through previous editions has given Sri Lanka valuable visibility across key markets, while the extensive social media content created by participants continues to tell the story of our destination through authentic experiences,” said Maxime Wickramasinghe, Director – Marketing and Business Development, Connaissance De Ceylan.
The 2026 edition will introduce participants to Kalutara, where golden beaches, rivers, wetlands, lush forests, rubber plantations, and vibrant communities provide a distinctive backdrop for the challenge.
Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism, highlighted the wider value of the event, noting that “Raid Amazones provides an excellent opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka’s unique landscapes, experiences, and hospitality to an international audience.
“Events such as this demonstrate how Sri Lanka can connect with the world not only through our airline network, but through powerful destination experiences. Bringing international participants to Sri Lanka allows them to experience the country first-hand and become ambassadors for the destination when they return home,” said Saminda Perera, Head of Marketing, SriLankan Airlines.
