Are the Kandy mountain roads too steep for scooters?

The main roads leading toward Kandy are usually manageable on scooters, but the smaller rural lanes, those winding tracks with steep climbs up into the hills nearby, can become dangerously hard for riders who are not used to them yet.

Travelling through the hill country needs a properly serviced scooter, minimum 125cc, with excellent braking and a rider who is fully confident. You will be dealing with blind hairpin curves, sudden showers, roads that get slick fast, and aggressive local buses that practically take over the narrow lanes. If you do not have real experience manoeuvring motorcycles in South Asian traffic, consider hiring a tuk-tuk or arranging a driver. And if you do ride yourself, you should strictly avoid going out after dark, because there is thick fog and also very little street lighting.