2025 Jun 26
This July, Sri Lanka’s famed Pekoe Trail becomes more than a scenic route through the hills. It becomes a platform to preserve, activate and invest in the island’s living heritage. The 500K Steps campaign, a multi-day trek covering the trail’s full 323 kilometres, aims to raise funds and awareness for sustainable tourism and community-led growth in the Central Highlands.
The walk is scheduled to take place over 5 days, compressing what normally takes 22 days into a high-endurance journey. It will be led by a diverse group of professionals and community members walking in solidarity with the landscapes and stories that define the region.
The Trail as a Living Archive
Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail has earned global recognition from TIME, Lonely Planet, CNN Travel, and Condé Nast Traveller. But beyond the international headlines lies a deeper truth. The trail is a corridor of culture. It connects generations of tea workers, village economies, forest guardians and sacred sites. Yet, many of these communities remain outside the margins of mainstream tourism and economic planning.
The 500K Steps campaign seeks to change that by aligning movement with memory and impact with infrastructure.
Why the Campaign Matters
Funds raised will support:
- Trail upgrades, safety infrastructure, and signage
- Certified training for youth in eco-tourism and hospitality
- Community-based businesses and homestay development
- Environmental protection and responsible tourism design
The campaign is grounded in a vision for inclusive, locally owned tourism that values people and place equally. 100% of proceeds will directly support the development of the Pekoe Trail.
Walking to Preserve What Matters
The walking team includes professionals across business, technology, development, conservation and the creative arts. Their presence reflects a collective belief that culture and ecology are not side stories to economic growth. They are its foundation.
“The Pekoe Trail is more than a destination. It is a moving archive of how we lived, worked, prayed, migrated and survived. This walk is about preserving those pathways while creating new ones for the future,” said Arj Samarakoon, one of the campaign’s organisers.
Extending the Journey
Following the walk, the campaign will produce:
- A YouTube documentary chronicling the journey
- A print magazine with interviews, maps and trail features
- A limited-edition hardback photography book
How to Get Involved
Supporters can join in by visiting www.500k-steps.cc, where they can:
- Donate
- Walk a trail stage between 2 – 6 July
- Sponsor a stage or village feature
- Share stories and content using #500KSteps
The 500K Steps campaign is a call to move with meaning. To walk in honour of the past, in support of the present and in service of a more connected future.
