Family holiday in Sri Lanka, elephant heaven

During your holiday you will make a visit to the Elephant Transit Home, run by the Sri Lankan Department of Wildlife Conservation. Established in 1995, the home provides shelter for 30 orphaned or abandoned baby elephants, releasing them to the wild when they are strong enough to survive in their natural habitat. You will visit the ETH at feeding time (the only time visits are allowed) and see the elephants from a viewing deck approximately 10m away. As entrance fees to the National Park go directly to the Sri Lankan government, we will leave a donation of $5 for the ETH on your behalf.

Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage is probably Sri Lanka’s most famous elephant sanctuary and up until early 2006 a visit here was included in this holiday. However serious concerns over the treatment and welfare of the elephants led to us to stop visiting Pinnawela and visit the ETH instead. We will continue to monitor the situation and press for improvements in the conditions at Pinnawela.

Alongside our Sri Lankan agent we employ local guides, drivers and of course the group leader. Money from our visit also reaches a wide range of people from local hoteliers to restaurateurs. Following the tsunami in 2004 we’ve been working hand in hand with out agent on a recovery project in Ahanhama on the south coast. Like many other villages in this area, Ahangama was badly affected by the tsunami, with many homes, businesses and lives lost. Shortly after the tsunami we began supporting a local school and from September 2005 we have been donating £5 for every person travelling with us to Sri Lanka. The monies will be spent on equipment – to help the school return to full strength. You will also have the opportunity to visit the school during your trip – gifts of sports equipment (netballs, footballs and jerseys) plus library books would be most welcome.

Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us.

Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems.

Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full.

Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book.