Highlights of Sri Lanka tour

Planet

We put a lot of thought in working with local providers in Sri Lanka, making sure that everyone involved in your trip is committed to sharing advice on how best to leave a lighter footprint. We promote excursions which foster a more sustainable tourism and commit to maintaining small-group sizes to limit negative environmental impacts in accordance to the carrying capacity of the visited site.

Sri Lanka is a land known and renowned for her rich biodiversity and we give our best to respect her nature. We are trying to keep the extra unneeded waste to a minimum in all our tours through our “bring it in, bring it out” policy for litter and rubbish such as food packaging and recycling wherever possible.

We have a recycling policy in our UK and local offices and re-use or recycle the information booklets we provide to every client on arrival wherever possible. Moreover, we do not produce a glossy brochure, concentrating on a comprehensive website, and providing as much information to our travellers as possible electronically, reducing the use of paper and inks.

We hand-pick hotels for you that subscribe to harness a healthy, green clean policy both for local communities and for their staff. You will for example stay in the ´best eco luxury hotel´ in Sri Lanka, the Jetwing Vil Uyana in Sigiriya. The Hotel group created a private nature reserve consisting of a wetland system with lakes and reed beds. Jetwing Vil Uyana was built within these environs, with rooms which have been placed within the paddy fields itself. Over the past four decades, the Jetwing group has remained committed to uplifting lives, developing communities, and engaging in sustainable practices to benefit the environment.

We also chose the Earl´s Regency for your tour, part of the Aitken Spence family, who are recognized as leading eco hotels in Sri Lanka. The hotel group has on-going energy conservation projects, water conservation projects, and recycling projects, with various levels of local, state and international green certification awards.

Wildlife:
By visiting the Horton Plains National Park, you will contribute to the conservation of a protected area with a rich biodiversity, where many species are endemic to the region. Our tour guides receive special training in how to leave a lower impact on the nature trips and in regional conservation projects. We are actively promoting practices such us not disturbing wildlife, keeping a safe distance to wildlife, reducing production of disturbing sounds, prohibiting feeding, avoiding litter at all times, using water sparingly and not polluting with harmful detergents, avoid being intrusive when taking photographs, dressing appropriately and in subdued colours when wildlife watching, etc.

The hotels we choose as well as our guides seek to create awareness and educate guests, local communities and schoolchildren regarding the issues facing each species in Sri Lanka, from the elephant to the whale to the leopard and sloth bear. We don´t directly market, promote, or endorse the use of animals, especially elephants, as entertainment or at functions.

People

We make sure we only work with local Sri Lankan guides that come from the very region you are visiting, giving back to their families and communities.

While many operators pay per day or per tour, our guides receive an hourly rate which allows a fair and fruitful reward for their expertise. We provide staff with written employment contracts and fair working conditions (e.g. overtime payment, national wage requirements, no discrimination, grievance mechanisms in place and no child labour).

You will be able to stay at a hotel in Kandy for example that implements programmes which promote hiring locally, with or without experience, and training staff to be the best in their particular field.

For your souvenir shopping, we will take you to the local markets where locals of that very region craft their products to help keep the money earned in that very community. When we take you to local shops or markets we change the selected shops on a rotating basis. Also we make sure food stops are at locally owned cafes or restaurants and give customers recommendations on locally owned shop and restaurants, especially new start-ups.

We ensure customer awareness by familiarizing our guests with local history, culture, religions and traditions, by informing on culturally appropriate behavior, (e.g. dress codes for religious sites, taking photographs of people, language tips, etc.). Visiting the local sacred sites and temples in Sri Lanka will help maintain the ancient traditions and knowledge of the locals, and will leave your heart with more awareness that you can share at home with your loved ones.