Sri Lanka luxury tailor made tour

Planet

Why Sri Lanka is a responsible choice:
Sri Lanka is hugely diverse and discoverable entirely, or predominantly, overland. It avoids overtourism by being a select destination and tourism within the country is generally well dispersed. With a huge variety of experiences spread across the East, South, North and West and Centre, there are many different places that are well worth visiting (and many that receive refreshingly few tourists), spreading the economic benefits widely.

Wildlife: The wildlife experiences on this trip view animals in their natural habitats, such as at the natural gathering at the Minneriya Reservoir, and on jeep safari in the Minneriya and Yala National Parks. There is no elephant bathing, feeding or riding or direct human interaction, all of which can be more beneficial for the humans than for the animals.
Guides accompany you on every safari outing, providing expert insight into the animals and their habitats, and ensuring the park rules are upheld.
Reef snorkelling around Pigeon Point is under the supervision of a guide, who briefs travellers on responsible snorkelling.

Human powered transport: This trip involves hiking and walking on nearly every day, with opportunities to cycle and kayak.

Reducing carbon impact: While this trip covers a large amount of ground in Sri Lanka, there are no internal flights. The entire trip is very manageable by road.

Vegetarian food: Options for meat-free dishes are very widespread and a normal part of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Local food sourcing: Several of the properties featured in the itinerary have allotment to table dining.

People

Accommodation:
The hotels we work with care for their people and environment. The Beach House is part of a Sri Lankan group which runs The Teardrop CARE foundation (Creating a Rewarding Experience).
In their words, this 'was established to give back to the communities we work in. Led by our staff, our primary initiatives include workshops that support women from low-income segments in the tea country and near Colombo through our WEE CARE initiative (Women’s Economic Empowerment), supporting schools and orphanages by upgrading infrastructure, educational programs for youth, centered around the environmental and wildlife conservation through our Eco Warriors program, and community engagement and vocational training support towards The Tea Leaf Trust and VACD (Volunteers to Assist Children with Disabilities).'

Locally-owned accommodation:
This itinerary features hotels and lodges that are run by locals and are small and boutique. The Notary's house is an example of a heritage property, with only 6 rooms and a rich history.

Cultural awareness:
World Heritage sites feature in this trip, covering the Cultural Triangle: the City of Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and the rock of Sigiriya, along with the cave temples of Dambulla.
Historically important yet less known landmarks are visited, such as a church that provided refuge during the civil war.

Supporting lesser-visited regions:
Many places are visited on this itinerary that are off the beaten path.
- Travellers go to the furthest north point of Sri Lanka - Pedro Point - and to Jaffna.
- Small villages visited include:
- Pullolly West & Urumpirai
- Trincomallee
- Passikudah
- Batticaloa
- several lesser visited beaches along the south, including Tangalle, Dickwella and Hiriketiya.

Supporting local economies:
Local restaurants are recommended, such as Smoke & Bitter, and visits to local markets feature, such as Pettaharca and the local bazaars in Colombo.