Sri Lanka luxury adventure

Planet

As with all of our vacations, this itinerary has been crafted to ensure that it positively effects the local communities and environments visited.

Whilst on game drives in Sri Lanka’s national parks please do not encourage your driver to get too close to the animals or depart from the usual track. You should be as quiet as possible and do not make any noises to attract or frighten the wildlife. Of course you’ll be excited if you spot a leopard in Yala National Park or a herd of elephants in Gal Oya National Park, but you should try to express your excitement quietly.

Whilst visiting national parks please ensure that you don’t leave any litter – everything you carry in you must carry out. Aside from the environmental damage, litter can be harmful to the wildlife.

Entrance fees to Sri Lanka’s national parks are quite high, however this is an essential way for them to protect their incredible landscapes and wildlife (note: national park entrance fees are included in your vacation cost).

By including a visit to a national park in your itinerary, you are showing the Sri Lankan government that tourism within protected areas is thriving, thus encouraging more funding, employment opportunities etc.

Elephant trekking is a popular tourist activity in Asia, especially in countries such as Thailand, Cambodia, India and Sri Lanka. The elephants used for trekking are often mistreated and harshly trained, therefore we do not offer this activity on any tailor-made vacation with us.

In Sri Lanka there are a number of elephant sanctuaries which claim to care for orphaned elephants, however the elephants are not orphans at all, but are bred within the ‘orphanage’ and they’re trained to interact with tourists in an unethical way.

If you wish to see elephants during your time in Sri Lanka we encourage you to visit the national parks, such as Yala, Minneriya, Kaudulla and Gal Oya, where you’ll have a chance to see huge herds of these magnificent creatures in the wild instead.

Top Tip: Include a stay at Gal Oya Lodge on your itinerary. This wonderful wildlife lodge is located on the edge of Gal Oya National Park, one of Sri Lanka's least visited national parks. The park is home to a large number of elephants which can be seen swimming from island to island in Senanayake Samudra Lake.

People

During your tailor-made Sri Lanka vacation you’ll discover the main tourist sites and off-the-beaten-track places with expert local guides who will offer an insight into the Sri Lankan culture, traditions, heritage and religions.

Our local guides in Sri Lanka are highly experienced, extremely knowledgeable and very friendly, we encourage you to make an effort to get to know them and show an interest in their culture and customs.

By gaining a deeper understanding about Sri Lanka’s colourful culture, ancient traditions, rich heritage and religious beliefs you’re likely to have a much more interesting and meaningful travel experience.

We encourage you to support the local economy by buying authentic handmade products such as silk, cotton fabrics, wood carvings, pottery and silver jewellery at markets, villages and small-scale souvenir shops rather than hotel tourist shops or on organised shopping trips.

When you buy products at markets, villages and small-scale souvenir shops you are helping to support a fragile economy and supporting local artisans helps keep traditional crafts alive. Visiting rural villages and markets also offers a great opportunity to gain an insight into the local way of life.

At Kala Pola Art Market in Colombo you’ll find a collection of talented Sri Lankan artists selling paintings and photography, whilst the Kandy Central Market in the middle of Kandy town is a daily market for locals and here you can buy spices to make your own authentic Sri Lankan curries when you get home!

When ‘bartering’ over the price please bear in mind that the seller might accept a price below its cost price because they need cash to feed their family, so don’t push too much just to save yourself a few pounds. Stay calm, be reasonable and keep a smile on your face. It's meant to be fun!