Family vacation to Sri Lanka

Planet

Accommodation and Meals
All of the hotels we stay in are dedicated to hiring local staff and using freshly sourced produce wherever possible. This helps to benefit the surrounding community by providing employment opportunities and income alternatives where they may be otherwise hard to come by. When meals are not provided, our local guide will encourage and recommend clients to visit local restaurants and cafes to try local specialties. Sri Lankan cuisine consists of staples like rice usually accompanied with assorted meat and vegetable curries as well as various pickles, ‘sambols’ and a handful of tiny poppadum.


Activity
One of the highlights of the trip is the game drive in Yala National Park, though best known for elephants; clients may also spot deer, monkeys, buffalo and a wide range of bird life. We are very conscious of the environment and try to limit our impact on our surroundings as much as possible. All of our vehicles used on this tour are subject to annual eco testing and we monitor this closely in order to reduce our carbon footprint. We do believe in leaving no more than footprints, although this tour actively encourages guests to talk to local people, visit local cafes and restaurants and use markets to purchase traditional crafts. By visiting landmarks, cultural sites and National Parks, our entrance fees contribute to the upkeep of these places.

Group Size
This is a small group tour, meaning that we have a low impact on the environments and communities we visit and are able to ensure that we do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people. The small number also allows us to stay in unique, family-run hotels that cannot benefit from coach tours and other mass tourism due to their limited sizes.

UK Office
It all starts at home where we work towards reducing our carbon footprint in our offices through energy conservation measures, recycling policies and the promotion of cycling and walking as a means for our staff to commute. Our head office has become a plastic-free zone with the use of plastic bottles being banned in our head office and we distributed reusable water bottles and tote bags to every staff member. We also support a large number of community and environmental projects in different parts of the world and try to give something back to the places we visit.

People

Local Craft and Culture
There is so much culture and history to be discovered and explored during the trip. We get to explore the UNESCO city of ancient Polonnaruwa filled with temples, palaces, huge Buddhist stupas and sculptures dating from a thousand years ago. And also visit one of the most iconic sights in Sri Lanka, the UNESCO Ancient city of Sigiriya, where this fifth century rock fortress shows one of the best examples of ancient urban planning.

Before we drive to the beautiful lakeside town of Kandy, we stop by a rope making factory in a local house in the Matale area where we get to witness the traditional process of rope making, an interesting experience for both adults and children. We will also explore a sari factory where we learn about these traditional garments that have been worn in Sri Lanka for thousands of years. Through these visits, clients learn more about Sri Lankan craft, how they are made and possibly purchase something as a form of support. Though the sale of items made from endangered species are strictly prohibited in Sri Lanka, there still ornaments made of sea-shells (shell fish) openly sold on the island. Hence, our local guides are sure to advice clients on what can be bought and what to avoid.

Charity
Following the disastrous tsunami back in 2004, our local operator founded the “Back to Life” project to raise funds for the disaster. With the funds we provided, they were able to financially co-sponsor the project which has enable 25 families to be rehoused and for two schools to be equipped with toilets, running water and outdoor swings. Additionally, they collaborated with a German operator and the village temple to contribute 10 large water tanks and an eye clinic to a remote village with a donation of 200 pairs of glasses. They also provided assistance in the development of a day care and a school for children in the hill country.