Responsible Tourism

Sri Lanka Discovery

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Highlights of this tour:

The Sri Lanka Discovery tour is a varied 15-day holiday, which will show you many of the island's beautiful and interesting sights while giving you time to relax on tropical beaches and in the Hill Country. Beginning with a tour of the Cultural Triangle, you will visit the cave temples at Dambulla, Sigiriya rock fortress and the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa, before heading to Kandy, the capital of the last Sihalese Kingdom. You will then travel through tea plantations in the Hill Country, trek across Horton Plains to get stunning views at World's End, before relaxing on the edge of the Hill Country at Ella. Dropping 1000 m to the southern plain below, you will visit the rock temple at Buduruwagala, before taking a jeep safari in Uda Walawe National Park to see elephants, finishing up with a few days on a tropical beach on the south coast and a visit to Galle.

Example of the itinerary:

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow
Day 2 Arrive Colombo. Transfer to Waikkal on the island's west coast. Night stay at Ranweli Holiday Village.
Day 3 Drive up into the Cultural Triangle to Dambulla to visit the island's finest cave temples. Continue to Sigiriya. Night stay at Sigiriya Village.
Day 4 Head to the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa for a tour of its historic temples and exquisitely carved statues. In the afternoon, take a jeep safari in Minneriya National Park to see elephants and a spectacular array of Sri Lankan bird life. Night stay at Sigiriya Village.
Day 5 Early morning ascent of the rock fortress of Sigiriya and a tour it's rock palace and ornamental gardens before continuing to Kandy. In the early evening, enjoy a performance of the famous Kandyan Dancers and Drummers, with a fire-walking finale. Night stay at Chaaya Citadel.
Day 6 Walking tour of Kandy city (Buddhist monasteries, Hindu temples, lake and municipal market). After lunch, visit Peradeniya Botanic Gardens before experiencing the evening's Buddhist puja (blessing ceremony) at the Temple of the Tooth. Night stay at Chaaya Citadel.
Day 7 A one-day tour of the Hill Country, passing through tea plantations and passed spectacular waterfalls on your way to Nuwara Eliya. On the way, take a tour of a working tea factory. In the afternoon, amble around ‘The City of Light' and enjoy a little piece of England in the tropics! Night stay at St. Andrew's Hotel.
Day 8 Early morning trek through the heath and forest of Horton Plains National Park to see the awe-inspiring views at World's End. Continue to Ella. Night stay at Ambiente Mount Resort guesthouse, which has a wonderful location high above Ella with spectacular views of waterfalls and tea plantations in the surrounding area.
Day 9 Leave the Hill Country and drop down to the southern plain to visit the 10th century rock carvings at Buduruwagala before continuing to Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka's main elephant reserve, for an afternoon jeep safari. Night stay at Centauria Tourist Hotel.
Day 10 Visit the Elephant Transit Home, where orphaned or injured elephants are looked after before being reintroduced into the wild. Head to the south coast to the quiet beach at Tangalle. Night stay at Palm Paradise Cabanas.
Day 11 At leisure. Night stay at Palm Paradise Cabanas.
Day 12 At leisure during the day. After dark, visit the Turtle Conservation Project at Rekawa to see turtles laying eggs on the beach. Night stay at Palm Paradise Cabanas.
Day 13 Continue along the southern coastline to Galle for a tour of the Old Dutch Fort, a World Heritage Site. Amble around the ramparts and stroll through the Arab Quarter. Night stay at Closenberg Hotel.
Day 14 A leisurely drive north along the west coast to Negombo, via Colombo. Night stay at Villa Araliya.
Day 15 Depart Colombo and arrive London Heathrow.

How this tour helps the local community:

We actively encourage responsible and sustainable travel to Sri Lanka. By working closely with our associate company in Sri Lanka and other partner organisations, we are endeavouring to promote cultural exchange, social awareness, self-employment and self-development.
Guides
We only employ English-speaking Sri Lankan chauffeur guides who are all licensed by the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Experienced guides for trekking, safaris and other specialist activities are hired locally and have extensive knowledge of their chosen area of expertise.
Transportation
As we organise holidays for up 8 persons only we feel this leads to less impact both on the environment and the people that we visit as well as allowing for more supervision, advice and explanations with the high ratio of guides to travellers. The vehicles used for our tours are all regularly serviced to maintain safety and comfort, and to reduce pollution levels.
Accommodation
We actively promote small family-run guesthouses that employ local workers, or in the case of larger hotels, locally owned establishments.
Restaurants
We encourage travellers to eat at traditional restaurants, roadside eateries, street vendors and market stalls in order for them to enjoy and experience authentic Sri Lankan food.
Community-led projects
The Asian Tsunami highlighted the plight of coastal communities in Sri Lanka and our initial projects were targeted at Sri Lankan individuals and communities devastated by the tsunami. However, many other communities away from the coast also lack essential services and resources and our objective is to offer long-term support to such Sri Lankan individuals and communities. By channelling all donations received by Forgotten Village Sri Lanka (a charitable organisation currently applying for charitable status with the Charity Commission) into community-based projects on the island, we hope to provide sustained assistance to these communities in their endeavour to improve their lives. We make a contribution to Forgotten Village Sri Lanka for every holiday booked.

Conservation projects

• The Elephant Transit Home at Uda Walawe National Park looks after orphaned or injured elephants before reintroducing them into the wild. This project is sponsored by the Born Free Foundation.
• Rekawa, on Sri Lanka's south coast near Tangalle, is one of the places where turtles come to lay eggs and, since 1996, the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) has protected them. This non-government organisation is quite distinct from the turtle hatcheries established on the southwest coast, as the TCP protects the actual nesting sites without any intervention apart from discouraging predators.
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