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MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN - FEBRUARY 2020

2020 20

 

Dear Trade Colleagues,

Greetings from the team at Experiential Journeys! Even though the month of February is the shortest month in the year, we at ExJ make sure the experiences and fun isn’t cut short. Keeping true to our word, the month of February saw two new additions to our board - both who enjoy the outdoors and are keen wildlife photographers as well as a new naturalist who is a keen birder, butterfly specialist and a nature and wildlife interpreter.

The month of February also saw turtles being hatched in Colombo, for the first time in a very long time - as tourists and locals alike had to previously visit Down South to encounter this experience. We are also happy to announce a few new sensory indulgences; Lynford Bungalow to give you the true colonial experience, the beauty of flying from Colombo to Jaffna in just two hours whilst also enjoying the natural beauty of Sri Lanka, the art of weaving ‘paduru’ a multi-purpose unique Sri Lankan mat that has given birth to the term ‘paduru party’ a party style endemic to Sri Lanka.

With that, I hope you have a great month ahead of you. As Spring and Summer are rolling around the corner, don’t forget to book your experiential stay in Sri Lanka with us!

Anuruddha Bandara (AB)
Founder
Experiential Journeys



 

Our policy in discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

Animals Are Friends Too: Discouraging Animal Cruelty, Tourist Traps and Staged Tourist Shows

We at ExJ stay away from tourism experiences that are staged and involve animal cruelty and shopping traps that are contrived to exploit and deceive clients.

Even though some of the popular ‘attractions’ are not included in our programmes due to the above reasons, we have no objections in our clients making their own arrangements with our Drivers to visit these places.

 

Why we do not promote following attractions

 

Turtle Hatcheries

As this concept has serious negative aspects in terms of conservation, we do not encourage our visitors to patronize the turtle hatcheries, as not all of them are really turtle-friendly. We instead encourage them to observe turtles in their natural habitats.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

When we became aware that the animal welfare standards there were questionable, we stopped encouraging our clients to visit the orphanage. We are pleased to observe that the Born Free Foundation has now adopted similar measures.

Elephant back rides – Habarana

There’s uncertainty surrounding the attitude of this place towards animal welfare. There may be a few ethical operators, but in general, we are not in agreement with how the place is run. We all would love a photo of us riding an elephant, but is a lifetime of pain caused to these magnificent mammals really worth a few fleeting likes on social media?

Traditional Village Tour with a Canoe Trip and Bullock-Carts – Habarana

This is a tourist trap where a lot of the trip is ‘staged’ for commercial purposes. Such fake touristic experiences will not give our visitors an idea of what life in the country is really like, so join us as we show you the real side of Sri Lanka. And at the end of every vacation, always ask yourself, “Did you feel that your holiday was ethical, eco-friendly, and reduced environmental impacts?”


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