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MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN - MAY 2020

2020 03

 

Dear Trade Colleagues,

Greetings fellow explorers! 

I hope you and your families have been well and safe during the pandemic. Even though we are faced with a global pandemic, everyone years for a piece of normalcy - so we hope our newsletter can add some brightness to your day. 

Let me take you through our April explorations - first to Jim’s Farm Villa, a boutique hotel in Matale, Sri Lanka that was founded and created based on the farms in Suffolk, England. Located in a 50 acre plot of land, Jim’s Farm Villa is the perfect piece of England, with some exciting Sri Lankan finds. 

Next we take you across our culture with the Festival of Lights, also known as ‘Vesak’ in Sri Lanka. A religious celebration, that is celebrated by the Buddhist community in Sri Lanka, our teams had to improvise and have a rather unorthodox celebration despite the current situation. We also take you to learn the beautiful art of Laaksha, introduced to Sri Lanka just as Buddhism was introduced to the country and has withstood many ears and been passed down for many generations.

Our tour guide of the month is Sunny - aptly named after all the sunshine and happiness he brings to our guests not only with his friendly demeanor but also with his musical talents. And last but not least, we are happy to have had our first Zoom webinar for young wildlife enthusiasts with a veteran Ecologist which saw a participation of over a 100 kids from across the world. 

Stay tuned for our future updates!

Anuruddha Bandara (AB)
Founder
Experiential Journeys



A peek into the Backyard Birdlife; Junior Explorer Club’s online discussion with Prof. Sarath Kotagama

A peek into the Backyard Birdlife; Junior Explorer Club’s online discussion with Prof. Sarath Kotagama The Junior Explorers Club of Eco Team Sri Lanka recently conducted a Zoom session for kids under the theme of ‘Bakyard Birding - A peek into the backyard birdlife’ with world renowned Ornithologist & Ecologist Professor Sarath Kotagama.  The main intent of the session was to create enthusiasm amongst the younger generations by connecting them with the natural world and teaching them to respect and protect the environment. The session proved to be a raging success with over a 100 children participating from across the world including...
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Celebrating the Festival of Lights in the wilderness whilst practicing sustainability

Celebrating the Festival of Lights in the wilderness whilst practicing sustainability The Festival of Lights, known as the festival of ‘Vesak’ locally is the biggest festival celebrated by Buddhists. The festival commemorates the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of Lord Buddha which is believed to have happened on the same day of the full moon during the month of May. Vesak is celebrated annually during the full moon in the month of May even to date by lighting lanterns and oil lamps. Due to the prevailing situation in the country, our teams had to get creative to celebrate the much loved...
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Sunny; A truly happy-go-lucky guide

Sunny; A truly happy-go-lucky guide’ Hailing from the beach village of Wadduwa, our guide Sunny always carries his guitar along with him wherever he goes. He not only speaks fluent German and English, but he’s also a great entertainer - as he’s gifted with a beautiful voice and a talent to play his guitar - which he plays and sings for our guests when touring with him.  Sunny is a lover of nature, and prefers being close to nature whenever possible. All our guests are known to have fallen in love with him for his friendliness and hospitality as he has a...
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Laaksha; The art of making handicraft with ‘lac-work’

Laaksha; The art of making handicraft with ‘lac-work’ “Laaksha” is regarded as one of the industries which was introduced to Sri Lanka along with the sapling of the ‘Sri Maha Bodhi’ tree when it was brought down from India. The trade has lasted for many generations across many centuries and remains to this day.  Since the form of art was introduced when Buddhism was first introduced to Sri Lanka, the art has a very close bond with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy, since the times of the country’s monarchy many centuries ago. Many window frames and poles as...
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A boutique hotel inspired by the Farms in Suffolk, England at Jim’s Farm Villa

A boutique hotel inspired by the Farms in Suffolk, England at Jim’s Farm Villa Located just 3 kilometers inward from the A9 road in the town of Matale, Jim’s Farm Villa offers guests a unique experience of luxury blended with an organic farm stay in the tranquility of their 50 acre organic farm. Founded on the principles of relaxation to it’s guest’s mind and body, the boutique hotel was inspired by the scenic farms in Suffolk England - a little piece of English heaven in Sri Lanka.  The boutique hotel offers 3 villas, with a total of 14 rooms and since the...
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Frequently Asked Questions

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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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