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Planet over Plastic

Experiential Journeys has always taken measures to adhere to sustainable tourism initiatives at every possible chance we get, and now we are taking serious action to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles.

We buy reusable stainless steel water bottles and HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) bottles and issue them to our guests at the start of their tours. A reusable 20-litre water bottle with a manual filling pump will be available in their vehicle to refill these bottles.

Once it’s over, the 20-litre bottle will be refilled from a clean and hygienic drinking water source. This measure has put an end to, a very great extent, the use of 500ml and 1-litre single use plastic bottles.  

If, due to unavoidable circumstances, we need to use plastic water bottles, we send them for recycling to our PET Recycling Partner, Beira Group Pvt Ltd.

In addition to this effort, we now give priority to the accommodation providers who do not use PET Bottles in their day-to-day operations, such as Mahoora Tented and Big Game Camps who have made a conscious and eco-friendly effort to use reusable glass bottles instead of plastic ones.

 

 

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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