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MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN - JANUARY 2020

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Dear Trade Colleagues,

It’s a brand new year and peak season is in full flow, so it’s time to start planning your clients’ vacations! With a little bit of effort you could have quite a few experiences within one holiday, like witnessing the curious case of fashioning eyeglasses out of gemstones, checking out village life in the deep South, helping out with a good cause whilst out stalking Elephants, and ending it all with an amazing stay within a virgin rainforest, or you could just leave it to the ‘wearer of many hats’ for a fantastic itinerary where all your clients need to do is just turn up and enjoy their holiday! 

The new year also brings quite a bit of exciting news; the launch of Sri Lanka’s first ever Wildlife, Eco Tourism and Nature Interpretation Academy, a return to Europe for another prestigious Trade Fair, and an Owl & a Pussycat blissfully co-existing as a new addition to hotels we manage!

I wish your clients all the very best for the year ahead and, of course, nothing less than 366 days of experiential journeys!

Anuruddha Bandara (AB)
Founder
Experiential Journeys



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Prem: Leaving the nest, but flying strong

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Shivani: The wearer of many hats

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Diya Tharippu: Transforming gemstones into eyeglasses

Diya Tharippu: Transforming gemstones into eyeglasses How it originated may be lost in time, but the earliest traces of Diya Tharippu being crafted can be found in the 14th Century, during the ascension of the Gampola Kingdom. The creation of these eyeglasses is almost magical, as it requires a high level of training and skill to transform a Beryl gemstone into a perfectly functioning visual correction device! How is this even possible? Find out by visiting one of the few remaining artisans still engaged in this curious practice in Pilimathalawa and understand the different stages of creation of a Diya Tharippu...
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Sinharaja Adventure Resort: Experience undisturbed bio-diversity

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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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© 2024 Experiential Journeys (Pvt) Ltd. 20/63, Fairfield Garden, Colombo 08 (00800), Sri Lanka

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