MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN - OCTOBER 2019

Dear Trade Colleagues,

It’s been a great month so far with sustainable adventuring and cultural immersion, offering a lot more if you pack a bag instead of reading about it! From sinking into a bed inside a 250-year old manor, and taking the batik-making reins in personalising your own handkerchief… to meeting friendly and quirky individuals and families as you travel the island. If you do travel to the dry zone though, make sure Block 5 of Yala is on your to-experience list, as the TRIAS FAM Trip from Germany who recently experienced it… truly experienced it, with all the magic of the road less taken.

Happy packing and happy trails!

Anuruddha Bandara (AB)
Founder
Experiential Journeys

The road less travelled makes all the difference: promoting Block 5 of Yala National Park

The road less travelled makes all the difference: promoting Block 5 of Yala National Park Due to the worrying number of jeeps entering Block 1 of Yala National Park, we always suggest taking the road less travelled down Block 5. With just a 30-minute drive from the Big Game and Mahoora campsites in Yala, Block 5 offers more or less the same wildlife sightings as Block 1. However, less ‘jeep traffic’ lets you truly enjoy a cup of tea or coffee better, while alone on the banks of the photogenic Weheragala Reservoir, just in time for sundown by the surrounding mountains!...

Priyamali : the Polonnaruwa family that cooks together, stays together

Priyamali : the Polonnaruwa family that cooks together, stays together The name of the home-style restaurant ‘Priyamali’ is derived from the names of the father and mother – Deva‘priya’ and ‘Mali’ni. This culinary family of 5 (mom, dad, 2 daughters and son-in-law) personally cooks and serves hearty Sri Lankan meals to locals and curious travellers who seek authentic Sri Lankan flavours. The idea to open an eatery near the Vatadage in Polonnaruwa, was inspired by groups of wandering tourists searching for nearby places to try local food. Today, they serve their home-cooked goodness to both local and foreign tourists, presenting an...

Guided Batik Workshop : create your own batik handkerchief souvenir

Guided Batik Workshop : create your own batik handkerchief souvenir Sri Lankan Batik is an island craft forged through designs and patterns, with the tools of wax and ink. Originating from Indonesia, Batik was first introduced to Sri Lanka by the Dutch in the 19th century. Simply put, its art which decorates a piece of cloth by creating a design or pattern with wax, filling in the rest with a vibrant mosaic of colour. We’ve partnered with small homebrewed workshops for a batik-making experience, which you can personalise on a handkerchief. There’s really no better souvenir than one with your name...

Mas Villa: the 250-year old manor house in the heart of Kotmale Valley

Mas Villa: the 250-year old manor house in the heart of Kotmale Valley Intertwined in a lush hillside vista, overlooking the Kotmale Reservoir and mist-tipped mountains, is the quiet and mysterious Mas Villa. Steeped in history and old world charm, this timeless old Manor House sensitively blends traditional luxury and warm hospitality like no other. Let your senses experience an almost forgotten Sri Lankan past, while a steaming cup of tea in the courtyard keeps you company, and you can’t help but watch leaves surf over the hills into the distant mountains on a chilly wind. ...

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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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