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MONTHLY NEWS BULLETIN - SEPTEMBER 2018

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Dear Trade Colleagues,

Greetings from sunny isle and welcome to another episode of ‘Journeys’!

It’s the latter part of the dry season now in our beautiful island and with that, we would like to introduce a truly interesting brand new place of accommodation of our own and you can read all about it below under experiential accommodation.

This time for our ‘real local experience’, we would like to take you back in time when you visit an age old temple in Belihuloya where you will also have the opportunity to meet the meditating monks and even practice and get to know the true Buddhist lifestyle.

This times ‘local event’ is Deepawali, also known as ‘Diwali’ which is celebrated by Hindus in the Indian Subcontinent. If you are in Sri Lanka during this period of time, you can witness how the Sri Lankan Tamil community celebrates the festival of lights with their unique rituals.

While you’re down in Sri Lanka, why not head down to Galle where you will be introduced to our Galle Cycling Guide! Under our ‘local hosts’ segment we are pleased to introduce this special gentleman to you and tell you about our latest initiative towards environmental sustainability which we will speak under ‘our efforts on sustainability’.

I am proud to say that Eco Team became an official PATA member this year and participated in the travel fair held in Malaysia which turned out to be a huge success! Read all about it under ‘news from the group’ along with our new and exciting launch of the Junior Explorer Kids Club.

Happy reading!

Anuruddha Bandara (AB)
Founder
Experiential Journeys



Going carbon neutral with our efforts on sustainability

Going carbon neutral with our efforts on sustainability As an organization, we have always been extremely conscious about the environmental impact we make. We have been making an effort to neutralize our carbon footprint through our Mahoora Accommodation Brand and now we are partnering up with ‘Carbon Credit Capital LLC – USA’ to neutralize the carbon footprint of ExJ as well. We are currently in conversation with CCC LLC – USA to get a customized webpage for ExJ clients so they themselves can help neutralize their emission during their stay in Sri Lanka. We plan to have this feature out and...
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Meeting our local host of the month Chandralal when cycling in Galle

Meeting our local host of the month Chandralal when cycling in Galle When in Galle, make sure you book a cycling tour with us around the historical and fascinating town of Galle. Here you will have the pleasure of meeting Chandralal, an all-rounder with experience of cycling around his hometown Galle for over two decades and an experienced diver who is a mechanic by profession. He has been working with us for quite a number of years and his experience as well as knowledge has proved to leave our guests to have a great time on wheels.  ...
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Celebrating Deepawali a special event for all Hindus

Celebrating Deepawali; a special event for all Hindus Deepawali, also known as Diwali in both India and Sri Lanka is celebrated by our Sri Lankan Tamil community. The Diwali Festival; also known as the festival of lights for Hindus is celebrated by following many rituals and lighting of small lamps to banish off all shadows from one’s house and life while the lighting of lamps is symbolic for the hope of a bright and prosperous new year. Hindus adorn new clothes for the festival, even when performing pooja and exchange pleasantries and gifts amongst friends and relatives. The festival has a...
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Real local experience while meditating at Silogama in Belihuloya

Real local experience while meditating at Silogama in Belihuloya For all our guests passing Belihuloya, we now offer a calming experience amidst Buddhist traditions. Just a 10 minute trek away from our River Garden Resort, through a small forests up on a hill is an old Buddhist monastery where monks practice meditation. Our guests now have the opportunity to engage in a meditating session with them and then participate in a discussion about the Buddhist way of life and the practicality of the Buddhist philosophy which will most definitely add value to the personal and spiritual lives of our guests.  ...
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Camping at Gal Oya National Park’s Explorer by Mahoora

Experiential accommodation when camping at Gal Oya National Park’s Explorer by Mahoora. Explorer by Mahoora is a truly unique way for our clients to experience the Sri Lankan wildlife as the entire experience takes place inside national parks and national reserves across the country. Situated inside the Gal Oya National Park, the makeshift private tented safari camps gives our guests the opportunity for a quintessential Sri Lankan wildlife adventure. Our private tented accommodation comes complete with an en-suite bathroom, beautiful dining set up, unique game drives all in the midst of the exquisite setting of the Gal Oya National Park. 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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