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Wake up in a pristine world lost in time at Sir John’s Bungalow

Sitting peacefully in the middle of a vast garden close to the clouds, while feeling the cool air swirl and gently caress you as the first light comes over the hills... is a soul enriching experience. The night duty creatures scurry away, soft bird calls pipe up all around you, and one-by-one the morning crew of the forest take over and even stop to give you a quizzical stare as they go about with their lives. That’s when you hear a little clink - the sound of a freshly brewed pot of tea being carried over to you by the butler of Sir John’s Bungalow. Located in the North Eastern part of the Knuckles Mountain Range, this former private holiday home of the third Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, for whom it is named after, is a portal into days gone by. The Colonial architecture, wooden Teak flooring, large bedrooms, cosy fireplaces and the sweeping panoramic vistas of the Riverston area, are sure to leave you spellbound and with amazing memories.

 

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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