Dancers At The Temple Of The Tooth, Kandy
Doovili Ella Waterfalls, Knuckles
Expert First-hand Knowledge
We are part of an established UK-Sri Lankan travel and hotel group that has so far sent over 30 500 highly satisfied visitors to Sri Lanka since our launch in 2003. We also operate 6 luxury boutique hotels on the island.
It Would Be Safe To Say That We Know Sri Lanka Like The Proverbial ‘Back Of Our Hand’.
All Of Our Information Is First-Hand
We can give you a guarantee that we have either visited or stayed at all of our featured hotels and have experienced all of our excursions and activities for ourselves.
We are a team of luxury travel designers that offer bespoke holiday ideas and itineraries in Sri Lanka. We offer specialized, highly immersive experiences for our clients.
We can work to your stated budget but tend to operate luxury holidays at 4 / 5 star, luxury and deluxe levels. We like to steer clear of budget packages, although we may be tempted by unique off the grid enquiries that require basic accommodation.
We can design travel programs for independent travellers as well as small and large groups that wish to travel together.
Elephant On Rocks At Panama Beach
Many of our excursions and experiences are curated by highly knowledgeable local specialists. Most other travel companies will rely only on your driver guide or transfer drivers to show you the sights along the way. Our company goes the extra mile to provide our clients with highly personalized local guides at locations such as Sigiriya, Kandy and Galle.
Visits to National Parks and wildlife reserves always include fluent English-speaking professional naturalists since local park guides have little command of English.
It would be fair to say that this adds to the cost of your package, but our feedback suggests that interaction with local specialists is a winning formula that brings highly immersive experiences that are fully appreciated by our clientele.
Our itineraries also usually feature pre-arranged culinary experiences along the way. These include an opportunity to sample rare fruits and vegetables as well as regional delicacies from all parts of the island.
Folk Museum, Koggala
We are a unique tour operator that works on the basis of complete flexibility. We break-down the ‘package’ in to its components. You are free to book any component individually.
However if you are satisfied with our quote and itinerary, you can book your whole package inclusive of a seamless holiday experience without the headaches.
You can book your transfers separately using Uber / Pick Me Apps or Self-drive and only use our company to book your hotels and local activities.
You can even arrange to pay for your excursions, activities and entry-fees separately on arrival to give you complete flexibility.
Finally, you can even book your travel arrangements independently while still taking advantage of our Travel Concierge service offering you our 24/7 pre-tour, on-tour and post-tour support and advice just like any other of our valued clients.
Aarunya Nature Resort, Matale
Your allocated Tour Coordinator will be in contact with you from the time that you touch down at Colombo Airport and pretty much every day of your tour to give you advice, iron out any problems and organize your day’s activities with your chauffeur-guide. We will be in touch up until your plane’s departure and beyond, if necessary.
Help is available by mobile phone throughout the day and into the evening, as well as a Night Desk Service for emergencies at our Colombo Office.
Since tourism infrastructure is at the formative stages in the island it is normal to expect a few logistical problems along the way. Many of these involve transport issues such as cancelled Hill Country trains and disruption caused by Public Holidays including ‘dry’ days every month due to the Full Moon Holiday.
With our immense experience, alternatives and even last minute rescheduling is always possible to get the best out of your Sri Lanka holiday.
We Give You Options, You Make The Decisions.
With rising awareness on social media, there are ethical decisions you need to make about certain activities and experiences in Sri Lanka:
Should you visit the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage?
Should you visit a Turtle Hatchery?
Should you watch a temple ‘perahera’ procession featuring captive elephants?
Some of our advice may surprise you, but we will tell you the pro’s and con’s and leave the final decision totally in your hands.
Unlike India, its giant neighbor, Sri Lankans value their personal freedoms and recent decades have seen the complete breakdown of the caste systems, rise of inter-faith relationships, and tolerance of same sex relationships.
The main issue to bear in mind revolves around entry to Buddhist and Hindu temples where modest dress in a must for males and females alike, meaning no revealing clothing. At some popular locations, shawls and sarongs are available for hire to tourists. Footwear must also be removed prior to entry to temple premises, although socks are generally allowed.
English is spoken widely in Sri Lanka and even in rural areas people will often communicate with at least a splattering of English.
Ancient Devil Dance Illustration
Unfortunately, the biggest source of dissatisfaction in Sri Lanka originates from pressure-selling at Gem Shops, Spice Gardens and Handicraft Shops. We have a policy of asking you prior to the start of any tour if any such visit is of interest you. If not, you will not be taken to any such shop.
Some guests may actually want to do some shopping while on a tour or a local excursion. Your Tour Coordinator will advise you of reputable shops that give value for money.
We need to be upfront and inform you that it is standard practice in Sri Lanka for both the driver-guide and the local operator to earn a commission on tourist sales at shops.
Janey Lowes Works To Save Street Dogs In Sri Lanka
“A safari to see wild elephants in a national park will be more enjoyable when you know that the local guide is being paid properly”.
The best way to make sure that the benefits of tourism trickle down to the community is to make sure that people you interact with gets paid a fair salary. We would like to think that our company pays some of the highest rates to our chauffeur and transfer drivers, safari partners and local guides.
Tipping and expectation of gratuities are a fact of life in tourism and hospitality in Sri Lanka. We can take care of tipping while you are with our staff or driver-guide and we will advise you of suitable tips to offer, and who not to offer, when you are alone to alleviate any embarrassing situations while on holiday.
Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque, Colombo
We can gently nudge you to have interactive experiences with locals while on holiday in Sri Lanka. It is often said that Sri Lankans are some of the friendliest people on earth!
Suggestions For Useful And Stimulating Interaction With Local People:
· Visit to a rural school to attend a classroom.
·A game of cricket, volleyball or football with local kids on the beach at Tangalle.
· Arrange to have a village meal with a farmer and their family at Dambulla.
Suggestions For Getting Involved With Conservation And The Environment:
· Plant fresh tree saplings in a reforestation scheme at Dambulla.
· Arrange to adopt a baby elephant at the Baby Elephant Transit Camp at Uda Walawe.
· Arrange to adopt a stray dog at the SOS Dog Sanctuary at Midigama, home to 1000 abandoned canines.
We Would Love To Hear From You.
Ronnie is our Senior Travel Consultant and has over 15 years’ experience of arranging luxury travel for foreign travelers in Sri Lanka
He has either visited or stayed at just about all of the upmarket hotel properties in the island and has experienced all of our featured activities and excursions for himself.
Ronnie has also travelled extensively throughout Kerala and South India and can arrange travel programs to these locations too as an alternative.
Our Company has so far hosted in excess of 35 000 visitors to Sri Lanka!
Established Since 2003
Kathaluwa Mahawallawua, Ahangama
We Would Love To Hear From You.
