Sri Lanka tour and volunteering
| country: | Sri Lanka |
| departures: | 2008: 20 Oct |
| price: | From £1295 (14 days) including flights from the UK, plus US $150 local payment. Optional single supplement £115. This trip can also be booked without flights |
the amazing things you'll be doing
A visit to Sri Lanka is as much about meeting some of the most hospitable people in the world as it is about its unique heritage, spectacular scenery and wildlife. Working with our partners, Sarvodaya, and a local community group, we'll get a real experience of life today in Sri Lanka, as well as enjoying a varied tour of this most beautiful of islands.
Living & Learning: After touring the capital, we head down to Bandaragama, near Moratuwa; our base for the next 4 days. We'll be working with one of the community groups to set up home vegetable garden plots for the villagers to help them secure additional sources of food and income.
Our work will involve preparing the ground, planting, securing water supply and setting up composting systems. We also aim to set up a model garden at the school to educate the students in good agricultural practice, and will have the opportunity to visit some more of Sarvodaya's pioneering projects such as the school for the deaf and the Lagoswatte Eco Village.
Elephants & Beaches: From Bandaragama, we head inland and visit the famous Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. Continuing through magnificent mountain scenery, we overnight on a tea plantation and take a walk to the 'World's End' on the spectacular Horton Plains before descending to Udawalawe National Park. Here large herds of elephants roam the teak forest and open woodlands and we hope to spot these magnificent creatures on our jeep safari. Finally we reach the coast where we spend our final days. Many excursions are possible to the surrounding area or simply relax and enjoy the tropical setting.
Price includes 7 ngihts hotel, 4 nights hostel, 13 breakfasts, 4 lunches & 7 dinners. Transport is by bus and on foot. Group size is approx 14-15 plus tour leader, drivers and project staff.
Living & Learning: After touring the capital, we head down to Bandaragama, near Moratuwa; our base for the next 4 days. We'll be working with one of the community groups to set up home vegetable garden plots for the villagers to help them secure additional sources of food and income.
Our work will involve preparing the ground, planting, securing water supply and setting up composting systems. We also aim to set up a model garden at the school to educate the students in good agricultural practice, and will have the opportunity to visit some more of Sarvodaya's pioneering projects such as the school for the deaf and the Lagoswatte Eco Village.
Elephants & Beaches: From Bandaragama, we head inland and visit the famous Temple of the Tooth in Kandy. Continuing through magnificent mountain scenery, we overnight on a tea plantation and take a walk to the 'World's End' on the spectacular Horton Plains before descending to Udawalawe National Park. Here large herds of elephants roam the teak forest and open woodlands and we hope to spot these magnificent creatures on our jeep safari. Finally we reach the coast where we spend our final days. Many excursions are possible to the surrounding area or simply relax and enjoy the tropical setting.
Price includes 7 ngihts hotel, 4 nights hostel, 13 breakfasts, 4 lunches & 7 dinners. Transport is by bus and on foot. Group size is approx 14-15 plus tour leader, drivers and project staff.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly London/Colombo |
| Day 2: | Arrive Colombo; afternoon city tour |
| Day 3: | Drive to project at Bandaragama, near Moratuwa |
| Day 4-6: | Agricultural work with local community; visit local school, orphanage and Eco Village |
| Day 7: | Drive Kandy; sightseeing |
| Day 8: | Drive via tea plantation to Nuwara Eliya |
| Day 9: | Walk on Horton Plains; drive Embilipitiya |
| Day 10: | Morning game drive in Udawalawe NP; afternoon drive Unawatuna |
| Day 11-12: | In Unawatuna; visit Galle, free |
| Day 13: | Drive Negombo |
| Day 14: | Fly London |
a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?
This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'how this holiday makes a difference
 Whilst there is no shortage of manpower in Sri Lanka, many villagers lack the financial means to establish allotments of any size. By providing the start up materials (and giving them a hand!) to build ‘home farms’, the villagers will have an additional source of food and income. Our project partner is a local organization - Sarvodaya - Sri Lanka’s biggest charity, dedicated to making a positive difference to the lives of rural Sri Lankans through self-help and collective support. On the touring part of the trip, we use all locally owned services, suppliers and tour leaders, and also visit some community based tourism initiatives, ensuring our tours benefit the local economy. We also visit Udawalawe National Park where we are supporting the rehabilitation of a young female elephant. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |