Camping Holiday in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka - described by Marco Polo as the most beautiful island in the world - is an increasingly popular destination for those seeking a holiday away from the usual tourist circuit. Known as the island of serendipity, it offers a wide variety of sights, terrain and accommodation. If you are seeking adventure, Sri Lanka offers hill country plantation estates to jungle, rainforests to tree houses alongside rapid rivers. Go in search of wild elephants and eagles, or adopt the bygone community life of the traditional Veddah villagers on an eco estate.
You will never be far away from beautiful countryside, wildlife , indigenous birds and plants. A car and driver is the sensible way to get around the island but mountain bikes, white water rafting, elephant rides, kayaking, all add to the fun. Yoga and ayurveda are alternatives for the calmer adventurist.
We found a company called Boutique Sri Lanka that is in an unbeatable position to offer information that is not only impartial but also bang up to date. They have visited every eco resort, campsite, safari trek or national park pavilion within the past eighteen months. They provide honest, no-nonsense reviews ensure that the holiday experience will match expectations, ensuring a great adventure holiday in Sri Lanka.
They have an unmatched range of itineraries. At the end of the day, you can retire to a boutique villa on the beach, colonial bungalow on a working pineapple or mahogany plantation or a join a small eco village or tree house that offers a holiday sanctuary sympathetic to the beautiful and unspoilt natural environment. You can combine adventure with luxury if that is your choice.
60% of holiday makers are now preferring the internet as a route to booking holidays. Travellers can build their own itinerary and book on-line or take advantage of the expert guidance from experienced Sri Lankan consultants who will develop a bespoke holiday around a particular theme. More info about Sri Lanka can be found in from the following site:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ce.html
Here are a few examples to whet your appetite:
In search of the wild Sri Lankan Elephants
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Micro nature in the wilderness. A wonderful experience for the hardy, adventurous and committed nature lover. Simple clay-hutted accommodation is blended into its environment of tropical, dry-zone forest, bordering the Northern boundary of Yala National Park. Or head out on a 3 day elephant trek with a team of wildlife and camping specialists. Tracks of elephant and other animals are clearly seen around the lodge. Excellent birding, 160 species have been counted in the area.
The Weliara project began in 1997 as a private jungle hide-out and gradually became a base for environmental activism. The commitment is to preserving the remaining forest and wild life, teaching its methods and philosophy and encouraging and supporting the local economy to find a way through the human/elephant conflict.
The Danish -owned Lodge is staffed by trackers, a cook, night watchman and others to ensure your well being, while you wallow in the silence, walk the surrounding hills and forests, view the elephants and birds and generally leave the world behind.
Rafting and jungle adventure in Kitulgala
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Adventure, action and living with nature is key in this Robinson Crusoe hideaway. Owner, Channa, is the epitome of life in the woodland and on the river - safari shorts, braces, a woolly beard and a love of wildlife. Channa is an excellent host, inviting families, single travellers and adventurous couples into his self-built tree houses.
10 eco lodges have been built on his family estate in dense forest alongside the River Kelani, set of the famous film "Bridge on the River Kwai". Join fellow guests in watching the film in the comfort of Channa's 85 year old ancestral home. Channa runs a 3-day adventure programme (2 nights) packed with bird-watching, mountain biking, pre-historic Beli Lena caves, a day white-water-rafting (fine for age 6+ and non-swimmers). This Retreat is an exciting contrast to the silence of the ancient cities or cultural Kandy City.
The surrounding hill country is teeming with every fruit and vegetable imaginable. Fruit orchards and lowland tea plantations entice you to take a stroll in the early morning. Reward yourself en-route with a fresh mangostine or wood-apple or stop by at a local farmhouse for buffalo curd and treacle.
Service is 100% within the context of eco-projects, welcoming, friendly and with lots of tuition on living with nature, but don't expect any frills. April to November is the best time to visit Kitulgala to enjoy all the adventure and stunning lush countryside which is only 1½ - 2 hours from Kandy or the airport.
A serene life with local Eco communities
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A world untouched by Western hand and a sanctuary never forgotten and often revisited. Located 2 hours from the airport and Kandy, bordering the Western province and Hill country. This sanctuary has been a pilgrimage site for thousands of years and remains a traditional working village cradled on one side by low mountains and lakes and on the other by tiny emerald green paddy fields.
Funded by the East Pole Foundation, partners Giles and Viren have renovated the original manor house and expanded the adobe housing to accommodate up to 19 guests.
Daily yoga classes, ayurvedic treatments from century old principles are all included in the cost of your stay to practise or admire. Two week holidays are scheduled to combine natural living with party life, and guests are encouraged to join like minded explorers.
Swim in the lily carpeted lake, put thoughts to art with canvas and oil, or just relax in cushioned pavilions or the numerous hideaways on the 22-acre organic estate. Evenings are flame lit gatherings, for delicious yet vegetarian dishes and impromptu house parties or private hut solitude.
Peace, karma and friendship can be discovered by all.
The retreat is open approximately 20 weeks of the year, Nov to April and just 6 weeks of June-July's dry zone. Nov/Dec can have rain at night, Jan-Mar + June - perfect climate, Mar-May very hot and dry. The land and people then recharge for the next harvest.
Eco living on the edge of Yala National Park
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Dare to cross the Bridge of Eden and enter a natural paradise that leaves Western worries behind.
Two friends on a pilgrimage to Kateragama went exploring into Veddha Country. They discovered two large rocks with a natural pool and a waterfall on the banks of Menik Ganga (Gem river) and Galapita (on a rock) was born. At first they simply slept on mats under the stars, eventually building a hut. This project expanded as friends joined for weekends.
Now this eco-retreat can accommodate up to 12 guests, depending how cosy you want to be! Ideal for solo travellers or families looking for adventure.
Acres of unfenced land, where the rhythms of the forest and the changing seasons dictate this harmonious life. Dreams of sleeping under the stars come true in the four riverside pavilions or you may prefer to climb to the tree house tower where only birds can be seen and heard.
Visit the garden safari and natural swimming pool/spa where ropes and swinging tyres have been added to create never-ending fun.
Occasional sapphires have been found rolling along the riverbed.
An element of western luxury has been added to the pavilions and outdoor bathrooms but there is no escape from the refreshing cold water showers.
The flat land is surrounded by hills visited by sloth bears, eagles, wild boar and flocks of peacocks.
For more information contact Lindsay on Tel 0870 833 3838 or enquiries@boutiquesrilanka.com. Explore Sri Lanka's wonders on www.boutiquesrilanka.com
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