Fair Travelling
Sustainable Holidays

Clothing
A different country, different customs. This applies especially to clothing. In Sri Lanka people often pay more attention to their clothing than we are aware of. Guests are expected to wear appropriate clothing as a mark of respect. The locals wear what they consider appropriate.

In general: look around and see what people in Sri Lanka wear. If this is very different to your outfit in terms of style and quantity of material, you risk causing offence. Here are some rules of thumb:

• Beach clothing belongs only on the beach, beside the pool or around the lodge.
• Women, in particular, must pay attention that their clothing is appro­priate. Even if it is not your intention, wearing a low-cut or a very tight dress can soon make you an object of desire.
• “Topless” is absolute taboo throughout Sri Lanka.
• Men should consider that they gain little respect when they wear shorts. A singlet (even if it is coloured) is not a suitable replacement for a shirt or a t-shirt.
• In temples (also ruins) the following applies: remove your shoes and make sure that your shoulders are covered.

Communication

• In Sri Lanka people enjoy talking a lot. Observe how the people treat each other. Disagreements are addressed immediately. This releases stress before problems and anger can build up. On the other hand, it is often considered impolite to battle on in silence. So: talk, ask, request and you will be assisted.
• It is appreciated if you learn common words and gestures for “hello”, “goodbye” and “thank you” in Sinhalese. Even a few words can build bridges, as you are showing that you regard the local culture as im­portant enough to have made the effort.
• A smile often says more than a thousand words, try and be friendly and patient at all times, even if you are experiencing some problem or other. Do not become loud, you only lose face and will achieve nothing.

Time
Time and punctuality are interpreted differently in Sri Lanka. Enjoy the luxury of “wasting” time when you are on holiday. This will allow you to have many valuable encounters and experiences that you won’t find in any travel guide.

Tours
We gladly explain our sustainable business philosophy to our interested guests. Thus, we constantly try to encourage your understanding of the economic, ecological, social and cultural connections of this country.Our different tours are intended to give you an insight of the “still” intact but endangered eco-system. We not only point out the beauty, we also draw your attention to the examples of the destructive risks for this endangered nature. We work together with New home Beruwala e.V. to find conservation and development concepts. Our tours are accompanied by well trained guides and we use only high-quality equipment that guarantees a maximum in comfort. We also ensure that the materials used are durable, as this also makes a contribution towards environmental protection.

• Mountain bike tours: The selected tours through the wonderful landscapes take you through narrow streets and paths. We do not offer cross-country tours in order to protect the fauna and flora.
• Jungle trekking: in spite of the adventure of trekking along old supply and transport routes our tours are not too exerting and offer you unusual insights into the fauna and flora. The rainforest is like a green wall, certain treks can be quite exhausting, which means you have to be fit for the tropics.
• Kayak tours: Kayaking on the Bentota Ganga is environmentally friendly and a true delight. The animal kingdom and also the mangroves suffer from motor boat tours. The use of kayaks or canoes forces a rethink in terms of encouraging tourism. Our aim is to get others to imitate us.

In addition to the connection to nature, we also want to strengthen the connection to ourselves. Hence, we offer yoga and Ayurveda treatments to nurture your awareness of mental and physical health.