Sri Lanka and Maldives 14 day vacation

Planet

A visit to Yala National Park which has the world’s highest concentration of leopard per square kilometre. The Park has several leopard Research Centres and Conservation Projects with objectives to protect and preserve the population of this beautiful species. The Park is in place to protect wildlife from poaching, gem-mining, logging, and encroachment by agriculture with efforts from The Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).


Minneriya National Park was created more recently but serves as an important gathering place for Sri Lanka’s large population of elephants, all year round. It is the largest concentration and gathering of Asian elephants that can be seen anywhere in the world.

Where possible we choose accommodations that follow sustainable methods such as renewable energy, waste and water reduction and have environmental considerations. Just two example are Jetwing Yala Hotel in Sri Lnaka, and Sun Siyam Olhuveli in The Maldives…

Jetwing Yala sets an example for responsible tourism with a number of initiatives that preserve, protect, and promote the natural surroundings it resides in:

• ENERGY AND CARBON – Houses the largest solar installation in a Sri Lankan hotel, with over 1000 panels spread over 1.2 acres. And is the second hotel in Sri Lanka to use a Vapor Absorption Chiller, which caters to the entire air-conditioning requirement of the hotel. All hot water is generated through 100% renewable means and transport around the resort is in electric buggy carts with zero emission.
• WATER – The hotels Reverse Osmosis Plant is used to purify seawater to potable water as fresh water sources are scarce and to avoid importing water. The hotel also treats and reuses 100% of its wastewater on site.
• WASTE - all organic waste at is recycled and composted onsite and used as a nutrient-rich soil enhancer across the gardens and organic farm. There is also an onsite biogas digester, which later supplies biogas to the kitchen.
• BIODIVERSITY - Turtle conservation efforts of 5 turtle species which nest on the hotel's beach. In partnership with the Department of Wildlife Conservation they have a turtle hatchery and protect and monitor the turtle eggs hatching and safe release to the sea.
• SOURCING AND PRODUCTION – There is an onsite glass bottling plant, minimising plastic waste and providing bottled water for its guests. There is also an organic garden, which is irrigated from a treated water line, and provides produce for the hotel kitchens. Fresh milk is also purchased from local farmers to make curd onsite for the hotel.

Sun Siyam Olhuveli has received global recognition for their sustainable tourism efforts through the Travelife Gold Certification. To do so, the resort must meet 163 sustainability criteria, including minimizing waste and energy use, addressing social issues, supporting employee welfare and wildlife protection, and supporting the local community and local businesses. Guests are able to support its projects and sustainable activities led by its initiative ‘Sun Siyam Cares’ with a 10$ per villa /per stay contribution which goes towards…

• REDUCING PLASTIC USE - Replacing single-use plastics and disposable plastic products, such as plastic bags, straws, and water bottles and moving to biodegradable or environmentally friendly packaging.
• WATER CONSUMPTION - Own desalination and water bottling plants that use reverse osmosis to produce fresh water from seawater. Use of water optimization devices that measure sensor data to reduce water and diesel consumption in desalination, industrial, and municipal operations.
• WASTE & RECYCLING – Solid waste management programme and strict recycling guidelines. Supporting composting projects and machinery to produce organic fertilizer, which helps to reduce waste, recycle organic waste, and fertilize the soil and plants. Composting has numerous environmental benefits, including improving soil health, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling nutrients, and mitigating the impact of droughts.
• RENEWABLE ENERGY - Solar energy projects, such as installing solar panels at guest and staff accommodation and solar water heaters in resort laundry areas, using the energy of the sun to heat water during the day and store electric heating element for backup.
• BIO FARMING - Guests have the opportunity to visit one of the three farm islands to learn about local farming methods and see the organic produce that is grown and supplied to the resorts which is supporting the local farming community and workforce, and by buying local generating income for the local community.
• BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION - Guests can participate in conservation efforts, such as coral binding and tree planting. The resorts marine biologist is dedicated to preserving the delicate reefs and marine life systems, with a focus on coral reef restoration and invite guests to join them on the house reef to participate in the creation of a new coral reef. This is a hands-on opportunity to make a positive impact on the marine ecosystem and learn about the importance of coral reefs.

People

There is an ever-growing demand for responsible travel, with travelers seeking more sustainable ways to vacation while having the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the real heroes that make the destination all that more interesting and exciting – its people. The appreciation and knowledge in understanding how local people add to more than 'just a guide' to the vacation. The ground agents we work with have the same passion as ourselves, to transform this industry by way of supporting the locals for the experiences they offer to vacationmakers, making their vacation that much more authentic and memorable. This ensures that income goes directly into the communities and families where they can.

The resorts and accommodation we select are also aligned to these principles in providing social responsibility and sustainable practices, especially in regards to the communities they are active in.

Sun Siyam Resorts in The Maldives is a prime example with a commitment to its people and community, by supporting and empowering small local community businesses helping to reduce poverty and unemployment, providing job opportunities, and supporting healthcare and educational initiatives. They are proud to practice gender equality and provide development and training to employees to help them progress and achieve their career goals. And in addition, they outsource jobs such as local food preparation, daily cleaning and gardening works to women’s development committees that provides for a source of income for local women.

As well as supporting local communities, our accommodation selections aim to preserve and represent their rich cultural heritage to give our guests a genuine experience of the destinations they visit, whilst also respecting to the communities and traditions that exist there. As a 100% Maldivian owned company, Sun Siyam Resorts celebrates and communicates its cultural practices, and offer guests the opportunity to learn about and participate in these traditions through storytelling, demonstrations of cultural dances and celebrations, and discovery visits to local islands. These cultural experiences allow guests to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the local culture and people, and also contribute to the development of local communities.

Culture
Colombo old city tour - some of the oldest structures in the country
Polonnaruwa World Heritage Site & second oldest of all Sri Lanka's kingdoms
Dambulla Cave Temples and Kandy temples – buddhist histiry
Sigiriya Rock UNESCO listed World Heritage Site

Sigiriya is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site with one of the best-preserved examples of ancient architecture in the world. It is a major archaeological site with a history that extends from prehistoric times, with rock shelters and caves with wall paintings indicating that the area was occupied by Buddhist monks nearly five thousand years ago during the Mesolithic Period. Today, conservation efforts are in place to preserve the history. Gain a greater understanding into the local heritage whilst in Sigiriya with a village walk followed by a cookery demo and local lunch, meeting the people that live and work in the area.