Green philosophy

Responsible Travel Tips

• Warm friendly people
• Local language
• Respect the rights, feelings and privacy of Sri Lankans
• Local customs
• Ask for permission before photographing local people & places
• When visiting religious sites
• Try the local dishes
• Be fair with your bargaining
• Street sellers
• Local Crafts
• Take only photographs and leave only foot prints
• Protecting Sri Lankan Children
• Help preserve the environment
• Conservation of energy & water
• Litter
• Continuing to support

While you enjoy your holiday, you also have the power to make a positive contribution to the people and the places you visit. There are various ways of making a difference. Heritance Kandalama believes in responsible tourism and we would very much like for you to become responsible travelers when holidaying in Sri Lanka

Through Room directories, tent cards, leaflets at travel desk and in house movies we explain how you can become a more responsible tourist. You are requested to respect nature and culture and local communities in the area. Guest relations officers explain when the guests arrive, when nature trips are organized, nature guides explain and ensure proper behavior of guests during community interactions, including the appropriate dress codes especially when visiting places of religious importance.

We give you a few tips on how you can become a responsible traveler in Sri Lanka,

Warm friendly people

Sri Lanka, a great smiling nation is known for its warm friendly people. You will always be greeted with a smile whether in your hotel or on the road. Don’t hesitate to smile back locals are very friendly towards visitors.

Local language

We have three official languages including English which is widely spoken. It can be great fun learning a few phrases in Sinhalese or Tamil. This is certainly a great way to make friends. Saying ‘Ayubowan’ with your hands clasped together is the main greeting as well saying good bye. Ayubowan means – may you be blessed with long life.

Respect the rights, feelings and privacy of Sri Lankans

When visiting local communities let your behaviour be guided by the people you meet there. Sri Lankans are very hospitable and are friendly towards visitors, however respect their privacy. Always take advice from your guide and seek permission before you enter anyone’s home, a community building or a gathering

Local customs

Cultural practices, traditions & religion play a strong part in the local way of life. Lifestyles are generally centered on customs and religious importance; this is especially strong in the rural areas such Kandalama. There are number of festivals and a busy calendar of events for cultural & religious activities. You will find that every full moon day of the month is declared a Buddhist ‘Poya’ holiday. Sale of liquor is prohibited on this day.

Ask for permission before photographing local people & places

Always ask before taking photographs of people and places. Some religious sites and certain ceremonies are restricted from being photographed. If you are taking pictures, first ask. Most locals will be very happy to be photographed. Pay respect to sacred sites and statues and do not pose in front of those if you are scantily dressed.

When visiting religious sites

Remember to remove head gear, footwear and cover your body reasonably well when visiting Buddhists temples and other religious places. Locals generally wear white or sober colours. Conservative dress is the norm.

Try the local dishes

A large choice of locally grown tropical and exotic fruits, vegetables and fresh seafood are widely available. Sometimes locals might perceive, possibly wrongly that you like to eat western types of food all the time. Try and taste delicious local dishes. Most indigenous culinary practices often offer wellness and health benefits. Heritance Kandalama cuisine, unique to the brand, envisions a philosophy based on a threefold foundation of taste, health and presentation.

Be fair with your bargaining

Other than in a main store with price marked items, there are plenty of opportunities for bargaining. Remember, bargaining should be seen as an opportunity to build a social relationship between seller and buyer, not simply as a competitive economic exchange. Agree on a fair final price, considering the time and effort that has been spent in making the product. Remember, a small saving for you can be a significant amount to the seller.

Street sellers

Shopping in Sri Lanka is excellent value for money. The destination offers exciting shopping for quality garments & fabrics, gems & jewelry, souvenirs, lifestyle items, various memorabilia, and informative colorful coffee table books on various themes of Lanka. At times, especially in the resort areas you will encounter local street sellers offering various goods and excursions; be tolerant of their lack of language and marketing skills. Buying local souvenirs helps the local economy and supports livelihoods.

Local Crafts

In many areas you can find crafts that are special to that specific area. Buying from producer groups directly not only supports the local workers and their families, it also helps create awareness and education on age old crafts handed down from generations to generations. Your appreciation for local crafts will help revive dying and disappearing arts and crafts. Heritance Kandalama shop has a interesting variety of crafts made by local communities.

Take only photographs and leave only foot prints

You will discover a striking variety of wildlife, plants and some rare and ancient items during nature excursions at Heritance Kandalama. This is Sri Lanka’s heritage and should remain where it belongs to. It is illegal to collect and export archaeological relics and certain plant varieties. Avoid buying souvenirs that exploit wildlife or threaten endangered species.

Protecting Sri Lankan Children

Sri Lanka has a number of laws on child protection and the prevention of child abuse. Under domestic law, the definition of a child is anyone below the age of eighteen years and child abuse includes all acts of sexual violence against, trafficking in and cruelty to children. The law prohibits the use of children in exploitative labour or illegal activities. The severe penalties exist for sexual exploitation and child trafficking.

Help preserve the environment

Sri Lanka’s forests, national reserves are beautiful but fragile. Environment around the Heritance Kandalama too is very fragile, when visiting these sites or enjoying the nature refrain from touching or collecting any items or creating any other forms of negative impact. A very simple action would be to participate in re-forestation or tree planting while you are at Heritance Kandalama. This will not only off set CO2 emissions but will also assist in protecting the bio diversity.

Conservation of energy & water

Sometimes, you might not know the extent of scarce resources used to make your visit a comfortable one. Use air conditioning, electricity and water sparingly. Remember to turn off lights, air conditioning, television and taps when not in use. Our hotels since 2007 has implemented energy, water and waste management and these measures have helped us reduce our carbon foot print substantially

Litter

As in any other destination, Sri Lanka too needs to address ever increasing needs to reduce and recycle litter. Therefore, the less litter you create will be better for everyone. Remove all unwanted packaging material and avoid disposable goods before you leave your home country. At Heritance Kandalama, we make use of all waste and the waste becomes a resources. Best way to find out more details is to visit the Eco Park of Heritance Kandalama

Continuing to support

You may come across communities in need of a helping hand. We suggest that you support humanitarian or conservation efforts that are promoted by your tour operator or the hotel. For example, giving money to children will encourage begging and keep them away from schools. Therefore please do not give money or any other items to beggars or children. You can select a charity that you can either support while you are on holiday or after you have returned home. School projects and community welfare projects can be much more rewarding and have long term benefits. Heritance Kandalama Community Development Fund can assist you with supporting a charitable activity of your choice.