The Do's And Don'ts Of Travelling Sustainably In Sri Lanka

Sustainable travel in Sri Lanka is still in its infancy but that doesn’t mean that visitors can’t have a environmentally conscious attitude when they spend time in the country. Sadly Sri Lanka is amongst the five culprit countries that throw plastic garbage into the ocean. The country is doing it’s part to improve this, but visitors can also help!

Don’t swim or snorkel with whales

The south of Sri Lanka is home to migrating whales for many months a year and visitors can see them from boats. A few years ago visitors were offered snorkel and diving tours to swim with whales. When things got a bit out of control the marine wildlife activists managed to turn this activity into an almost impossible feat.

It isn’t exactly illegal to swim with whales but getting a permit is extremely difficult. The idea is to protect the whales from humans. That is why we suggest you do not attempt to swim with whales on your trip.

For years elephant riding trips have been offered all over Asia. It is now well known that the elephants used for these activities are not only badly treated, the wooden chairs that are strapped on their backs hurt them. Less and less tour companies offer this activity but there are still some that do. If you want to see elephants, better to visit a national park and see them in the wild or at most visit an elephant orphanage.

Don’t take animal selfies

Animal selfies are one of the worst activities available to tourists. Animals are taken from their mothers to be used in tourist centers for photo ops. In Sri Lanka you will see snake charmers, monkeys on chains or sometimes a baby lizard on a string. The animal handlers will ask passer by visitors to take photos. Please don’t.

Travel by train

Automobile pollution is quite bad in Sri Lanka. Taking the train is a good step towards minimizing it. Train rides in Sri Lanka are quite beautiful and you won’t get stuck in traffic. Trains take visitors south to Galle, inland to Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, north to Anhuradaphura and further north to Jaffna.

1. Carry thin reusable shopping bags

Market, Market

The garbage situation in Colombo is particularly dire and its really up to individuals to do something about it. Since the 1st of September of 2017, a plastic bag ban was put in effect for the entire country. Unfortunately nothing is really changing yet. No matter if you are in Sri Lanka for a week or a few months, it is very likely at some point you will have to do some shopping. Have a thin shopping bag on hand at all times. There are some that can be turned into a small ball that fits anywhere. If you are in Sri Lanka and don’t have one, there are some nice ones in the Good Market, made out of old sarees.

Good Market, 14 Philip Gunawardena Mawatha, Colombo 077 020 8642

Get some upcycled and reusable saree bags | Courtesy of The Good Market

Don’t buy lunch packets

Lunch packets are rice and curry inside a plastic wrapper, to eat on the go. These end up all over the streets, so please don’t contribute to that mess. We recommend eating rice and curry in the restaurant (they are called “hotels”). If it’s really necessary to take it away then buy a lamprais that comes wrapped in banana leaf instead of plastic. If you are staying for a few weeks and want to take rice and curry back to your airbnb, take a tupperware to put the food in.

Avoid plastic bottles

Plastic bottles are the worst polluters, not only in Sri Lanka but all over the world. Taking a reusable water bottle everywhere will help of course but a lot of places just have no other choice than a plastic bottle. Refill your water bottle before leaving the hotel. When ordering in a restaurant, ask if the drinks come in glass bottles.

If you are forced to have a bottle from a packed hotel lunch (we wouldn’t want anyone to dehydrate), reuse the bottle! Locals often drink from reused glass liquor bottles, as you will notice when you take a tuk-tuk or visit a shop. Those old glass bottles of vodka and whisky are actually full of the beloved well water.

Shop at the markets

If you are spending some time in the villages, shop from the farmers at the market. Buying from the locals helps them provide for their families.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.