11 days/10 nights with Ranweli Holiday Village and Nature Odyssey

About the Trip

Relax in the tranquil ocean-front bungalows at Sri Lanka’s best known ecolodge, Ranweli Holiday Village. Enjoy bird watching, boat trips, nature tours, and a cycle/habitat tour, as well as great local cuisine. Then travel to Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle where you’ll stay 2 nights at The Lodge Habarana and visit World Heritage Sites. Tour Anaivilundawa, a man made wetland constructed in the 12th century. It’s a Ramsar site, rich in biodiversity and birdlife. Also see Yapahuwa, an archaeological site; Dambulla, a cave temple; and the Srgiriya- Rock Citadel.

Includes: lodging, meals, transfers, tours, ground transport, guides

Awards:

• 2004 Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Sri Lanka Award for Sustainability Reporting for Integration of Business within the environment.
• 2004- 1st annual ECOCLUB Ecolodge Award
• 2003 Tourism for Tomorrow Award
• 2003 Best Eco Friendly Hotel- Virgin Holidays Gold Award
• 2002- WTO Top 55 Good Practices in Ecotourism around the World

Starting bid: $600

About the Ranweli Holiday Village

All the rooms and kitchen in Ranweli Holiday Village use solar energy for heating water for showers and washing. Energy saving devices are installed in the rooms (CFL bulbs and room key activated power switches). Guests are requested to participate in energy saving methods (reduction of water consumption, energy consumption, linen and towel washing). Purchasing policy of Ranweli is to minimize the purchase of goods in plastic and other synthetic containers, food waste is sorted and given to a local piggery on a daily basis. Hand crafted recycled paper is used for company correspondence and guest use.

Green Practices

1. Interaction with the villagers in the surrounding areas of RHV from the construction phase transformed hostility to a symbiotic relationship by developing the facility in harmony with the village. Use of primary building material, bricks, tiles, etc skilled and semi-skilled labor from the village, stimulated economic activity in the village further strengthening the relationship.
2. In July 2004, RHV received a 500 Euro grant from Ecoclub, to create and organic vegetable plot and greenhouse in a nearby school. It is hoped that this experience can lead the community to initiate home gardens to acheive self-sufficiency in organic vegetables, as well as raising environmental awareness in the students, parents, and the community, it is planned to expand the project to home gardens.
3. Youth from the village are employed at various levels. They are given job training due to the lack of opportunity to obtain training due to socio-economic reasons. Over 43% of the permenant and contracted employees are from the village and 40 more derive indirect employment from RHV.

Recent Awards

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Sri Lanka Award for Sustainability Reporting 2004 for Integration of Business within the environment. Included in “USA Today” article “10 great places to tread lightly on Earth.” Winners of the 1st annual ECOCLUB Ecolodge Award-2004. British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2003 chosen as a Highly Commended Project in the Environmental Experience category from 75 entries from 38 countries. Virgin Holidays Gold Award for excellence 2003 best Eco-Friendly Hotel, World Tourism Organization has recognized Ranweli Holiday Village as one of the top 55 “Good Practices” Enterprises in Ecotourism around the world-2002. “Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1999″ - Provincial Gold Award of the North Western Province and Silver Award at the National Level for introducing a sustainable nature tourism (Ecotourism) product to Sri Lanka. “Sri Lanka Green Award 1998″ of the Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum (SLEJF) in recognition of outstanding practical achievments in the protection and improvment of the environment during 1998.

Learn more about Ranweli Holiday Village

About Nature Odyssey

Nature Odyssey was created to focus totally on developing, designing and operating Nature and Adventure travel. Staffed by a small, closely knit team of dedicated enthusiasts who actively participate in the programmes they offer, the company has developed an exiting array of Eco-friendly, nature and adventure programmes which include jungle and mountain trekking, cycling, wildlife and bird watching, camping, angling, diving, snorkeling, water skiing, white water rafting and many other unique, specialised programmes.

Learn more about Nature Odyssey.