If you have yet to choose your hiking trail, you will want to do so soon.  The sooner that you choose your hiking trail, the easier it will be to familiarize yourself with where you will be hiking. When choosing a hiking trail, it is advised that you take the difficulty level into consideration. For instance, you can find hiking trails in the United States that are designed for beginners, as well as those that have advanced hiking experience.

Once you have decided which hiking trial you would like to hike on, you will want to take the time to fully familiarize yourself with the trail.  If you are able to acquire a map of the hiking trial in question, you will want to closely examine it.  You will want to know exactly where you are at all times, as well as how to get out of the area, in the event of an emergency.  If you do acquire a map of the hiking trial that you plan on hiking, you will want to make sure that you bring a copy of the map with you.  This will also assist you in the event of an emergency.

You will want to think about familiarizing yourself with the security of the hiking trial or park in question; get their contact information so you can contact them in the event of an emergency.  Speaking of contacting security guards, you will want to make sure that you bring a cell phone with you. A cell phone will allow you to call for help if you or someone in your hiking party has an accident or wanders off the trail.  If you do not own a cell phone, you may want to think about buying a cheap prepaid one or borrowing the cell phone of someone that you know.

Although it is important that you bring a cell phone with you on your next hiking adventure, a cell phone is not all that you will want to bring.  Even if you are only planning on hiking for a day or two, you will want to make sure that you have enough food and drinks, just incase something went wrong.  Many hikers are urged to prepare for the worst, just incase.  For that reason, you may want to think about packing a number of extra snacks and drinks.

Another great way that you can stay safe on your next hiking adventure is by making sure that you have all of the right hiking equipment or hiking supplies.  In this aspect, you will want to make sure that you are dressed for the hike.  Hiking should involve sneakers at the least, but you may want to think about buying a set of hiking boots.  You will also want to review the weather before leaving.  Even if it will be bright and sunny, you may still want to think about bringing a light coat with you, incase of rain or incase you become stranded on the hiking trail overnight.

Perhaps, the best way that you can go about staying safe on your next hiking adventure is by letting your friends and family members know where you are going, when you will be leaving, and when you will return. Should you not return on time, those that you know should be able to find you, or at least have a generalized idea of where you are.  You may also want to think about writing down the same information and leaving it at a safe place at home.

The above outlined hiking safety tips are just a few of the many that you may want to think about practicing. As a reminder, hiking can be fun and exciting, but it can also be dangerous as well.

Well, when kids are with you, you need to be more prepared because as we all know they have special needs and we have to respond to such needs. With the tips provided below, it would surely help you get yourself prepared for the entire travel.

You have to bring with you some of the most useful things you could carry with you as you travel and as you reach different destinations:

• Band-Aids
• antiseptic hand gel
• small tissue packs
• sun screen
• Dr.’s phone numbers
• Mosquito repellent
• a rubber door stop can provide extra security for a hotel room door
• small plug in nightlight – to help find the bathroom in the middle of the night

* These things are for the activities you could have together in order not get bored and to get their attention fully

• Crayons
• mechanical pencils
• highlighter – good for word search games
• paper
• deck of cards
• zip lock bags (collecting shells, storing food, wet clothes)

* These are other things for travel uses:

• sun glasses
• hats/visors
• light weight wind breaker
• umbrella
• camera
• keep a photo of your child in your wallet – in case you loose them in a crowed area
• extra copy of birth certificates, photo id, travel reservations, airline tickets

With these pointers in mind, you would not surely miss the thrill and the fun, you would also be able to good at preparing for traveling like from the simple trips to those that require loads of planning.

This will definitely a good news for those who are on a low budget and encourage more and more people to visit Sri Lanka.

Tiger Airways was once under international criticism for many flight cancellations and late departures. Since then they have improved and providing a reasonably good service.

Visit Tiger Airways official website and read more information on their airfares and special offers.

SL Navy conducts tours from few locations. We took our tour from the Navy camp at Galle. Usual time of the tour is 7:00am. However, it was started around 7:45am.
It takes about an hour to reach to where you can see whales. Dolphins can be seen much earlier than this. This boat is a semi-luxury cruise with an approximate capacity of 200 passengers. Breakfast is included for each ticket. You may also buy food or drinks from the cafeteria in the ship.

We noticed that nearly 25% of passengers (majority of children) were vomiting during the journey. Some were seriously sick and could not enjoy or had energy to watch whales. It is better to take some precautionary medication for vomiting if you think you may vomit.

We saw about 7 – 10 whales and many dolphins. It was a fantastic journey and worth the money. The Navy staff was very kind and helpful.

Useful tips

• Don’t eat a lot of food or drink lot of water before the journey.
• Take some precautionary medication for vomiting.
• Take a pair of binoculars. The ship cannot go very closer to whales.
• Don’t take this trip if you are sick or unfit. You won’t enjoy the journey.

Visit the official Navy website http://whalewatching.navy.lk for more details about their whale watching trips.

A beach vacation is something all of us can use, as it provides time away with the family, friends, or just that special someone.  Beach vacations are also a great way to unwind from the pressures of life, and just have a blast.

In Sri Lanka, there are plenty of places that you can choose for your beach vacation. You can choose from beaches in the south coast, West and north-west or beautiful beaches in the east coastal line. Visit beaches in Sri Lanka page to read more about beautiful beach holiday destinations in Sri Lanka.

Those of you who are looking to get away with a husband or wife, would find Bentota, Galle and Weligama (southern coast) to be the perfect beach vacation.  Bentotal is one of the most romantic beaches in Sri Lanka.  Also well known for honeymoons, Bentota and Galle offers you plenty of breathtaking beaches with plenty of other things to do as well.

Another well known area for a beach vacation for couples is Negombo beach.  Negombo has been a popular vacation spot for many years, offering couples the chance to get away from it all and just spend some well deserved and well needed time together.

For a family beach holiday, there are many places you can go.  One of the most popular is Arugam Bay, as there are many other things to interest the kids as well.

There are several beaches in the East coastal line such as Trinco and Pasi Kuda where families can have a nice time with many beach sports and activities. Kaluthara,   Wadduwa and Hikkaduwa are also good for family beach vacations.

When you choose the perfect beach holiday in Sri Lanka, you need to choose a spot that will cater to who you are taking with you.  Couples wouldn’t want to go to a family resort destination, while families wouldn’t want to go to a couples resort that offers plenty of romance.

No matter where you decide to go, you can rest assured that there are plenty of locations for you to choose in Sri Lanka.  You can visit hotels in Sri Lanka page, which can help you locate deals that are simply too good to pass up.

Before you decide to rush off to your beach vacation, you should plan first.  Decide on where you are going, research your destination spot, and make sure that it offers something for everyone.  Sri Lanka beach vacations are truly inspiring, although it also helps to have other activities available as well.

Once you plan your beach holiday very carefully, you’ll be more than ready to take off to your destination and relax.  You’ll enjoy yourself much better if you plan carefully, which will also help to remove a lot of the stress that can be involved with planning for a beach vacation – or going on your destination unprepared.

This seems to be a very good move from tourism and transportation point of view. Kandy is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sri Lanka. It is equally popular among local and foreign tourists. A domestic airport will help travelers to reach Kandy quickly and save travelling time.

But there may be few issues

We need to see what would be the ticket cost going to be. If the rates are high then people will avoid air travel to Kandy. Other potential problem is there are only a limited number of domestic airports in Sri Lanka. Therefore passengers will have to travel a reasonable distance to take a flight to Kandy.

Overall this is a good idea. I am sure domestic airports will come to other major cities in Sri Lanka. This will boost the tourism industry and also will help business travelers.

Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally-accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA, and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is the only certification brand to be an affiliate member of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) an agency of the United Nations, and is partly owned by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).

Green Globe Certification CEO Guido Bauer said, “We are proud to be working with the John Keells Hotels Group and congratulate Bentota Beach Hotel on their inaugural certification.

“Over the years, the region around the hotel has had to recover from the tsunami of 2004 and Bentota Beach Hotel has been a willing contributor to ongoing community development. Guests to this idyllic resort are encouraged to visit and support the local turtle conservation activities of Kosgoda Sea Turtle Hatchery.

“The hotel itself along with its manicured gardens is a significant part of local heritage. This former rubber plantation was first transformed into a landscape garden over 80 year ago and is a living part of Bentota’s cultural experience,” added Mr. Bauer.

The hotel has implemented a number of key sustainability contributions resulting in the improvement of its own operations, as well as of the community in which it operates. Monitoring of energy and water usage is under way, with measures implemented for reducing each. Renewable sources of energy have been used where possible – the additional cooling generated by the pump system has been diverted to the air conditioners in the guides’ and drivers’ accommodation areas, while solar power is made use of for the kitchen, pantry, and spa complex. The garden staff of the hotel are actively working on an organic vegetable garden – still in its infant stages – which, once fully developed, will meet the hotel’s own requirements for organic herbs and vegetables.

Beyond these environmental achievements, however, the hotel has taken significant measures in local community development through its involvement with the Bentota Beruwala Hoteliers Association. The hotel along with the Association has been instrumental in developing the lives and livelihoods of the “Beach Operators” as they are now known – local youth who are now given priority in organizing beach activities along with cultural and environmental tours for guests. The management of Bentota Beach Hotel also has plans to set up an association to protect and conserve ecosystems that are part of the Bentota River.

Courtesy : eTurbo News

Sri Lanka has many things to offer for anybody who wants to have a peaceful life. Sri Lanka is an ideal place for retired people to enjoy their retirement. The cost of living is much cheaper when compared with any developed country.

Here is a video from a retired couple from UK who settled down in Sri Lanka way back in 2001.

Watch this video to get an idea about the nature and culture of Sri Lanka.

The gates open at 8:30 am. If you don’t have pre-paid tickets then you can buy them at the ticket counter. There are two bottle feeding sessions in the Elephant orphanage. One at 9:15 am and the other session at 1:15 pm. If you want to bottle-feed the baby elephants then you need to buy a special ticket at the ticket counter. One ticket is required for each bottle.

There are only 10 bottle feeding tickets issued for each session.

Once you are entered you can go and see elephants in an open area. The beauty is there are many baby elephants. We had a chance to see a 2 months old one.

The bottle feeding area is separated and is covered by a fence. Two baby elephants are fed at a given time. Visitors can watch the feeding or feed them if they have bottle-feeding tickets.

10am to 12pm is the bathing time of the Elephants. The river is in the other side of the road. Therefore you need to come out of the Elephant orphanage and cross the road and go along a narrow street to reach the river.

You can watch them from the river banks or go to one of the restaurants on the river banks and have a cup of tea or coffee while watching the elephant bath.

Pinnawala Elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka has over 85 Elephants at the moment. All elephants are either rescued from a danger or being treated for a sickness. Currently there is a 3-legged elephant in the orphanage.

Optional tours in the area

There are many herb and spice gardens in the area. Some places have ancient ayurvedic medicines. The entrance is free for these herb and spice gardens.