Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
changed every day. Also, stay at places without pools. If you want a dip, stay at the beach;
tell your host that you appreciate there
not
being a pool.
Don't hit the bottle
Those bottles of water are convenient but they add up and are a major
blight. Still, you're wise not to refill from the tap, so what to do? Ask your hotel if you can
refill from their huge containers of drinking water.
Conserve power
Sure you want to save your own energy on a sweltering afternoon, but
using air-con strains an already overloaded system. Electricity demand in Sri Lanka is
soaring. Try to save as much energy as possible and act as if you are paying your own
electricity bill.
Don't drive yourself crazy
Can you take a bus or, even better, a train, instead of a hired
car? Even Colombo is more walkable than you think, it's a very interesting stroll all the
way from Cinnamon Gardens to Fort and it's better for the environment than a ride in an
exhaust-spewing three-wheeler. And encourage the recent trend of hotels and guesthouses
providing bikes for guests. Large swaths of Sri Lanka are best toured during the day on
two wheels.
Bag the bags
Just say no to plastic bags (and plastic straws too). The clerk might look at
you funny but you'll be doing your bit.
For information on environmental issues in Sri Lanka, see the following websites.
vironmental Science at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura has info on Sri Lankan
wildlife and essays on key environmental issues.
volved in natural-resource management. Among the projects highlighted are the ongoing
reports of the environmental threats posed by Sri Lanka's massive road-building schemes.
formation from knowledgeable Sri Lankan locals on how to 'Discover, explore and con-
serve the natural beauty of Sri Lanka'.
in 2008 for community-based projects that made a tangible impact on poverty, the SLWCS
has opportunities for volunteering.
