Ecowave Travels

Community Based Tourism: The Best Way to See Sri Lanka

A Taste of Community Based Tourism
Our visit to Sri Lanka gave us an opportunity to experience Community Based Tourism first-hand

These kinds of tours, by Ecowave Travels, are at the core of responsible tourism, because our dollars go directly to the people of the community and in turn, we get an opportunity to immerse ourselves into both a cultural and outdoor experience while we travel.

We spent the morning starting at sunrise observing the fisherman and the wildlife of the Pottuvil lagoon. This place is the perfect place for a quiet, serene morning 'drive' on a raft, watching the lagoon wake up.

Then, one of the community guides took us on a wildlife drive through Kumana National Park.

The highlight was enjoying home cooked Sri Lankan food and staying in the village with a family during the duration of our stay.

Meaningful Travel Experiences like this are what enhances our connection to the world.

What is Community Based Tourism?

It is responsible tourism where your money goes directly back into a local community to support local projects. Residents get an opportunity to build their business, receive tourists and in turn, you get to see attractions and immerse in a cultural experience.

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These tours are operated by Ecowave Travels of Sri Lanka

Arugam Bay - The perfect place for surfing, local food, and beach lifestyle

Kumana National Park- Known for its hundreds of species of migratory birds, and we managed to catch a glimpse of buffalo, deer, and elephants.

Panama Village- Near Arugam Bay is a local village with homestays with comfortable homes and locals that operate tours to Kumana National Park.

Hopineo presents Ecowave - Cooking Class

A travel towards Responsible and Sustainable Tourism. While travelling in Sri Lanka, Ela & David met Ecowave. This social entreprise promote organic agriculture thanks to tourism. The effects are huge in the region of Arugam Bay. The products and projects leave a positive impacts on the surroundings and benefit local people. Have a taste of Sri Lankan Cuisine with us and have a positive impact in your travel!!!

Ecowave:
Move Our World:
Hopineo:

Local tours - Spice and Rice farms in Sri Lanka

We view the historic sites in Maligawila - the remnants of the Pathma Vihara and its two Buddha Statues - and the Maitreya Bodhisattva.These sites are near Monaragala.
In Monaragala, there are vast areas of Paddy fields. Ecowave works with the farmers in the area to promote farming of Rice in the area. We train them how to do it organically without chemicals so it creates a higher value. And then we visit the spice farmers who are cultivating spices like Pepper, Tumeric, Ginger, and also you will be able to visit a rubber plantation and see how this natural rubber is processed. Finally we have a chance to visit the Ecowave's spice factory and see how production from the farmers get processed here, and packaged into spices that go to the markets in Sri Lanka.
Ecowave wants tourism to support the livelihoods of local communities.
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Discovering Sri Lankan Cooking

For more about Travel Life Experiences you can find us here!

I never anticipated how much I would love Sri Lankan food. Our one month visit to Sri Lanka gave us an opportunity to discover Sri Lankan Cooking and we are so glad we did!

Indian to me, was the king of the cuisine, but after 3 months traveling there, I was ready for something less complex, less heavy still with lots of flavor.

Discovering Sri Lankan Cooking

I joined the Ecowave Cooking class in Arugam Bay to find out the secrets! I was hoping for an opportunity to cook these dishes on my own.

Sri Lankan food very flavourful, spicy, but they use fewer, simpler ingredients than Indian food.

It has more of what I am looking for - more vegetables and lots of coconuts served a variety of ways!

I also discovered that fresh coconut milk and shavings are definitely a labor of love.

I love the vegetable curries because you can have a variety of veggie dishes in one meal

The best part of the class was gorging on all the dishes at the end.

Sri Lankan cooking has a number of key, available ingredients:

We ate a traditional spread of vegetable curries - various curries (usually chicken and other vegetables) that are served. I learned that most of these recipes have the same general dry spice ingredients, all of which are easy to find. The main ingredients are salt, pepper, turmeric, curry powder, chili powder, coriander, cumin, cardamom, mustard seed, curry leaves, lime juice onion, lots of garlic and of course coconut shavings and coconut milk.

Some of our favorites:

Coconut Sambol (Pol Sambol) - I got addicted to this stuff. Basically, its a spicy and sweet shaved cocunut accompaniment to every dish. Great spread on bread, or mixed in with rice or other dishes. I also eat it on its own.

Chicken Curry- This dish speaks for itself, check out the Sri lankan version

Green Jackfruit Curry (Polos Curry) - This dish was a huge surprise. Green Jackfruit cooks to the consistency of tuna, you think you are having a filling meat dish, but its healthy!

Pumpkin Curry - The most intense, creamy mouthfeel and flavor, like a pumpkin curry soup but in a meal.

Eggplant Curry- Surprisingly really good. The eggplant becomes mushy almost like a stew, it creates a whole different consistency and mouthfeel to this veggie. Now one of my all time favorites!

Green Banana Curry - Surprised? I was too. The bananas don't get mushy and they end up creating this sweet and creamy curry, it's not for dessert, its for dinner!

Okra Curry (Bandakka Curry) - Don't like the sliminess of Okra? I was told I wasn't cooking it right with my instructor of the class, frying the okra on high heat helps alleviate that. The Okra keeps a crunch that adds an interesting element to the dish.

Do you like Sri Lankan food? What was your favorite undiscovered country food?

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