About Experiential Traveller

Small in scale,big at heart

A small scale travel agent in Sri Lanka — founded by a licensed National Tourist Guide, naturalist and environmental conservationist.

Plan with Ashan Read the story

Licensed National Tourist Guide · Proprietor · Naturalist · Tour Leader

Ashan Wijetilleke

I am currently working as a Freelance National Tourist Guide for English Speaking Clients. A Passionate Traveller; Wildlife Enthusiast and an Environmental Conservationist.

A graduate from University of Colombo, holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Environment Sciences under the Department of Zoology and Environmental Science. I worked as an Executive at the ‘Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka’ (Est. 1894) which is Sri Lanka’s oldest and world’s third oldest Non-Governmental Organization of its kind. I have started working as a Naturalist since 2019 and at the beginning, I worked in an Eco Tourism Company called ‘Back of Beyond Sri Lanka’ which has 6 properties around the country.

Licence

National Tourist Guide

Licensed under the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) as an English Speaking, National Tourist Guide.

Education

BSc, University of Colombo

Business and Environment Sciences under the Department of Zoology and Environmental Science.

Conservation

Wildlife & Nature Protection Society

Executive at the society (Est. 1894) — Sri Lanka’s oldest and the world’s third oldest NGO of its kind.

Field

Naturalist since 2019

Began with ‘Back of Beyond Sri Lanka’, an eco tourism company with 6 properties around the country.

Ashan guiding guests along a forest trail

The story

From the jungle to a journey of his own

University of Colombo
Into the jungle
As soon as I graduated from the University of Colombo with my Bachelor of Science degree, I took this decision to move out from the city and work in the jungles of Sri Lanka. So I took the opportunity which was waving at me by that time, as a Naturalist, what a position to start the career as a person who loves wildlife and of-course the natural world. Self learning is supported very much and meeting new people from all around the world who are interested in Nature and Heritage fueled me to love my job day by day.
Sigiriya
“Why don’t you start your own thing!”
My guiding career started along with the time that I worked in Sigiriya as a Naturalist. One day this one guest, she was solo travelling around the island which I met during one of our activities and said to me, ‘Ashan, why don’t you start your own thing!’. This discussion got registered in my head and from then onwards whenever I get some free time I keep dreaming and planning to be a person like that.
After COVID
Six months at SLITHM
Then after COVID, I saw this opportunity, that of SLITHM (Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management), calling for applications for a new intake of National Tourist Guides. As soon as I saw that paper advertisement, I decided to resign from my job at that time ‘happily’ and applied as it was full-time coursework for 6 months.
SLTDA
Licensed
After a successful learning period, I managed to obtain my license under the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority(SLTDA) as an English Speaking, National Tourist Guide.
Today
Experiential Traveller
Then as soon as I received my license, I managed to register my travel agency, ‘EXPERIENTIAL TRAVELLER’ as a single owned company in order to provide travel & tourism related services for my clients.

Vision

Tailor Made, Sustainable & Ethical, Slow Pace, Conscious Travel

Tailor Made

We always give priority to achieve our client’s expectations which we do through ‘Tailor Made’ tour packages.

Sustainable & Ethical

Almost all the activities we do throughout the tour are in accordance with our ‘Sustainability Policy’.

Slow Pace

We promote ‘Slow Pace’ travel in our tours to give more time to the traveller to experience our country; culture; heritage; wildlife; rituals and wilderness. In order to achieve that we give more options in selecting activities from our wide range of magical experiences in each region of the island.

Conscious Travel

By achieving all these practices we make sure to organize our tours in a ‘Conscious’ mind and showcase consciousness to the surrounding world.

Sustainability policy

A positive impact wherever we travel

Designing our trips in a way that limits the physical impact on our planet and the places we visit.
Ensuring we’re consistently working towards protecting the environment and using resources in an efficient, fair and responsible way.
Reducing our use of disposable and consumer goods and recycling waste, whenever possible.
Using resources such as water and electricity in a non-wasteful manner.
Implementing sustainable purchasing practices.
Working with others who share a similar sustainable mind-set.
Working with people in local communities so as to share the economic gains of tourism with them.
Encouraging our partners and employees to think and work in a sustainable and responsible manner.
Respecting our surroundings wherever we travel.
Ensuring that all our employees/partners/service providers are treated with respect and remunerated fairly.
Ensuring that our growth is sustainable and the gains are distributed in a manner which is beneficial to the company and other key stakeholders.

One journey, one tree

We can calculate your Carbon Footprint during the holiday and according to your preference, we can make sure to do the arrangements to cover that carbon footprint by planting a tree and let it accumulate carbon while its growth which we can keep a record.

Tree planting to offset a journey’s carbon footprint

Why travel with us

Four reasons to travel with us

Personalized or Tailor made Tours

We specialize in creating tailor-made wildlife & heritage tours.

Expert Local Knowledge

We offer proper interpretations through well experienced tourist guides.

Reliable Travel Partnerships

Most reliable transportation methods will be arranged for your tour.

Conscious | Ethical | Responsible

We try our best to keep our footprint minimal as possible during the tour and follow more ethical practices.

We are a small scale travel agent in Sri Lanka and we are so proud of it. Even though we are small — we are with a big heart to our environment, both natural and human aspects.
Responsible business · Experiential Traveller

We like to be small and simple in the future too. Because we do believe that we can keep our footprint as low as possible and provide excellent quality service to our travellers from all around the world. It is not only the environment, but it is also the community (social) and economy. This consciousness provides us with a sustainable business.

Ashan receiving the Youth Travel and Hospitality Award 2023

The Youth Travel and Hospitality Award trophy

Recognition

2023

Youth Travel & Hospitality Award

We have been awarded as the Winner of ‘Youth Travel and Hospitality Award’ for the year 2023 at ‘4th New Generation Awards Ceremony 2023’ held in 03rd of October 2023 at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo.

Begin here

Travel slowly, consciously, with a local guide

Tell us how you like to travel and Ashan will design the journey around you.

Build Your Own Journey WhatsApp us