International Culinary YouTubers explore Colombo cuisine

Experiencing the village life – Luke Martin and Sabrina of Chopstick travel (YouTube) and SLTPB VJP Assistant Director Chaminda Munasinghe with some villagers in Palwehera village, Dambulla

At the Independence Square 

Canadian YouTubers Luke Martin and Sabrina Davidson of Chopstick Travel are currently in Sri Lanka to promote tourism for the island, working directly with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB). An exciting opportunity for the tourism sector of Sri Lanka, Chopstick Travel boasts over 500,000 thousand globally diverse subscribers, over 92 million views on their channel, and has worked with media giants such as Netflix, TripAdvisor, and tourism boards around the world.  

Their goal is simple, to document authentic local cuisine and promote culinary travel around the world for their audience. Food is the cultural connection between all walks of life and is the conduit in which Luke and Sabrina educate their audience about the cultures around the world. 

They highlight authentic cooking techniques and unique cuisines with great passion, which can be seen in the effort that they put into creating their content. Having filmed cuisine in over 20 different countries, they have finally arrived in Sri Lanka to document the wonderful food culture of Sri Lanka. Luke and Sabrina understand the importance of visiting Sri Lanka at this moment and hope to do their part in turning the perception of travel in Sri Lanka around.  

Luke and Sabrina have been invited to come to Sri Lanka as part of the successful Visiting Blogger Program run by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau. Invited because of their heavy viewership in Europe, North America, and Asia, Chopstick travel seeks to not only document the food and culture around the island, promoting culinary travel, but also to influence their audience’s view of Sri Lanka and its safety. 

“We are already so impressed with Sri Lanka. Our goal is to help put this country back on track to becoming a top travel destination. The people of this country deserve it and we strive to share Sri Lanka with the world. We’re very grateful to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau for inviting us here,” Luke said shortly after arriving in Sri Lanka.

Starting their Sri Lankan culinary journey from Colombo, the pair has already covered a wide range of cuisine in a short span of time, from bustling markets to local street foods to fine dining. “Colombo has something for everyone. From the street food to the leading specialty restaurants in Colombo, you will always be satisfied,” said Sabrina when asked about her experience so far. They are incredibly aware of the responsibilities that come with having a platform as large as theirs and are meticulous in their planning of what to showcase for their audience in promoting Sri Lanka. 

Colombo, however, is just the first stop of a long culinary itinerary around Sri Lanka. “We have a big plan to cover the cuisine across this beautiful island country. Colombo was just a preview. Next up is Jaffna. We can’t wait!” 

Audiences will be able to see the first episode of their five-part Sri Lankan series at the end of August. Their focus on local cuisine will certainly entice and attract global attention. Their excitement to share these wonderful dishes is clear as they prepare to promote Sri Lanka to the world. 

Find them on YouTube and subscribe to their channel to keep an eye out for the episodes release and get excited to see what other Sri Lankan specialties they have in store.