TripAdvisor ranks Sri Lanka’s Saraii Village among 10 Extraordinary Treetop Hotels
Thursday, 8 August 2013 00:06
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Eco tourism and eco friendly destinations have become catch phrases in the tourism industry recently so it was no surprise to see the world’s most popular travel rating site TripAdvisor put out a list of the 10 most extraordinary Treetop Hotels. It was a pleasant surprise however to find Sri Lanka’s very own Saraii Village www.saraiivillage.com on the list – a relative newcomer to the field of sustainable tourism and green travel.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/InfoCenter-a_ctr.treehouseEN1
Being rated by TripAdvisor among ten exclusive treetop hotels worldwide gives Saraii more than one reason to celebrate its sustainable message. CEO and founder of Saraii Charitha Abeyratne said, “We are grateful to TripAdvisor for considering us worthy enough for this remarkable rating. It feels good when you know you are being appreciated and recommended by your customers. This makes us very excited about the future of Saraii and the experience we offer our guests.”
Saraii Village started as an idea few thought plausible, some laughed at and others dismissed. But one person defended it and that was Charitha Abeyratne who was involved in building an organic Agro-Forestry business with her husband Prasanna, which inspired her to create a sustainable tourism business with an agro/eco platform.
After securing a Fulbright scholarship Charitha made the implementation of Saraii a part of her MBA program which focused on Global Social Sustainable Enterprise at the Colorado State University in the United States. She came back with a mission to create Saraii. “Building and running a truly sustainable eco-tourism establishment was uncharted terrain, and that meant I had a great deal of research to do before deciding on the final model. Taking a concept from paper to reality is tough with any idea but this was an idea that I had to defend, an idea that needed conviction just to get off the ground. Fortunately I am blessed with positive people who saw the potential of what I saw in Saraii Village and here we are today.”
Charitha named the venture, ‘Saraii’, meaning ‘the essence’, in Hebrew and true to this word; she hopes to allow tourists who visit Saraii feel the true essence of being Sri Lankan. “Saraii Village is a dream, a concept, a connection and a business venture all rolled into one. We are an eco-tourism resort in the South of Sri Lanka built for responsible travellers from around the globe to experience the true essence of Sri Lankan life. It’s a return to basics and a lesson on how to enjoy simple pleasures, healthy food and sustain a lifestyle that retains a message of giving back to the community, our planet and ourselves.”
Opened in September 2012 Saraii has gained popularity among travellers seeking authentic travel experiences. The future of Sri Lankan tourism lies in this un-spoilt experience it stands to offer says Srilal Miththapal Project Director of EU - SWITCH ASIA greening hotels project who is helping Sri Lankan hotels improve their environment and energy conservation practices. “We are talking of the crying need for Sri Lanka Tourism so I was actually very proud and very happy to see Charitha has managed to capture most of this – I think it has helped Sri Lanka Tourism quite honestly – from what I saw on Trip Advisor and some of the things that have been done there on her own without any backing totally coming to the tourism industry newly – I think it’s a great start.”
Saraii upholds the values of the ‘Slow Food’ philosophy where ‘good, clean and fair’ food is of paramount importance. The produce is sourced locally, harvested in a sustainable manner, ensuring a revenue source to the community. In addition to the safari rides, lake or city tours available everywhere, the experiences offered to guests at Saraii are unique and community based.
“Guests take part in fishing tours to understand how the local fishermen practice their livelihood. They can bring back the catch of the day and have the opportunity to be involved in preparing a local meal learning about local cuisine and what influences our food habits; pick vegetables from Saraii’s Organic garden to prepare a Slow Food evening meal. Saraii strives to provide the responsible traveller a truly sustainable and authentic experience.”
Saraii is ideal for nature loving discerning consumers who appreciate and live a low carbon lifestyle. Travellers who want to take a moment away from the pace and monotony of a time bound life and the planned stereotype holiday to get away from it all. “We want every visitor to step into an aura of timeless oneness with nature and discover true peace with themselves, immerse themselves in the splendour, mystique and romance of the unknown, the thrill of discovery. That is the experience of Saraii. The evolution of Saraii will be about expanding the level of sustainable experiences we offer each visitor.” Charitha is convinced tourists will look for experiences and emotional connections with the destinations they travel to and this raises their expectation of a location like Saraii. It is an expectation Saraii is keen to match if not exceed in the coming years.
TripAdvisor’s Top 10 most extraordinary Treetop hotels
Saraii Village joins other innovative treetop hotels from around the world including the Treehotel in Sweden; Châteaux Dans les Abres in France and the Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel in Brazil.
1.Treehotel - Boden, Lapland, Sweden
2.Manali Tree House Cottages - Kullu, India
3.Chateaux Dans les Arbres - Dordogne, France
4.Hapuku Lodge - Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand
5.Pezulu Tree House Game Lodge - Hoedspruit, South Africa
6.Tree House Lodge - Costa Rica, Central America
7.Chole Mjini Lodge - Mafia Island, Tanzania, Africa
8.Ariau Amazon Towers Hotel - Amazonas, Brazil
9.Treehouse Point - Issaquah, Washington, United States
10.Saraii Village - Weerawila, Sri Lanka
Saraii Village – www.saraiivillage.com | www.facebook.com/saraiivillage
The facts
In 2012, Sri Lanka welcomed 1.04 million tourists. And is set to achieve its 2013 target of 1.25 million tourists.
In the UK, the Association of British Tour Operators (ABTA) finds that 17% of respondents agreed that they would pay more for a greener company and travel experience
TripAdvisor: 71% of respondents plan to make eco-friendly choices in the coming year, up by 7 percentage points
Source: Hermione Nevill, ‘Promises and progress: sustainable tourism and Rio +20’ (9 July 2012)
