Usually when we visit Sri Lanka for a holiday, we arrange a family trip with all family members. Few years ago when we went to Sri Lanka, we visited Polonnaruwa, but couldn’t book accommodation early. While we were looking for a hotel, my brother met one of his friends and he suggested a local home where we all could stay for a reasonable charge. Actually that was a nice place and we had a homely experience with the family who serve the guests in their home. It was a relaxing tour and we felt that way is much better than staying in a luxury hotel.  So, even in our recent holiday in Sri Lanka ,we did the same and stayed with a local family guest in Anuradhapura. But I have a problem with this. Though it is relaxing to stay and spend a tour with locals, it was not easy to organize that before we go to the place. The main reason was we couldn’t find any data base to plan our trip with locals.Â
Now I want to plan my next Sri Lanka holiday and found a wonderful site which is easy to organize my trip before I go to the place. It is Withlocals.
With Withlocals, you can experience food,tour or activities with locals of that place.
Withlocals connects travelers with locals through food and experiences across Sri Lanka,Malaysia,Nepal,Singapore,Thailand,Vietnam and Indonesia.It is a great way to explore a new destination with real experience and even it is easy to find hidden places to visit via these people.
Now we have a plan to visit Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka in our next holiday. So, I bookmarked few places and activities we can do during our trip from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya.
I want to have spicy but delicious food from a Sri Lankan home. The site provides contacts of locals who arrange local food for a reasonable price.
It is nice if I can experience the cooking with a local family.
During this tour,I want to pay a visit to Pinnawala Elephant orphanage.
Spice Gardens would be another great place to visit.
In, Nuwara Eliya,I want to visit a Tea estate and have real experience of plucking tea with those ladies who work there. I am sure that would be a great experience.
Thanks to Withlocals, I am able to find few contacts and plan my trip before the tour with a great confidence.
If you are in one of the hosting countries in Asia, you can become a host too.Check the site and it is easy to become a host.
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Next time, if you visit one of these countries mentioned above, don’t forget to have experience with locals.
Anyway, I have a question. Actually, what do you prefer when you travel? Do you like to visit the country and stay in a luxury hotel or do you really want to explore the country through their food, destinations and activities? Please share your thoughts.
13 comments
Very informative post dear..Pictures are really good..
Wish to visit Sri Lanka after reading this post..
Please visit Sri Lanka,you will attract to the place.Try Withlocals for your trip planning….
nice post dear
thanks Shama
Had a wonderful reading……While seeing ur pics, I feel that Srilanka and Kerala looks alike….Wish to visit dere… 🙂
thanks Remya,yes I heard both countries looks alike coz of coconut trees and greens….
I am a total homebody, but your post has made me want to take the trip…especially the food and the elephants! 🙂
I am glad you liked it.try Withlocals to explore Asia
I like the idea of Withlocals. It sounds so much better than staying in hotels. Plus, being able to experience all of the things that you listed that you want to do, would be so wonderful. I wouldn’t mind going to see an elephant orphanage.
Great idea. I love to travel and get to know a place through the local people. I love to write about the people and food.
Sri Lanka is popular to have the highest concentration of the elusive Sri Lankan leopards, elephants, sloth bears and wild buffaloes in this vast nature reserve. The ideal time to explore Yala would be during the break of dawn and the fall of dusk.
Hi Amila,
wondering how you got the 2nd photo of this blog post as I am the one who photographed that photo few months back at a local home in Malabe. It is just curios me and not a problem that you were using the photo here. BTW i also enjoy your recipes and keep up the good work.. I always wanted to maintain a blog for years now.. but could not do it yet.. your blog inspired me.. lets see. Regards Thisanthi
Hi Thisanthi,
Thanks for your comment.Yes it is not a photo captured by me including all other pics in this post.That’s why there is no watermark there.Anyway,I shared these pics with the permission of founders/team of withlocals.com when they asked me for a post in my site.
Anyway,your capture is nice and well matching with Sri Lankan cooking.That was the reason for selecting this photo.
Hope to see a blog from you and don’t forget to let me know once a blog is live…
And, may be I can visit your home for a local meal in my next SL tour because I live in Athurugiriya…. 🙂