Sri Lankan Travel Stories: Curating Transformative Journeys in Sri Lanka

It’s only fitting that I kick off my Sri Lankan travel series with my podcast with Sam Clark from Experience Travel.Over the years, people had been telling me I had to meet with Sam. He runs this great travel company, the Experience Travel Group, and has a genuine interest in Sri Lanka. We finally met this summer.Tooting Mama is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.One morning, after my swim in Tooting Lido, I made my way to Balham to meet Sam for a coffee and talk about Sri Lanka. We discussed my forthcoming trip, the podcast I had created, and my plans for a Tooting Sri Lankan culinary tour.It was this conversation that precipitated my now ten-day trip around Sri Lanka, which took me from Colombo to the Mudhouse eco-retreat, a colonial estate in the heart of the coconut triangle, the hill country, then down to Sri Lanka’s southern coast to explore Galle, Thalpe and Hiriketiya. The journey can only be described as profound and brought me closer to my heritage and culture.Returning to the UK was hard as I tried to acclimatise to the onset of autumn and to pick up my life.The trip has been the inspiration for this travel series, allowing me to reflect on my journey and share the best moments with you through:* The serialisation of my trip here on Substack with recipes, travel stories, and photography about the places that stole my heart and crept under my skin.* Tea with Tooting Mama: Sri Lankan Travel Stories, conversations with the people about Sri Lankan travel, food, and hospitality.* Future recipes home-style dishes inspired by aunties and chefs’ Sri Lankan kitchens.I’d like to extend my thanks to Sam and the team at the Experience Travel Group, who kick-started this project, and to Jean Marc Flambert from Secrets of Ceylon, who hosted me. And to my nephew, Abishek Gunaratnam, who drove me around Sri Lanka and captured my trip with his stunning videography skills (creativity runs in our family).Sri Lankan Travel Stories: Curating A Transformative Journey in Sri LankaIn this episode of Tea with Tooting Mama, I’m joined by Sam Clark, co-founder of the Experience Travel Group.It was youthful curiosity that brought Sam to Sri Lanka, and those early travels had a huge impact, exposing Sam to a way of life vastly different from his own. This formative experience sowed the seeds for the Experience Travel Group, which creates bespoke travel itineraries to help visitors get beyond the beach and discover Sri Lanka’s hidden depths.By crafting tailor-made packages that include immersive experiences, giving back to communities, and a touch of surprise. Travellers are guaranteed more than a holiday; they get a transformative experience.Sam shares his belief in travel as a force for good, highlighting how carefully crafted interactions can honour and uplift local cultures.A Wanderlust LegacyTravel is in Sam’s blood; it’s a passion he inherited from his formidable grandmother. As a young woman in the 1930s, she’d pack a trunk and journey around the globe, something almost unheard of at the time. It was her stories of driving ambulances during the war, skydiving in her late 80s, that fired Sam’s desire to explore the world. It’s a legacy that has undoubtedly shaped his career and his life.Sri Lanka’s Resilience and Rich Culture.Our conversation explores how Sri Lanka has weathered numerous challenges over the decades, including a civil war lasting over 25 years, the tsunami, economic crisis and civil unrest and more.Despite this, the country consistently bounces back, demonstrating resilience and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. Sam talks passionately about the importance of sustainable travel, not just as a business model but as a catalyst for positive change within local communities.Culinary AdventuresFood is integral to the Sri Lankan experience. Sam insists the best meals don’t come from high-end restaurants but from local villages, with food cooked over open fires in clay pots. Something you need to try when you visit Sri Lanka.For anyone contemplating a holiday to Sri Lanka, Sam Clark assures it is one of the safest and most rewarding destinations imaginable.Go grab your cuppa and settle in for this conversation with Sam Clark.00:00 Welcome and Introduction00:20 Meet Sam Clark: A Passion for Travel01:15 Sam’s Inspirational Grandmother05:43 First Impressions of Sri Lanka07:49 The Birth of the Experience Travel Group10:03 The Tsunami Experience13:36 Sri Lanka’s Resilience and Recovery15:38 The Ethos of Experience Travel Group20:43 Striving for Transformational Experiences21:16 The Allure of Sri Lanka23:05 Hidden Gems and Scenic Beauty23:57 Historical Marvels of Sri Lanka25:08 Wildlife Wonders26:26 Sustainable Travel Practices28:33 The Tipping Culture31:16 Sri Lankan Cuisine and Dining36:38 Final Thoughts and Contact Information* The Experience Travel Group* The MudhouseTea with Tooting Mama is in Feedspot’s 30 Best Sri Lanka PodcastsGrab my free guide to Sri Lankan cooking, and join the Tooting Mama community by signing up for my weekly newsletter here.Find my recipes here.Check out my Instagram hereNever miss a single episode by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and tell your friends about Tea with Tooting Mama and my Stubstack Tooting Mama. Get full access to Tooting Mama at tootingmama.substack.com/subscribe