"Now is an excellent time to visit Sri Lanka," says Marilyn Downing Staff, CEO of Asia Transpacific Journeys, a company that specializes in travel to Asia and the Pacific.
"Some beach areas were affected by the tsunami, but the interior that harbors cultural treasures remains intact. A visit now is a show of faith in a country's ability to effectively recover after a disaster."
Asia Transpacific Journeys offers a 16-day August trip called Splendid Sri Lanka. This trip incorporates the Kandy Esala Perahera Festival, honoring the sacred tooth of Buddha, and features an elephant procession, traditional dances and pageantry. The tooth festival in Sri Lanka is featured in the NY Times bestseller 1,000 Places To See Before You Die.
Included in the $4,995 per person double occupancy rate (excluding international air) are accommodations, most meals, transfers, visas, tips, entrance fees, medical and emergency insurance and a comprehensive pre-departure packet.
Asia Transpacific Journeys' small group departures, plus custom programs, encompass 20 countries in North Asia, South Asia, SE Asia and the Pacific. Some trips also support global conservation and cultural preservation. The non-profit Asia Transpacific Foundation, established in 1998, works with rural Asian communities to provide clean drinking water through locally made ceramic water filters.
