Driver, guide, fixer and, by the end, a friend.
Travel Help Sri Lanka is a small, owner-run business. When you book, you deal with Nipuna, and more often than not it is Nipuna behind the wheel.
"My homeland, shown properly."
"I'm Nipuna, and I started Travel Help Sri Lanka with one idea: to show guests the real Sri Lanka, and to do it in a way that looks after the place and the people."
"I grew up in Monaragala, in the south-east, between the national parks and the hills. I have worked in tourism here for more than ten years, first as a driver and then running my own tours. In that time I have learned that what people remember is not the list of sights. It is the roadside king coconut, the family kitchen we stopped at for lunch, the viewpoint nobody else knew about, and the feeling that someone was looking after them the whole way."
"Sustainability is not a slogan for me. I choose routes and stops that show Sri Lanka's natural beauty without damaging it, I work with local guesthouses and guides, and I want every guest to leave with a real bond to this island. Most of my guests arrive as clients and leave as friends. That is the part of the job I like best."
Nipuna
Founder, Travel Help Sri Lanka
Sustainable and eco tourism, in practice.
Light on the land
Tours are designed to showcase Sri Lanka's natural beauty while minimising our impact on the environment: fewer kilometres, respectful wildlife viewing and no shortcuts through fragile places.
Money that stays local
Family guesthouses, village cooks, local jeep drivers and craft makers. The communities you pass through should be better off for your visit.
Wildlife on its own terms
Elephants, leopards and whales are seen in the wild with operators who follow the rules, never crowded or chased for a photo.
Monaragala: the quiet side of the island.
Monaragala sits in Sri Lanka's south-east, away from the tourist trail but within a couple of hours of Yala and Udawalawe national parks, the hill town of Ella and the surf at Arugam Bay.
It means Nipuna knows the wild, green half of the country that most visitors only pass through, and it means local knowledge in exactly the places where it matters: which safari gate to use, which waterfall is quiet, where to eat on the long road to the east coast.
What it is like to travel with Nipuna.
I met Nipun right on the first day of my trip. He's a super nice guy, with incredible knowledge of the culture and the people. You can tell he goes to great lengths in everything he does. In short: friendly, safe, competent and always on hand when you need it.
I would like to have a special mention for Nipun our tour guide. He was very helpful. He is a wonderful driver and a person. He even arranged for our sightseeing tickets in advance so that we did not have to wait. Took us to local shops for buying souvenirs and made us taste a lot of tasty local cuisines.
A few favourites.
Come and see it with someone who lives here.
Say hello on WhatsApp. Tell Nipuna your dates and what you are hoping for, and let him take it from there.