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Itinerary - Africa and Asia Venture

Itinerary

Getting There

 

You will fly to Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, where you will be met by our representative before travelling in a bus for the three hour journey to Hikkaduwa.  The route takes you along the coast, past Buddhist stupas, across creeks and small towns with the sea never far away and the railway running parallel.  You know when you are nearing Hikkaduwa as the fishing boats are pulled up beside the road!

 

Orientation

 

You will stay at the Deutsch Lanka guest house, your home for the next three weeks, and walk daily to the Hope and Dreams Village in Telwatta.  There you will spend a day learning some Sinhala language, and the Sinhalese culture and history, as well as talk about safety issues, risk assessment and staying healthy.  This is also a chance to really get to know the rest of the group with whom you will be working for the next three weeks, and a great moment to get to know the Hope and Dreams' Sinhalese. You could learn to play the tabla drums or explore the local area.

 

Your New Home

 

You will continue at the Deutsch Lanka Guest House in the Telwatta area close to the project.  There will be two of you to a fairly basic room with loo/shower attached. Breakfast will be at the guest house, lunch at Hopes and Dreams, and the evening meal you will want to eat out or cook for yourself, for which we will give you an allowance.  Telwatta is about 2 km outside Hikkaduwa, where there are numerous bars, beach bars, cafes and restaurants and a great nightlife where you can enjoy the fabulous Sri Lankan food, including superb fish and vegetarian dishes.  There are ‘tuk tuks' - three wheeler taxis based on scooters - available from the Deutsch Lanka which ply up and down the coast road - the only road of significance in the area.  You agree the fare before setting out and perhaps arrange collection later.  The guest house is almost on the beach, with coconut trees along the shore and it is a short walk inland to the Hope and Dreams' project where you will be working.

 

The Project

 

The Hope and Dreams' project is a combination of school, clinic, handicraft centre and housing intended, eventually, as a group of homes where orphans can become a family with a house parent. For the most part your project will be helping to complete the main building, due to be the handicrafts and training centre.  Or you be may be clearing the site for further building of cottages to be occupied by a house-parent and six or so orphans, to give them the chance of a loving home.  But if building work does not appeal, Hope and Dreams can make really good use of pretty well any talents you have.  At the moment they need sports instructors, especially swimming instructors (since remarkably few Sri Lankans can swim and they desperately want their children to learn) and teachers of English and/or computer skills. If you have an aptitude for design, the sewing ladies will turn your ideas into fact, to be sold for the community.  Help with a range of handicrafts, or introduce new ideas of your own, make candles and coconut matting twine (there are plenty of coconuts!).  You can join the nurse, who also visits the local community, in her medical and community health programme.  In your spare time you can take a trip to Hikkaduwa, where there are surfing and diving schools, beach bars and cafes, shops and more shops full of the coolest clothes.  Learn to dive or perhaps visit the dolphin or turtle projects nearby.

 

Safari

 

You will join a four day course on dolphins in the Hikkaduwa area.  We will then take you on a seven day trip to the national parks in the hill country and visit the famous Pinnawela Elephant Sanctuary where visitors can help out at elephants' bath-time.  You scratch their back and maybe they'll scratch yours!

 

Travelling on?


We will return you to Colombo in time to catch the return flight to UK.  But, since you are already in the area, you may want to travel on a little.  If you just want to chill out on some of the best beaches in the world, why not go to neighbouring Maldives? Or cross to India and work your way round Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and perhaps northwards to Goa, Mumbai (and Bollywood!) and the Taj Mahal at Agra?  Alternatively you can head across to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

 

 

Apply Here

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