Wildlife & Leadership School Expedition to Sri Lanka

Wake up and dive into expedition life, assign team roles and meet the ground team to discuss your plans. You’ll also need to buy a SIM card for the team phone, so hit the market and get to grips with the local currency, the Sri Lankan Rupee. Travel to a national park in the heart of Sri Lanka and spend four days contributing to wildlife research. Meet the conservationists and scientists working alongside the community to overcome local challenges and lend a hand where you can. Learn how to identify elephants and their behaviour. Gather data and watch from a tree hut to see how they interact with humans. Speak to villagers who have had crops and houses damaged by ellies, and listen to their concerns about the conflict between humans and elephants. You could also help out with a wild cat study, and collect data on fishing. This is a side of Sri Lanka that few tourists see. Grab every opportunity and you’ll leave with a rare insight into another way of life.

Wave farewell to the ellies and strike south for Kandy, Sri Lanka’s cultural capital. Spend the afternoon exploring the city on foot. At the Central Market, sample fresh produce, think juicy pineapple, mango and exotic jackfruit. The Temple of the Tooth houses one of the most important Buddhist relics, a tooth of the Buddha. Join worshippers to glimpse the famous gold casket, then learn about Buddhist history in the museum. You could also choose to spot parakeets in the Royal Forest Park and Royal Botanical Gardens or learn about the history of tea at the Ceylon Tea Museum.

Time to trek. Travel to the small village of Ella, which is surrounded by idyllic green hills and tea plantations, and hit the markets to buy some food supplies for your treks. Set off early to climb Little Adam’s Peak, a short but beautiful trek. Step forward as team leader and set the pace through pine woods, and tea pickers’ villages. From the top you should be able to see Ella Rock, Ella Gap and even the top of Rawana Ella Falls. Now for something bigger. Step up to the challenge and summit Ella Rock for jaw-dropping views over Sri Lanka. This trek is more demanding, so work together and keep morale up. At the summit, stop, breathe, and put this in your memory bank.

Discover all you can about the historic town of Galle, with its impressive Dutch Fort. Famous for its food, Galle is a great place to sample tasty dhal, sambal and hoppers. You have options on what to do here, so make a plan with the ground team. You could learn about the colonial heritage in the old town, or discover more about the Muslim faith at the Jumma Mosque. Another option is to join a workshop specialising in mask carving, jewellery making or handloom weaving, take your pick! Or how about whale watching (between October and April)? Don your life jacket, jump aboard and watch the waters for blue, sperm, killer, humpback and pilot whales.

Back in Negombo, decide how to spend your final day in Sri Lanka. You could check out the pink walls and stained glass windows of St Mary’s Church, the best known Roman Catholic church in the country. Or visit Negombo’s largest Buddhist temple, Angurukaramulla. Watch the fishermen at work and feel the sand between your toes. Navigate the streets to discover the town’s colonial churches, temples and fish market. Or you could venture to Colombo to experience the Sri Lankan capital with its colourful Pettah Market, shiny skyscrapers and 19th-century Gangaramaya Temple. As the sun sets on your final day, mark the end of your trip with a team meal. Tuck into your favourite Sri Lankan cuisine, share your memories and set your friendships in stone.

After the best two weeks of your life, it’s time to travel home, so cram everything into your backpack and head to the airport. Check in, sit back and let it all sink in, you’ve just experienced something incredible. Sri Lanka has opened your eyes and challenged you more than you ever imagined. You’ve fast-tracked your life skills and connected with the locals; you’ve led your team and made new friends for life. These experiences will shape who you are and put you on the path to becoming a true global citizen. Prepare to return home forever changed.