{"id":11529,"date":"2017-09-15T12:47:28","date_gmt":"2017-09-15T11:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=11529"},"modified":"2021-04-29T17:09:23","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T16:09:23","slug":"interview-with-a-sri-lankan-chauffeur-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/interview-with-a-sri-lankan-chauffeur-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with a Sri Lankan chauffeur guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>We believe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/2016\/10\/worth-hiring-guide-sri-lanka\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a great chauffeur guide can really make your holiday to Sri Lanka<\/a>. Not only will they bring the country alive with anecdotes, but they&#8217;ll introduce you to hidden-away corners, local chai and delicious small eat places. To give you an idea of what you can expect from your Sri Lankan chauffeur Guide, ETG Travel Expert Sara asked a few questions to our very own Sudarshan. Surdashan is one of our fantastic and most experienced Sri Lankan chauffeur guides who will really enable you to get under the skin of the country.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/em><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11530 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" data-id=\"11530\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-1170x780.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-585x390.jpg 585w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-263x175.jpg 263w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/DSC01971-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><br \/>\n<!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-7be43c4d-43cc-4dab-83cb-1139b791e630\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-7be43c4d-43cc-4dab-83cb-1139b791e630\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-7be43c4d-43cc-4dab-83cb-1139b791e630\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n< ![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/2512862\/7be43c4d-43cc-4dab-83cb-1139b791e630\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-7be43c4d-43cc-4dab-83cb-1139b791e630\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/2512862\/7be43c4d-43cc-4dab-83cb-1139b791e630.png\" alt=\"&quot;DOWNLOAD\" width=\"415\" height=\"20\" \/><\/a><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(2512862, '7be43c4d-43cc-4dab-83cb-1139b791e630', {}); <\/script><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Can you introduce yourself to me?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong> My name is Sudarshan. I\u2019m Sinhalese, Buddhist and 50yrs old.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How long have you been a guide?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong> I\u2019ve been a guide for 17 years and an ETG guide for 7 yrs now. I was in marketing before but wanted to get out and explore my own country. It was an intense 4-month course to become a guide with many exams over a whole range of subjects, such as ancient Sri Lankan history and wildlife.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s your favourite thing about being a guide:<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong> I love <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/exps\/wildlife-nature\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wildlife, visiting the national parks<\/a>. If a client has an interest in birdwatching, it is great to help them spot the beautiful birdlife here and share their fun. I have a birding checklist, and it is possible to spot 100 species in 2 weeks over the different environments in Sri Lanka, no problem.\u00a0My daughter is studying biology at university and it makes me proud that she has a love of the natural world too.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Where\u2019s your favourite place in Sri Lanka?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong> I have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">all over Sri Lanka<\/a> and there are many wonderful places. But the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/info\/hill-country\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> tea hills, with its beautiful scenery<\/a> and fresh air, is my favourite! You can see for miles.<!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-11533 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_4809-002-1-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"11533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_4809-002-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_4809-002-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_4809-002-1-1170x1560.jpg 1170w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_4809-002-1-585x780.jpg 585w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_4809-002-1-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/IMG_4809-002-1.jpg 1512w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s your favourite Sri Lankan dish?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong> I love the local restaurants with all you can eat curries. It is very spicy, and they offer a few dishes with chicken, fish, rice, vegetables and it\u2019s very fresh. Let\u2019s go for lunch!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s your favourite thing to do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong>\u00a0 I love to read: newspapers, conservation books. It helps keep me informed so I can discuss Sri Lanka issues and wildlife with the clients.<\/p>\n<p>I very much enjoyed taking clients on the England cricket tour to Sri Lanka and looking forward to the next <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/2019\/08\/england-cricket-tour-sri-lanka-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">England cricket tour in 2020<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Where\u2019s the most interesting place you have visited?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong>\u00a0My family and a friend\u2019s family went to Jaffna\u00a0on holidays. We travelled through the army and Tamil Tiger checkpoints on the A9 during the ceasefire in 2003!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Do you have any tips for travellers before they come to Sri Lanka?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Sudarshan:<\/strong> Keep your eyes open, there are beautiful things to see in Sri Lanka even on the longer vehicle journeys!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em><strong>If you wanted to talk to an expert about planning your Sri Lanka trip and the benefits of a Sri Lankan chauffeur guide, do call <span class=\"InfinityNumber clickable\">020 3411 6194<\/span>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/make-enq?src=blog\">email us with your questions<\/a>. To see an example of the kind of trip you could have, do take a look at our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/holidays\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">example holiday itineraries<\/a>. They\u2019re just a starting point, all our holidays are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/info.experiencetravelgroup.com\/what-is-a-tailor-made-holiday\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tailor-made<\/a>\u00a0so we can tweak all elements to suit your exact interests. Alternatively \u2013 download our free Sri Lanka travel guide for more insider tips and insights:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n< ![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/2512862\/60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4\" class=\"hs-cta-img\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/2512862\/60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4.png\" alt=\"Read our complimentary guide to Sri Lanka \u00bb\" width=\"800\" height=\"250\" \/><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(2512862, '60cbb30e-52ea-4030-b1b0-61afb12701b4', {}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We believe a Sri Lankan chauffeur guide can really improve your holiday experience, so why not get to know one of them before you travel&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":11531,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[945,1350],"coauthors":[1219],"class_list":["post-11529","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sri-lanka","tag-guides","tag-travel-community"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":5628,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11529","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/56"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11529"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11529\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11531"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11529"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11529"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11529"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=11529"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}