{"id":7524,"date":"2016-02-15T14:06:33","date_gmt":"2016-02-15T14:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/?p=7524"},"modified":"2025-03-14T14:22:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T14:22:49","slug":"choosing-the-best-guides-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/choosing-the-best-guides-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"How to find the best guides in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]<em><strong>At Experience Travel Group, we believe private guides have the power to make or break your holiday. That&#8217;s why we pay special attention to making sure you get the best of the best. Here we tell you\u00a0a little more on our chauffeur-guides in Sri Lanka, who they are, how they get\u00a0trained and what they love about their country and their work.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7526 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Capture1-1024x587.jpg\" alt=\"Capture\" width=\"800\" height=\"459\" data-id=\"7526\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>With fairly restricted transport options in Sri Lanka, a chauffeur-guide is a must and will be a very important part of your holiday. Generally, you&#8217;ll stay with the same guide throughout your trip, so making sure you get the right one is imperative.<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ve developed a rigorous recruitment process for hiring guides\u00a0which strongly differs from that used\u00a0by our\u00a0competition. We do not source our principle chauffeur-guides from agencies. Instead, we train our guides specifically for our clients so that they understand exactly what they\u00a0want from their holiday.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7569 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/B63A9233-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"B63A9233\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" data-id=\"7569\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/info.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka-country-guide\">Read our Sri Lanka travel guide \u00bb<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>They will be motivated to give you an authentic sense of\u00a0Sri Lanka, rather than ferrying you between sights like a taxi driver. From making sure you see the highlights at the right time of day, to pausing at the best roadside eateries to try local food, to recommending great spots for pictures, we take special care to make sure your chauffeur-guide is committed to enriching your experience. They are very flexible and will happily adapt to your particular requests should you have any whilst in country. For example, if you need to detour for a nearby\u00a0cash machine,\u00a0our guides will be able to re-route and take \u00a0you to one.<\/p>\n<p>Another important point is that we specifically ask our chauffeur-guides to avoid the obvious tourist traps like trinket shops. Some Sri Lankan\u00a0guides try to make extra commission by taking their foreign guests here. In contrast,\u00a0we pay a better wage to our\u00a0guides in order to remove this incentive. We also specifically tell them to avoid these kinds of places!<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7572\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7572\" class=\"wp-image-7572 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/IMG_9151-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_9151\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" data-id=\"7572\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7572\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">ETG first aid training<\/p><\/div>\n<p>We also go through a detailed feedback process with chauffeur-guides after a holiday in order to continuously improve our service. We train guides with first aid and have an annual awards ceremony, giving prizes to those with the best feedback.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7531\" style=\"width: 810px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7531\" class=\"wp-image-7531 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/B63A9455-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"B63A9455\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" data-id=\"7531\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7531\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Saman, an ETG chauffeur-guide<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/info.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka-country-guide\">Read our Sri Lanka travel guide \u00bb<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>To give you an even better sense of who our chauffeur-guides are, we interviewed Saman \u2013 a favourite amongst Experience Travel Group\u00a0clients \u2013about his life, motivations and interest in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PHILLY: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and how you came to be a chauffeur guide?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Saman<\/strong>: My name is Saman, I&#8217;m a chauffeur guide. For 25 years I&#8217;ve been working in tourism and my father and my grandfather used to work\u00a0in tourism too.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PHILLY: In your opinion, why should people visit Sri Lanka?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Saman<\/strong>: Ah \u2013\u00a0Sri Lanka is a very wonderful country. We have lots of history and lots of wildlife, trekking, and beautiful beaches. It&#8217;s a really mixed country, so we have everything. And people are happy here, that&#8217;s what I like.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7570 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/B63A8608-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"B63A8608\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" data-id=\"7570\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>PHILLY: What do you particularly like about your job?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Saman<\/strong>: I like the different clients coming. Some have been very happy with my work and have sent support \u2013 sent some books, sometimes wildlife books, sometimes books on flowers. These are very difficult to get in Sri Lanka, so I am very happy they sent them to me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PHILLY: Do you have any final message you&#8217;d like to say?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Saman<\/strong>: Yes, I say this to all my clients, if you&#8217;ve enjoyed yourself on holiday in Sri Lanka, recommend it\u00a0to your friends and family.\u00a0I would like to meet them\u00a0and they will have a very good time here.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-7535 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Capture5-1024x639.jpg\" alt=\"Capture5\" width=\"800\" height=\"499\" data-id=\"7535\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em><strong>Looking for a little more inspiration for your Sri Lanka holiday? Have a look at these suggested itineraries:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/holiday\/laid-back-south-coast-luxury\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Laid Back South Coast (Luxury)<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/holiday\/relax-on-sri-lanka-southern-coast\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Relax on Sri Lanka\u2019s Southern Coast<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka\/holiday\/sri-lankas-natural-wealth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sri Lanka\u2019s Natural Wealth<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Remember, these are just a starting point. All our holidays are tailor-made to suit your preferences, so we can tweak activities and hotels wherever you\u2019d like. If you\u00a0wanted\u00a0talk to a specialist\u00a0about your Sri Lanka holiday\u00a0you can always phone us on <span class=\"InfinityNumber clickable\">020 3355 2507<\/span>. <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>If contacting us via email is easier for you, you can do it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencetravelgroup.com\/make-enq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>. There are absolutely no obligations and we&#8217;re\u00a0here to offer advice for any stage of your holiday planning.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"margin: 0in; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;\"><!-- start of ETG Country Guide CTA --> <style type='text\/css'>.country-dnload{margin:100px auto;max-width:1180px;background:#f7f4ee;width:100%;display:flex;flex-direction:row;justify-content:space-evenly}.cdnload-cutout{width:37%;max-width:320px;display:flex;flex-direction:column;background-color:#f8f4ee;padding:30px;float:none;margin:0;position:relative}#main .country-dnload .cdnload-cutout :first-child,.country-dnload .cdnload-cutout img{margin-bottom:-100px;margin-top:-90px!important}.country-dnload .cdnload-info{width:63%;padding:40px;display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-wrap:nowrap;align-content:center;justify-content:center;align-items:center}.country-dnload .cdnload-info h3{margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:20px;text-align:center;font-size:23px;font-weight:600}.country-dnload .cdnload-info p{color:#051d3d;text-align:center;-webkit-font-smoothing:antialiased;margin-bottom:40px}.clear-button.gold{border:2px solid #b19657;color:#b19657;font-weight:600;max-width:initial;display:inline-block;padding:10px 20px}.clear-button.gold:hover{text-decoration:none;background:#b19657;color:#fff}.cdnload-info a.clear-button.gold{line-height:1em;padding:15px 20px 15px;width:auto}@media (max-width:767px){.cdnload-cutout,.cdnload-info,.country-dnload .cdnload-info{width:100%!important}.country-dnload{flex-direction:column;margin:120px 0 50px}.cdnload-cutout{align-items:flex-start}.cdnload-cutout img{width:100%;margin-bottom:-50px!important}.cdnload-info h3{font-size:20px}}<\/style>\n        <div class='country-dnload'>\n            <a class='cdnload-cutout' href='https:\/\/info.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka-travel-guide'>\n                <img src='\/static_files\/new23\/guides\/SriLanka-Country-Dnload_lowres.png' alt='Travel Guide to Sri Lanka'>\n            <\/a>\n            <div class='cdnload-info'>\n                <h3>CURIOUS TRAVELLER'S GUIDE TO SRI LANKA<\/h3>\n                <p>\n        Wondering when to visit Sri Lanka? Our Curious Traveller\u2019s Guide to Sri Lanka will give you a more detailed breakdown of the best time of year to book a holiday, as well as tips on the best beaches, unmissable sites, and much more.\n        <\/p>\n                <a href='https:\/\/info.experiencetravelgroup.com\/sri_lanka-travel-guide' class='clear-button gold'>DOWNLOAD NOW<\/a>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        <!-- start of ETG Country Guide CTA --> \n        <\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=&#8221;1\/6&#8243;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We believe private guides have the power to make or break your holiday. That\u2019s why we pay special attention to making sure you get the best of the best. Here we tell you a little more on our chauffeur-guides in Sri Lanka, who they are, how they get trained and what they love about their country and their work. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":7526,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[945,71],"coauthors":[1316,1261],"class_list":["post-7524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sri-lanka","tag-guides","tag-tips-and-tricks"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":5920,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7524","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\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7524"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.experiencetravelgroup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}