Once in a while, it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.”
Dear fellow Sri Lanka enthusiasts!
I am a proud Galle boy, born and raised. Galle is a picturesque fortress town in Southern Sri Lanka. It was my fortress indeed – as a young tear-away kid. I went to the prestigious Richmond College, my beloved alma mater. However, I did poorly in academics until they chased me out after failing Grade 10, not once but twice. Nevertheless, that school was my first love, hands down.
Living life on the edge came quite naturally to me. My parents once told me I had the devil-may-care attitude in the family. Aged just 5, I had climbed 7,000ft Adam’s Peak, all the way barefoot. I think I got that from my village headman grandfather, a leader of the pack in our village, an adventurer in his own right. I had never seen him wear shoes in his whole life, but he walked faster than anyone in the family, traversing the hills, paddy fields, country roads, literally anywhere, and came unscathed. He often ran up the hill behind our home, chasing me and my brothers late for homework.
My army dad instilled in me the value of discipline. For him, giving it 100% or nothing was his mantra. My homemaker mom, the ever-more-amiable, taught me the value of mutual respect and to love neighbors, other cultures, religions, and all people.
Pinky and I created Ayubowan Sri Lanka simply out of this love for my birth country and the inspiration from the early mentors and many folks I met in my adventures. We simply wanted to give something back to Sri Lanka. Nothing more.
Sri Lanka offers countless experiences for all ages. Some trips appease your need for adventure and conscience, immersing you in local communities at the grassroots level and empowering you to give back. Our experiences are also about engaging yourself in your favorite skill, hobby, passion, and interest, testing your physical limits and curiosity, and allowing you to see a beautiful island from someone else’s perspective.
We want to inspire you to visit Sri Lanka, collect (buying is old-fashioned) life experiences, and write real-life stories to tell your grandchildren how captivating Sri Lanka was. All in the company of great people.
Pinky and I hope you’ll follow us on our journeys to Sri Lanka!
Pri
Priyantha Amarasinghe
Co-Founder & Wanderlust Traveller
The Memoir
Connecting Adventure with a Conscience
After dropping out of high school, Priyantha pursued an eventful career as a travel seller, trip designer, adventure guide, and entrepreneur for 40 years, working and living in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
Finding My Wanderlust offers much more than a recitation of his travel experiences. This story chronicles his struggles, transitions through some of life’s key milestones, his personality, and the quest for a better life while carving out an identity. Amid the lack of proven academic credentials, he shares how he honed his entrepreneurial instincts, the highs and lows, and the challenges faced working up the career ladder while seeing first-hand how living and engaging in different cultures is a test of self-discovery.
From growing up and learning the ropes from his early mentors in Sri Lanka, his homeland, to living and working for multiple disciplines in the travel business, his tell-all memoir portrays a tireless journey of sheer luck, perseverance, and hard work.
Coming soon to: 