Few people get to do what they love for a living. Travel is one of the best-loved activities. Tour guides travel for a living. Not only that, they experience it through the eyes of many. They have always been an outlier in the travel and hospitality industry. However, they have always been integral to happy travel. So, today, let’s learn more about the dedicated travel companions looking out for you on your travels to Sri Lanka.
Types of Tour Guides in Sri Lanka
Tour guides in Sri Lanka operate independently or within an organisation like a destination management company. Depending on their training, skill and certification, they can be National, Site, Area or Chauffer Tour Guides. Site guides mainly operate in heritage and historic sites.
The Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, which includes Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya, Dambulla, and Kandy, contains the island’s most important cultural sites. It includes ancient monuments and artefacts. Others include areas of natural interest like the Sinharaja Rainforest, Knuckles Mountain Range, The Horton Plains and other biosphere reserves. Safari guides operate within national parks in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan tour guides are generally dual-linguistic (speak English and a native language) or multi-linguistic (speak French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Chinese, etc. + native languages). The native languages of Sri Lanka are Sinhala and Tamil.
Training and Certification
Sri Lanka does have a training and certification process for tour guides. Sri Lanka Tourism is the principal training and certification body. Under its categorisation, the main types of tour guides are National and Chauffer. National Tour Guides cater to large tourist groups driven by luxury coaches. Chauffeur Tour Guides cater to small groups conveyed in small vans and luxury cars. We recommend choosing trained and certified tour guides.
What skills do tour guides need?
- Expertise in their field, whether history or wildlife, makes travel engaging and meaningful.
- They should also be safe and reliable drivers with excellent navigation skills.
- Strong interpersonal communication skills allow them to build a good rapport with tourists and locals.
- Patience is a significant virtue. Every individual, family and group possess unique characteristics. Accommodating their needs with empathetic understanding is a must-have quality.
- They must have the flexibility to take guidance from other experts when the occasion arises.
How do tour guides make travel better?
Tour guides are your ticket to authentic experiences, best-kept secrets and cultural interactions. They take you along the best routes from A to B, show you cosy hideouts to sample local cuisine and introduce protocols & customs in places of interest. They help you interact with locals, tradespeople, artisans and officials. When you want street-wise aptitude, they are your mentor. Want to take the rail or the tuk-tuk? It is smooth sailing with someone to show you the way.
Getting the best out of safari and adventure travel
When it comes to wildlife and adventure travel, expertise enhances the experience. Those with specialist knowledge and seasoned skills are invaluable to travellers. They know the best spots and the times to see wildlife, whether it is bears in the forest or whales in the ocean. Those who operate in specific national parks know their territory like the back of their hands. You are safer with an expert who has honed tracking skills and studied animal behaviour.
Let’s not forget those guiding travellers through exhilarating and adrenaline-fuelled adventures. Sri Lanka offers several of these. Most notable are whitewater rafting in Kitulgala, kite surfing in Kalpitiya, ziplining in Ella and surfing in Arugam Bay. Interest-specific tour guides help you prepare better for the activity and offer insider knowledge for the best experience.
Pros and cons of tour guiding
We know they elevate your travel, but what about life as a tour guide? One of the biggest perks of tour guiding is the excitement of introducing unique culture, art, history, tradition, wildlife and cuisine to world travellers.
The chance to travel around the country, immersing in nature, culture, and history, broaden horizons, and enrich lives. It reinforces a tour guide’s appreciation and awareness of Sri Lanka, paving the way for deeper insights and ethical responsibility.
They get to make personal connections with a wide demographic of individuals and families. Cultural exchanges lead to more awareness and learning.
However, tour guides spend lots of time away from home and family. We know they cherish every moment spent with family. Empowering them empowers their families.
Guided tours and personal chauffeurs by Blue Lanka Tours
Tour guides have a considerable impact on the quality of travel. They make travel more convenient, authentic and riveting. There’s much to learn from their expertise, and you come away from the experience with a life-long friend. Blue Lanka Tours employs trained and certified tour guides who are reliable drivers and companions. We also have a fleet of luxury vehicles for every travel need. Let’s tailor-make your Sri Lankan holiday. How do you want to travel on the island?