Our Sri Lanka: Chamintha and Rajindra Jayasinghe Husband-and-wife team Chamintha and Rajindra have an infectious love of Sri Lanka – which is handy, given that they swapped successful careers in law and finance to set up Ayu in the Wild. This awesome, proudly Sri Lankan experiential tour company arranges bespoke itineraries and adventures that connect visitors with locals. Ayu in the Wild unlocks sides of the island that you’d never usually get to see – and that you’ll certainly never forget. Here, we caught up with the vivacious, effervescent couple to find out what they love about Sri Lanka. Here’s what they had to say... What’s your connection to Sri Lanka? Born, bred and educated in Sri Lanka, our connection is so deeply ingrained in both of us that we can only bear to be away from the island for 10 days at most, before that ‘itch’ starts. Here are our top three incongruous  – and very Sri Lankan – things that we miss when we’re away from our shores. 1) The itch for the chaos on our roads. To non-Sri Lankans, we don’t follow road rules. Actually, we do! Only we Sri Lankans know how to make our way at roundabouts by deciphering the smiles, the nods, the glares and the raised eyebrows! It’s etched in our DNA. 2) The itch for the delightfully original puns that invariably result from the trivial to the traumatic events – be it politics, cricket or just everyday life. 3) The itch to travel in rural Sri Lanka at dawn and talk about the whys and why-nots of island life with a stranger we just met, who is soon no longer a stranger. In fact, that stranger becomes a wonderful local host for Ayu in the Wild’s authentic experiential tours... Chamintha and Rajindra Can you tell us about Ayu in the Wild and what makes it special? Way back in 2000, before Ayu in the Wild was dreamt of, we flipped a coin at every intersection and drove our trusted little two-door jeep across a Sri Lanka we had not seen before. With no reservations or route, this simple break from the corporate worlds of law and finance inspired our immersive brand of travel in 2012. The travels later became much less intrepid, but over the years, we connected with ordinary Sri Lankans who had extraordinary stories to tell in the most breathtaking corners of Sri Lanka. Our itineraries are scattered with inspiring connections to locals we met on our travels, connections from childhood friendships or the corporate world, with local musicians, artists, village headman, architects, chefs, farmers and more. With Ayu in the Wild, you see the country through many local eyes and really get under the skin of the island, through the most unusual experiences that others haven’t even heard of. We believe in curating only a limited number of journeys with transformational experiences. We avoid large group tours. We love properties that are low-carbon-footprint escapes and those that contribute to the economy of Sri Lanka. We strongly advocate against elephant-back safaris. For a biodiverse, small island with 21 million people, bespoke, conscious travel matters. Our biggest strength is that we have no prior travel-industry experience. Everything we do is original, innovative and not ‘break-away’. Our small team of Travel Designers are here, on the ground and know our own country. We know which roads to avoid on the day, or who to call at midnight in an emergency. Scenes from Kumana National Park Describe Sri Lanka in three words… Intriguing. Breathtaking. Deep. Describe Ayu in the Wild in three words… 100% Sri Lankan. (And proud of it.) Where is your favourite place in Sri Lanka and why? Oh, we have far too many to speak of just one! We love camping by the river in Kumana National Park; it’s so remote, quiet and wild. Then there are the stunning mountains and valleys of the Uva province, which are great for varied landscape photography. The calm beaches and fabulous seafood on the east coast – home to our favourite beaches on the island. Colombo for its vibe and fabulous dining. Offbeat birdwatching in Vankalai and Ulapane. Gourmet in the Wild experience What three unusual things would you tell visitors to do while they’re here? 1) Take our Gourmet in the Wild culinary tour: an immersive journey that’s about so much more than food. You taste, learn and cook your way through the island’s melting pot of colourful flavours, intriguing cultures and local rural life. If possible, fly to different parts of the island: curries in Jaffna are so different to curries in Galle. 2) Spend a day out in the land with mountain or jungle farmers, learning about their lifestyles. 3) Go on The Other-Side-of-Colombo Street Food Tour. Discover what the locals eat on the backstreets of Colombo’s busy old quarters on this unique Colombo city walk. Bring your sense of humour as you rub shoulders with tuk-tuks and street vendors and gape at big trucks on narrow roads as they jostle their way between tiny shops full of colour. You’ll see a side of the city you could never explore without a local! Tell us about one of your favourite Sri Lankan memories… The moment we stumbled upon rural kids playing cricket with a deflated soccer ball at their dilapidated school premises, where an elephant had head-butted and destroyed their library. It inspired us to design our unique Classrooms in the Wild project, which is Ayu in the Wild’s most sought-after experience for family travellers. Tell us about one or two of your favourite locals… Our favourite locals inspire us to live uncomplicated lives. Our parents were born into a Sri Lanka when it was Ceylon and still live by the adage: ‘Life must be lived slowly.’ For nearly 20 years, they have been part of a small group that comes together every Saturday, at noon, to sit around a piano singing their favourite songs. A favourite rural local is a humble farmer in Anuradhapura whose simple mantra of training his young daughter to run beside him barefoot, while he cycles around the gravel roads of their village, has turned her into a star athlete who beats kids twice her age. What should people pack with them for trips here? A sense of humour and a shawl/sarong. You will need both at the most unexpected moments. What are your three favourite things to eat and drink in Sri Lanka – and why? Roast paan (a delicious thin-crust bread baked in a traditional wood-fired oven) – fabulous with a coconut sambol, butter and dhal curry. Annasi and miris kudu: chunks of ripe, sweet, juicy pineapple spiced up with a concoction of salt, chilli and pepper. Explosive! Yaara tea at a wayside corner-store. This is a traditional method of pouring tea, making it extra frothy and giving it a distinct taste. What do you love most about Sri Lanka? The innate skill of Sri Lankans to spin a joke out of any crisis. It makes us a very resilient nation. Any other tips or travel advice for newcomers to Sri Lanka? Make ‘conscious travel’ a big part of how you book your tour. Find out more about Ayu in the Wild... tags adventure Culture nature see Wildlife newsletter sign up the latest inside aboutSri Lanka on your inbox #SRILANKAEXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE SRI LANKA