Tourism is one of the main drivers of the Sri Lankan economy, as well as being a growing industry globally. The impact of the increase in tourism activity is obvious to any observer. We take our social responsibility very seriously at Range and are committed to the values of protecting the environment, ethical practices and philanthropy, in order to enhance the positive results and minimize the negative impact through our engagement with the industry. On the positive side, we aim to contribute towards livelihoods of people directly and indirectly connected to our venture. We are also keen to give back to the community from which we operate, while maintaining sustainable practices to protect the environment. The essence of our service is our staff, and they can greatly influence your holiday experience as well. Our staff is hired locally as far as possible, and we take great interest in their training and education, to ensure that the time with us enriches their knowledge, while they contribute towards the excellence of our service. The guides we employ for our various activities are always people from the area, who also bring us the advantage of a good knowledge of our location and surroundings.
Supporting local artists and artisans is a top priority. All the paintings and décor at Range are locally sourced, and the material used is mostly scrap and waste from the environment.We are conscientious about the use of chemical cleaning agents and waste disposal, and diligently adhere to practices that minimize the effect of the same. The fresh produce for our kitchen comes directly from farmers’ gardens and local markets. We try to purchase organic produce as much as possible.
“I was born in 1987 and in Kegalle, and received my primary education at Kobbewala Keerthiratne College. I passed the G.C.E (Ordinary Level) in 2003 and transferred to Ranwala Mahanaga College for the Advanced level.
As a child I had been exposed to our rich rural culture, and the aesthetic aspect of all the folk traditions and rituals must have rubbed off on me. I selected Arts subjects for my Advanced level examination.
My interest in the field grew, and by the time I qualified well enough to enter the University of Visual and Performing Arts it was a passion that led me to follow a degree course in Fine Art. I graduated in 2013. It is with great pleasure that I pursued my career as an Art teacher at Clifton Girls School, Colombo 9. It is satisfying to work with young art students, helping them to hone their talents through various techniques and to encouraging development of their individual styles. This I have been doing to date, whilst continuing my own work as an artist.”
“My name is Austin Karunarathna. Im living in kandy, and i support my wife and children through my occupation as a tuk owner/driver. I am happy with my work as I get to interact with a lot of different people. I mostly enjoy helping visitors to get to know my country, as it’s a pleasure to know that I could make a better experience for them with my knowledge of the city and suburbs. I too have learnt much from them. Most of the people I travel with have been very kind to me in return and have recommended my service, which gives me great satisfaction.”