Radika Alahendra works as a teacher and loves to travel and capture lovely moments throughout her travels. She also loves to explore our beautiful country and other countries by discovering all their hidden secrets. Travelling was not a new chapter for her; she would travel all around the country with her family from childhood. Only recently did she begin posting some pictures of her travels on Instagram and eventually developed her name as a travel blogger. Now she and her husband are maintaining the Instagram account as @Travel_with_Radi. Just for fun they also started a YouTube channel to share the experience and useful tips.
We caught up with Radika on her plans for travel after the pandemic. Here’s what she had to say.
What are you most excited to do after the pandemic?
After the pandemic, we’d love to visit the most unpopular and untouched places in Sri Lanka. Our main concern is to begin the travel journey by taking all the safety measures and precautions.
We decided to visit the most untouched places to have a good staycation and enjoy the beauty of nature.
We would also like to go hiking, especially to places like Kirigalpotta as it is the second tallest mountain in Sri Lanka and also to the Kuruwita Erathna trail to Adam’s Peak. We have already climbed it from Hatton and Ratnapura in the last few years.
How has the pandemic affected your travel so far?
We had many plans, but not a single one of them worked out with the travel restrictions being put in place, and the third wave taking over the country.
How did you discover your passion for travel?
As I said earlier, I’ve always had a passion for travel from childhood itself. I travel here and there and spend lots of time discovering travel locations during my free time.
Why do you enjoy travelling?
I’ve always enjoyed living in the moment rather than capturing pictures. Of course, I would like to capture lovely moments especially with our busy lives, as travelling makes a good opportunity to relax our minds and stay in peace.
What is your most memorable travel memory?
Ratnapura, on the Sri Palabaddala trail to Adam’s Peak. It was quite a difficult task for us. But both of us really enjoyed this hike. We really enjoyed being in nature surrounded by lush green hills.
What do you think post-Covid-19 travel will look like?
People will find and experience the way travel changed after the pandemic. Travel must continue by taking all the safety measures and precautions. People must adhere to all health and safety guidelines. With regard to mask-wearing or face shield-wearing, people should be vaccinated by keeping social distance and using enhanced hygiene methods that we have to maintain in our daily lifestyle.
Would you think twice before travelling after the pandemic? If so, how would it differ from pre-Covid-19 travels?
As I said, travel must continue by taking all the safety measures and precautions. Practically, it is not easy to go through with all the safety protocols. Before Covid-19, we were free to travel here and there. Now it’s not as easy as that.
Would you prefer a hotel or a villa after the pandemic because of safety issues?
We would prefer a villa so that there will be only a limited number of people.
What are your plans for 2021?
We would like to travel to Gal Oya. Gal Oya is truly a beautiful land untouched by people which makes it the perfect place to connect with nature. We can explore the rich and mesmerising wildlife safaris. This is one of Sri Lanka’s most remote wilderness zones. This is a place where people least visited so we would like to specially visit Gal Oya Lodge, as it is a very unique eco-lodge in Sri Lanka.
Sampur beach is a pristine beach in Sri Lanka which is also one of Sri Lanka’s most remote sandy beaches. This is also a place least visited by people.
It’s also high time to focus more on Mother Nature. So, please make sure that wherever you travel, please, take only lovely memories and leave only footprints without tarnishing our environment.
