Gihan Bandara
Founder & Managing Director
Founder of Ceylon Bound Holidays & Tours. Fifteen years on the island's roads and the person shaping every journey we run.
Based in Colombo · Touring all Sri Lanka
A small local team with a very long memory
We grew up on this island. Ceylon Bound Holidays & Tours is a family-run operator building private, unhurried journeys across all of Sri Lanka — Jaffna and the north, the east coast bays, the cultural triangle, hill country tea and Yala at first light.
Our story
It started with one van and a map of the whole island
Ceylon Bound Holidays & Tours began in Colombo with a single vehicle, a licensed guide and a simple idea: travellers deserve someone local who actually answers the phone. No call centres, no rigid coach schedules, no shops we get commission from.
Today we run private tours, wildlife safaris and airport transfers island-wide — but the way we work hasn’t changed. You talk to the people who plan your route, and the same driver guide stays with you from BIA arrivals to your last sunset.
We know which turtle beach is quiet at 6am, which tea factory still rolls by hand, and when the whales are really off Mirissa. That local detail is the whole point.
2015
Guiding since
3,000+
Guests hosted
4.9
Average rating
24/7
On-trip support
What we stand for
Six things we don’t compromise on
Locally owned, locally run
Every guide, driver and planner lives here. Your money stays in the communities you travel through.
Licensed and insured
SLTDA-registered driver guides, fully insured air-conditioned vehicles and 24/7 support while you travel.
Private, never packaged
No fixed departures or shared coaches. Every itinerary is written around your dates, pace and budget.
No commission stops
We don't detour to gem shops or spice gardens for kickbacks. Your day belongs to you.
Responsible by default
Ethical wildlife viewing, no elephant riding, reef-safe advice and locally owned stays wherever possible.
Honest pricing
Clear quotes with what's included spelled out, and straight answers when something isn't worth your time.
How we work
From first message to arrivals hall
- 01
Tell us your dates
Message us on WhatsApp with your arrival date, nights available and what you'd love to see.
- 02
We draft a route
You get a day-by-day plan with driving times, stay suggestions and a clear all-in price.
- 03
Adjust freely
Swap days, add a safari, slow it down. We rework the plan until it actually fits you.
- 04
We meet you at arrivals
Your guide is waiting at BIA with a name board — and stays with you for the whole journey.
The people
Who you’ll actually be travelling with
Tharidu Lakmal
Tour Coordinator
Coordinates routes, guides and vehicles island-wide so every day of your trip runs exactly as planned.
Kavindiya Harshani
Reservation Executive
Handles bookings and stays, and answers your questions before you've finished asking them.
Ready when you are
Send us your dates and we’ll come back with a route, a price and honest advice — usually within a few hours.
