Sustainability at the heart of Uga

Volume 2 – November 2021

“Our ancestors were ahead of their time. They constructed vast lakes,
developed sophisticated irrigation systems, and turned sustainable
agriculture into a science. At Uga we honor the traditions and sustainable
practices of our forebearers.
At Uga, we connect travellers with serendipity and the authenticity of Sri
Lanka, offering experiences with an aura of tradition and respect for the
environment and the ancient culture that we feel privileged to bestow upon
our guests”

Our commitment to elephant conservation.

Sri Lanka’s elephants are at risk. We are committed to protecting these precious
creatures for generations to come and encourage our guests to join us on this journey.

Although it’s not common knowledge, the neighborhood surrounding Ulagalla is an
exceptionally rich habitat for elephants. We see them in the vicinity of the resort and on
our jungle drives and continually monitor our findings.

To bolster our efforts to safeguard elephants, we’ve partnered up with Dr. Prithiviraj
Fernando and Dr. Jennifer Pastorini Sri Lanka’s foremost elephant conservationists.
Their guidance and expertise will enable us to learn how to better protect the elephants
and help us put into place a plan to help mitigate occurrences of human-elephant conflict
in our area.

Water for life

Earlier this year we
established a Reverse
Osmosis plant in the
village of Athungama in
Anuradhapura, near
Ulagalla.
In a region where poor
water quality has
contributed to a high
incidence of kidney
disease, this life-saving
plant is a crucial source of
safe drinking water for 250
families.
The project has also
created employment for the position of one full time
caretaker.

Women in our workforce

Uga encourages and
supports women in our
workforce. One of our
rising stars is Rajini who
guests may see cooking
pittu, hoppers and roti on
our live action stations at
Uga Bay.
Rajini started in the staff
cafeteria, washing pots
and pans, but her
commitment and ongoing
training has seen her rise
through the ranks.
Her hard work and
dedication has significantly
improved the standard of living for her and her two
children.

Leopards at Chena Huts

Yala is renowned for the
quality of its game drives
and good leopard
sightings. Yet despite this,
Sri Lanka’s leopards are
still listed as vulnerable on
the IUCN Red List.
The recent news that no
less than four sets of cubs
have been recently sighted
and identified in Yala over
the last three months is
extremely positive.
Our experienced rangers
are keeping an eye out for
these new arrivals, and we will update you on our
findings.

Tourism is dependent on our communities and on the cultural and natural
heritage of Sri Lanka. As responsible hosts, we continuously strive to
contribute positively to the social and economic development of the regions in
which we operate.

Ulagalla’s paddy harvest

At Ulagalla, we maintain
nine acres of rice fields
which are cultivated twice
a year by the hotel’s inhouse
garden team. The
fields were last harvested
in August.
We were supported in our
efforts to prepare the
paddy by local villagers.
The harvest is partly sent
to market though also used
and consumed in our hotel
restaurants and staff
cafeteria.

Ethical guiding at Uga

Our rangers are some of
the best in the industry,
and training them to be
cultured, informed and
responsible guides is our
highest priority.
All of the naturalists at Uga
are committed to
preserving our natural
environment, ensuring the
safety of our guests at all
times, operating
sustainably and respecting
the welfare of our island’s
precious wildlife.

Sourcing local products

We are committed to
sustainable purchasing
and fair trade, and nowhere
is this is in evidence
more than in our food and
beverage outlets.
At Jungle Beach, guests
sipping our popular Wild
Toddy cocktail can feel
reassured that 100% of the
ingredients come from Sri
Lanka – from the coconut
arrack, to the heady spices
that infuse it with its distinct
flavour.

“No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they
have never experienced.” – David Attenborough