- ‘Hence We Travel’ on their blog and more
Lishan Peiris and Kaneesha Punchihewa are currently employed in the creative and aviation industries and try to live life by going out there and embarking on new adventures.
Brunch had a chat with them on their travels and more.
How did you discover your passion for travel?
As children, when our parents took us on trips, we didn’t really grasp the beauty of it. While during higher studies we usually go with our friends, we still valued the interaction between friends more than what the surroundings had to offer. The real passion started when we started travelling after we got married. Both of us started to see the beauty of Sri Lanka beyond what we normally see. We were able to explore and experience more, talk to people in different areas, and really appreciate the varied beauty of Sri Lanka for what it really is. Suddenly, it became like an addiction, where we needed to travel to a place at least once a month. It’s a really good passion to have. Hence, we travel.
What inspired you to start a travel blog and how has the journey been so far?
Well, we got inspired by all the local and international travel content creators, especially the Sri Lankan creators who we admire and get inspired by the most. Also, we needed to curate a nice gallery of memories of us experiencing the world, and Instagram seemed to be the perfect platform. So far, the journey has been amazing; the community is so kind to us and we do have much love for everybody as well. We got to meet so many like-minded people. We also got together and went on trips as we did with Hiruni and Mayuka from Islander Diaries. Very often, we find places to visit through Instagram as well.
What is your most memorable travel experience?
We would say every experience is memorable. But the trip to Jaffna holds a special place in our hearts. Felt like we had to end it prematurely. Jaffna deserves at least three weeks of staycation. Also, Jetwing Vil Uyana was quite a memorable place. Another would be when a herd of elephants walked right in front of us when we were spending the night at one of Yala’s inside bungalows.
Have you been anywhere which turned out to be totally different to how you imagined? If so, how?
The Mahiyanganaya and Galoya area! Word’s can’t describe the feeling you get once you enter that territory. Untouched wilderness.
What has been your most successful blog post to date and what was it about?
Personally, what we put out there is our favourite from hundreds of pictures that we take during a trip. So every post we have put has that emotional satisfaction for us. It also doubles up when our friends/colleagues and the community would like to know more about a place we’ve visited and when we can help them with it. Comments like “machan, umbala ara giya thena kohomada? Patta neda?” touch our heart more than Instagram insights.
What are the biggest challenges you faced when you started out your travel blog? Anything you would’ve done differently today?
It would probably be trying to go with the Instagram algorithm. But a month into research, we thought, we should create at our own pace. And we shouldn’t get pressured by what an app wants because we are doing this for our fun and to show the better side of Sri Lankan beauty.
What are your travel plans for the rest of the year? Are there any bucket list destinations you will be ticking off?
As soon as the severity of the pandemic situation drops, we would love to travel monthly again, adhering to all necessary guidelines. Locally, more trips towards the entire eastern coast. Internationally, Switzerland, Norway, and Scotland lead our bucket list.
Do you have any advice or tips for aspiring travellers?
Go out there and see what the world offers you to experience. Each and every day and experience is different. Travelling is something you can do on any budget and scale. It’s about the memories and knowledge you bring back at the end of the day. Memories are not just limited to a photograph or a video, because travelling is one of those rare occasions where real life is better than Instagram.
Instagram: @hence.we.travel