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Girls who travel solo – Harshini Jayasinghe’s travel story 

29 Jul 2021

A Human Resource consultant by day and passionate leisurely traveller by every possible weekend, Harshini Jayasinghe, better known as Harshi, or harshi_jaya on IG, has garnered a considerable following on her online travel page for her sharing frank and unfiltered travel experiences.  Beginning her travel journey in early 2018, Harshi shared that she first began to travel with her friends, and then, her colleagues, who were equally enthusiastic about the type of travel she enjoyed – the adventure kind, camping, hiking, climbing, rafting, scaling, anything that got your adrenaline pumping. “We even have a travel group called Ceylon Hikers, where all of us who are interested in this kind of adventure travel share thoughts and plan our trips,” she said. Prior to the pandemic, Harshi said that their group would travel almost every weekend.  Harshi explained that she started sharing her travel stories online because she felt that the experiences she was having and the things she was learning along the way could possibly benefit someone like her, looking to set off on a journey of their own. And she also hoped her experiences might inspire someone else to give it a shot themselves.  There’s no doubt that Harshi has an impressive repertoire when it comes to the sheer volume of destinations she has visited, but one thing her audience has valued in her specific content is how willing she is to guide you through your process. She is very generous with her time and does not skimp on the details.  You can trust our girl to lend you a helping hand, especially about the unfiltered truth in travelling by yourself. Harshi said that she set off on her first solo trip in 2019, where she rode her bike from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya. Being based in Colombo, she said that it really was a nerve-wracking journey to embark on for a first-timer. “I made several stops for meals, to have lunch, dinner, and tea. I took photographs along the way and really enjoyed myself,” she said, adding that “at times I did feel alone, but really it was incredibly relaxing”.  She said that one thing she really wants to tell other girls in Sri Lanka, is that she’d like to encourage them to experience solo travel. “It’s a very freeing experience. I have felt really empowered in my solo trips,” she said. She did address the fact that it is often unsafe for women to travel by themselves in Sri Lanka, particularly long-distance trips; however if you are cautious and confident, there’s not much you cannot do. She shared that she has of course encountered some challenges, having difficulty finding accommodation at times, setting up camp alone, etc., but she wasn’t deterred.  “It’s a different feeling when you have complete agency over your next move. There is no one else around for you to feel burdened by, you can make any stops you want, it’s very liberating,” she said. Harshi said that while she has been to so many places, the more memorable occasions have been where she has learned something important, or has overcome a personal hurdle – especially the time when she went on an underwater discovery dive despite having a debilitating fear of swimming. “I had this fear, almost like a phobia, but underwater exploration was a kind of dream of mine,” she said, and after doing it she shared her experience with her following, and they too were incredibly inspired, knowing that Harshi was doing it despite her own fears. She said that she even took some of her followers who reached out to her, and they all set off on a diving trip together. “I think when you share your stories, it has such a potential to have a ripple effect on others,” she said, inspiring so many young girls especially to step out of their comfort zones. She said that this ripple effect is what has inspired her future plans to set up a sort of travel foundation, where she will share her own experiences and others too can come together, particularly catered towards young girls and women who need that push to try something new, to try out adventure travel and maybe even take a solo trip.  Instagram: @harshi_jaya

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


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