brand logo

When the travel bug bites

29 Oct 2021

  • Shenal Denver on his years of travel
Shenal Denver has been travelling for as long as he can remember. He is currently completing his software engineering degree and is working at a startup company. The 23-year-old also has an avid interest in travel photography that stems from his love of nature. Speaking to Shenal on how he discovered his passion for travel, he told us that as a child, he always had a love for nature; he was always in his garden looking at the beauty of mother nature and this love inspired his passion for nature photography. Eventually, he began exploring the wonders of Sri Lanka, one picture at a time. “I’ve always been an outgoing person, and my job requires me to do a lot of socialising, so I try to escape the busy hustle and bustle of life by travelling and walking around to enjoy life,” he commented. Speaking about his photography, he shared that even when he was in school, he was the president of the photography club, which helped him to hone his skills and further his hobby. He shared that initially, his clicks weren’t perfect, but with practice, he understood the finer details of photography and can now capture the essence of nature. The biggest challenge as a photographer for him is editing his photos. “Curating good content for my social media in a way that caters to other travellers was difficult, and I’m still working on handling my social media, but I’m sure that with time, I will figure out what my niche is and pursue that avenue of photography,” Shenal sared. Since he has to balance his work life with his travel, he finds it a challenge to dedicate his time equally to both, but he still sees his travel as a form of escapism. With the pandemic, just like most of us, he hasn’t been able to travel, a fact that he is disappointed about, but he hopes that with the situation easing up, he will be able to get back to doing what he loves. We asked him if he had any destinations on his bucket list that he aims to tick off, and he responded that he has a whole list of local places that he is looking to visit before the end of the year. “I really want to go to Dolukanda, along with a few other mountains and waterfalls. I really love the hills and that is where my heart lies,” he told us. His long-term dream is to travel to mount Everest; one day, he hopes that he will be able to climb the magnificent peak, and he is aware of how much practise and training he will have to devote to achieving this dream. When we asked him what his favourite travel memories were, he named a few and they were all hiking related; Shenal really does have a love for the cold, green hills. “Pilkington point above Diyaluma falls was one of my favourite memories, because it was one of the few places where I could lay down and stargaze; the stars were the clearest and brightest at this point, so it’s a magical memory for me,” he commented. We asked Shenal if after his years of experience, he could recommend a spot that a new traveller with a passion for hiking and the hills could explore. He suggested Hantana as a hike that would be easy and still provide a gorgeous view at the top for beginners: “Once you visit Hantana, your love for the outdoors will be unlocked and you will feel the travel bug bite.” In the coming months, he hopes to eventually tick off his bucket list destinations and that the country will return back to normalcy while travel restrictions will be lifted soon. Instagram: @_therover_  


More News..