Why we began
Making the journey of a lifetime feel deeply personal
Manel Travels was founded with a single purpose: to make the Dambadiva pilgrimage, the journey of a lifetime, safe, comfortable and deeply meaningful for Sri Lankan pilgrims. The sacred sites of the Buddha’s life are spread across northern India and Nepal, and visiting them involves long roads, border crossings and careful planning. We handle all of it, so our pilgrims can give their whole heart to the journey.
Every Manel Travels pilgrimage is led by experienced Sinhala-speaking guides and accompanied by a full programme of vandana: sil observance at Buddhagaya and Jetavana, kiri ahara and Bodhi poojas, dhamma sermons at the very places they were first delivered, and almsgiving to the maha sangha. It is this devotion to the pilgrimage itself, not just the travel, that our travellers remember.
Alongside Dambadiva, we operate cultural tours to Ajanta and Ellora, Tirupathi, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir and Thailand, all with the same standard of care: good hotels, all meals, private air-conditioned transport and guides who speak your language.