Starter Kit. Idea 86 of 500. Cluster 4
Night safaris
The mechanism, from the book
An app that tells people what is happening tonight converts a day visit into a 2-night stay.
The first step
Ask the park or wildlife office whether night drives or night walks are permitted near you, and on what terms. Where they are not, look for private land bordering the forest where a guided night walk is possible. Run one for four guests and ask their price. Their price and a guesthouse's yes are the proof.
- Who pays first
- Wildlife lovers who have seen the day animals and want the night ones, and lodges near the parks that host them.
- What leaves today
- Visitors leave the wildlife areas by evening; the night is an unsold experience that adds a stay.
Ask first
- Department of Wildlife Conservation. Ask whether any parks allow entry after dark, and on what terms.
- Forest Department. Ask whether night walks are allowed in forest areas outside the parks.
Check before you spend
Whether night entry is allowed at all, what safety and wildlife rules apply after dark, and what insurance covers guests.
Find out these three numbers
- What will visitors pay for a guided night outing?
- Which areas allow visitors after dark?
- How many guests per vehicle keep wildlife undisturbed?
A comparison from the book
Sigiriya. Chapter Five
"cheapest way to turn a day visit into a 2-night stay."
Something to do after dark is the cheapest reason to stay another night.
The test
Does it keep value that now leaves the island, or build the proof that lets somebody else do so?
From the appendix of Why Not Sri Lanka? by Dr Maheshika Halbeisen. The idea and the mechanism are the book's; this kit was written for the site.