Trekurious curating ‘One of a kind’ experiences
There is a bit about a moment in time that can’t be replicated; an experience that is your very own; an adventure with others that is intensely personal and memorable.
Holidaying in ‘Mù S¡on’, a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century AD in Vietnam changed Rukmankan Sivaloganathan’s life forever.
It not only changed his life, but changed his approach to business and affairs in general.
After graduating from INSEAD, a global educational institution, Rukie, as he’s fondly called had organised the yearly graduation trip of his alma mater to Sri Lanka for the ensuring three years. “Some 300 students came each year,” he says, adding that by showing these students around, he came across many disparities pertaining to tourism in Sri Lanka. “I realised there are many different and acute gaps in the service industry pertaining to the high-end travel market,” he told the Business Times, recalling his beginnings with Trekurious, the company which made a vast difference to the hospitality sector.
On the Trekurious trail
Eureka moment
There was no alternative to tourist guides, he says, noting that service elements in terms of giving tourists a deeper understanding of the Sri Lankan culture was next to non-existent during his stint babysitting the INSEAD undergrads. “Then my holiday in Mù S¡on (pronounced mi-Songh) during 2012 happened. Our tour guide fell ill. He was replaced with an archaeologist at the site. The insight into this site by the archaeologist had taught all the visitors (including myself) at Mù S¡on a whole new paradigm on Cambodian culture, history and their way of life. This was my Eureka moment,” he smiles.
“Then during October 2011, I met Dilendra Wimalasekera, my co-founder. We started Trekurious, which is in essence curating experiences,” he adds. “According to him, with passive entertainment hushing us into a sense of complacency, this kind of interactive experience satisfies our longing for something more.”
And once people feel that experience, they become obsessed, judging by the repeat customers.
Rukmankan Sivaloganathan
Rukie says this business was set-up initially targeting tourists and then as it evolved, they wanted to apply this model to the local market based on food and leisure themed lifestyle activities.
“Now we are more focused on the local market than foreign tourists,” he says, insisting that there’s no-one in the country – let alone a few in the world which does their type of thing – designing and curating experiences.
The Dodgy Bar Tour of Colombo with Mark Forbes as an example is where you ‘Get down and dirty with a boozy walk through Colombo’s dodgiest watering holes and witness Fort and Pettah through your very own beer goggles.’
Venturing into the busy streets of Fort and get a taste of its bar culture, learning quirky facts relating to the origins and history of each bar as you hop from one bar to the next and sipping on local beers or arracks in five unique bars is what you get in this experience.
“Join Mark as he visits a string of ‘dodgy’ bars tucked away in the hectic streets of Fort. Whether you live in Colombo, or are just visiting, this bar tour is an excellent opportunity for meeting new friends or simply getting a small ‘sip’ of what the bar culture within the Fort is all about! This tour will take you to five bars, giving you a variety of different atmospheres to explore as you experiment with the different spirits each bar has to offer. Fun guaranteed; hangovers optional!” is what the company website says.
Explaining their master class in preparing traditional Sri Lankan cuisine with an interactive hands-on culinary workshop at Upali’s by Nawaloka, he says this class will assist one to comprehend what food means to Sri Lankans and learn how to cook a Sri Lankan meal, while immersing yourself in the intricacies of Sri Lankan ingredients and spices and learn to prepare the basics of Sri Lankan cuisine.
“You’ll leave with detailed recipes to recreate the dishes at home. This requires a minimum of 15 guests. In the event that we receive fewer than 15 bookings, we will offer a full refund,” he says, adding that Trekurious is the only ones who do this at present.
“Maybe one would do it based only on food – such as cooking workshops. But we do on food, street tours, architecture, culture, etc.”
More awareness
Taking in the magnificent architecture of the ancient capital of Kandy as you stroll through the streets that are rich in culture, Trekurious invites to absorb this vibrant heritage in their interactive guided tour. The walk starts at the Coffee PlantersFountain and proceed to The Old Lawyers Offices and St Paul’s Church followed by a visit to the Temple Square and two Devale’s….where guests can offer flowers or take part in a ‘Pooja’ if they like.
“We then walk down several streets passing old Manor and Shop Houses taking in the local culture. The Kandy Clock Tower, Police Station, Central Market and Bus Stand, War Memorial are some of the buildings we pass by. Finally we walk up Dalada Veediya to the Kandy Lake passing the Queens Hotel for a cup of Lankan tea at one of the many cafe’s in town.”
Bombay
While plans are on to put together a regular social calendar in Colombo, Trekurious has now ventured out to Bombay. The Company is also spending a lot of money on marketing. “We want to create a lot more awareness,” he says, adding that next year will be decisive, in terms … expanding to Delhi, Dubai and Singapore.
Now they have some 40 per cent in repeat customers and a team of seven in Colombo and five in Bombay.
What they plan to do next is to continue the monthly wine and food philosophy series where a sommelier discusses the harmonies between wines from a particular region and a paired meal. In addition bi monthly mixology, (a term used to describe the art of mixing cocktail drink recipes) sessions, and monthly chef’s tables make up the regular experiences. For kids, Little Foodies runs once a month where kids learn to make and enjoy their own meals.
”In the coming months, we want to do new Chef’s Tables, Sake and Sushi pairings, cookery demonstrations, pop up restaurants, themed bar nights and unveiling a whole new solution to weekday working lunches. Italian food festivals and a wine riot are lined up for later in the year,” he says.
Trekurious takes things up a notch in 2015 with their first Michelin-starred dining experience – a series of curated dinners and a Master class with Michelin-starred Chef Alfred Prasad which happened on Thursday and Friday.
“Chef Prasad is widely celebrated for receiving a Michelin Star at the young age of 29 and for single handedly changing the face of modern Indian cuisine in the United Kingdom during his tenure as Executive Chef at the famous Tamarind restaurant in London. The series started off in Colombo on March 19 at the Mount Lavinia Hotel with a magical six-course menu, where ingredients were imaginatively used to showcase Chef Prasad’s talent for reinventing traditional Indian cuisine,” Rukie adds. According to some participants, bursts of rich subcontinent flavours were balanced, using the subtle techniques that won him a Michelin star, to harmonise taste and texture delicately.
Master Class
“A handpicked selection of wine accompanied this sensory, al-fresco dining experience,” Rukie said, noting that in Galle, Chef Prasad had a five-course gastronomic drama at the Aditya Resort on March 21, where the unabashed colours and robust flavours of ‘darbar’ styled Indian street food was skillfully and meticulously married to ingredients of regal culinary lineage such as soft-shell crab and scallop. A supporting cast of sundowners, home-made ice cream, and the balmy tranquility of the southern coast supplemented this menu. On 22 March, Chef Prasad will host a master class at the Aditya Resort, Galle, where participants work alongside him in preparing a three-course meal using some of his award-winning recipes.
Rukie says that Trekurious’s mission is to enable people to have a great time through highly curated experiential tours, activities, and events that give them access to some truly amazing hosts.