HIRIKETIYA
SRI LANKA
DREAM
TEAM
Dee - Yoga Teacher
Her story of dedication and love for yoga for the past 25 years and how she came to this field is truly inspiring. Dee was a regular attendee of yoga from the age of 19, but when she was diagnosed with a stomach condition it was her yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises that helped her to start recovering. Yoga not only helped her recover but she fell in love with it and it became her daily routine. She then went on to train as a yoga teacher as she wanted to serve and help others through this beautiful healing practice.. through her many trainings Dee found that as well as the practice she loved the Philosophy of yoga and the great texts of yoga and loves to share this with her students. Patanjalis Yoga Sutras became the foundation of daily routine and the baghavad Gita a guide to life that teaches us so much.. if you really want to dive into the fascinating philosophy of yoga in an inquisitive and intriguing fun way, Dee will guide you through these amazing learnings. Dee’s qualifications all through Yoga Alliance and World Yoga Alliance are: 200 Hr Hatha and Restorative Yoga, 300 Hr Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Restorative, trauma led yoga, Pre and Post natal yoga, 100 Hr Yin, 250 Hr Aerial Yoga, 80 Hr Aerial Yin/Restorative, 200 Hr Aerial Pilates and Diploma in Ayurvedic Principles.
“ Learning how to breathe properly is really important. It will calm you down when you're stressed, relax your body, and tighten your focus. These are all things you want to be doing when you're surfing. Breathing is the first thing we do in this life… When done properly, breathing can really contribute positively to your overall health ”
Her practice is beautifully breath focused, pulling the awareness into the body and empowering the mind to use its capabilities for the good of the whole being. She loves to use meditations that are complex in their simplicity and deliver them with love and grace. She really values healthy alignment of the body, the mind as well as a heartfelt and kind inner attitude.
“ Dee loves to hold nurturing and compassionate spaces where students can come home to themselves and realise the wisdom, strength and beauty that lives within them all. ”
Meet Monika - Co-founder
Role at The Salty Pelican... Im one of the co-founders of The Salty Pelican and I'am also the retreats "mum", always happy no matter how bad the day may seem.... I will always find a way to make you smile and cheer you up.
Background experience... I grew up in The Alps, Austria, in a tiny little village called St Johann in Tirol. Im an avid snowboarder, nature lover, qualified masseuse and now I have fell in love with surfing. I have spent a good part of my life travelling away from home and conquering the world one country at a time for the last 13 years. A few years ago we began planning our dream retreat, like many we had found along our journey... and now here you have it ... The Salty Pelican and I hope you love it as much as we do.
Secret super powers... Don't know, just ask Gareth, he will tell you that I make dirty laundry and mess disappear hehehe I have been told my massages are simply heaven... I guess it's not a secret anymore ;-)
“ Praia da Ursa, in Portugal for me is the most magical of places to breathe and find yourself.... My other favourite place in the world has to be Wanaka on the south island of New Zealand.... What a Beauty ”
Craziest experience... OOOhhhh theres too many, probably spending 15 years of my life with GARETH is crazy enough heheheh. No but really having spent the last 15 years travelling the globe together, from hiking the Himalayas.. to being marooned on a deserted island in the Philippines... my life has been a little crazy here and there.
Meet Melani - Local Manager
Role at The Salty Pelican... I am part of The Salty Pelican family as a local manager and my role is to help with the day to day operations and organising the activities for all the guests. I also manage all the work personal, continually evaluate hotel performances, coordinate with third parties, local authorities but more importantly I love to make sure that our guest are always happy, comfortable and enjoying their stay with us to the fullest.
Background experience... I have 4 years experience working in hotels and wellness spa in human resource management, hotel management, accounting, bookkeeping, sales, business development and valued customer service skills.
Secret super powers... Ha, ha secret super power is knowledge, experience, super friendly with excellent communication skills.
“ Im that friendly local you will meet at check-in and the one that will help plan your days here. My knowledge and experience in the area and industry will make sure your days are unforgettable ”
Craziest experience... I will never ever forget it…. I was driving a tuk tuk and I rolled it over in an accident. It helped me to learn about pain and the inner strength of women.
Meet Gi - General Manager & Social Host
Role at The Salty Pelican... I Am Gianluca from Italy and for the last 2 years I have been working at the Salty Pelican yoga and surf retreat in Sri Lanka as a general manager and in this role I have also been responsible for organizing and managing the yoga side of the business including retreats, class schedule and be a point of contact for retreat leaders that were interested in organizing retreats at the property. Also I am a yoga teacher since 2018 and during those years i have constantly taught classes and continued my education by attending seminars, workshops and assisted other trainings.
“ I started off working for The Salty Pelican in Portugal 2 yrs ago and have gradually become a key member of the team and I have been travelling all over the world and have the best advice and positive attitude to offer all our Salty Pelican clients. I will help you spend your days here stress free whilst you practice yoga, mediation and learn how to surf with the best instructors ”
Secret super powers... My secret super power is my spaghetti carbonara of course ;-)
Favourite place in the world ... I love Hiriketiya in Sri Lanka.... The waves, the nature, the food, the culture and the people !!
Craziest experience... Everyday is a crazy good day in Sri Lanka... keeps me on my toes and I dont just mean with my asanas...
Meet Isuru & Akila - Bar & Restaurant
Role at The Salty Pelican... Hey! I'm Akila, 24 years old and Proudly Sri Lankan 🇱🇰 Im working with The Salty Pelican family as their head bartender. My role at The Salty Pelican is to keep our guests happy preparing all their needs from behind the bar and from the restaurant. I make delicious cocktails and drinks so our guests can relax and enjoy the vibe around the pool.
Background experience... I have many years working in different hotels and restaurants in and around Hiriketiya.
“ I love my job... The Salty Pelican is the best place to work ”
Secret super powers... My secrets super powers is my smile and always having a positive attitude.
Meet Waka - Surf School
Role at The Salty Pelican... Surf instructor in paradise.. Im the one making all our students fall in love with the ocean while experiencing the feeling of catching that wave ! We always find the perfect waves for every level and my everyday goal is to see that every single person has fun, is safe and learns how to ride these beautiful warm water waves.
“ I started surfing when I was a small child and it didn't take me long to decide i would make my passion my job and starting to surf as much as possible while discovering the beautiful coastline of Sri Lanka. There I met my Salty Pelican family.... Seeing happy faces in the water everyday..... What more do you want right? ”
Secret super powers... Putting smiles on everyones faces while creating a fun vibe when we are all out on the water together. If you hear loud whistles and cheering.... it will be me !
Favourite place in the world ... The Salty Pelican
Meet Wajira - Head Chef
Role at The Salty Pelican... I am the head chef at The Salty Pelican and I am proudly from Sri Lanka. I create and plan all the lovely food items we have on our diverse menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My job is to make sure all our guests experience the best tasting food in Sri Lanka.
Background experience... I have completed my hotel hospitality course at Kandy Youth Hotel School and I have worked in Sri Lanka as a 3rd commis chef, 2nd commis chef, 1st commis chef in a variety of hotels and I have also worked in the Maldives as a chef de partie. All together I have 15 years experience working as a chef.
Secret super powers... Yes I have a secret super power…. it’s team work with all my staff who are very educated and working at a very top level together.
Craziest experience... Craziest experience, leaving my family behind when I worked in the Maldives.
