Adventure, Culture & Beach time for all the Family

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Sri Lanka has a huge amount to offer its visitors, whatever their mix of ages, and this luxury family holiday is carefully designed for you to create some amazing, magical experiences together as a family. You will visit Buddhas most sacred temple as well as some ancient caves, enjoy a cycle ride around some ruins, learn to cook a local dish and watch a spectacular cultural show. You will encounter playful elephants close up at the orphanage having hopefully seen wild ones and other exotic wildlife on your safari and enjoy a couple of days on an eco-farm. In the middle of all this you’ll have a few quality days relaxing together on the sandy, palm-lined beach beside the calm Indian Ocean. This 13-night fun packed tour of Sri Lanka is sure to be one of the best family holidays to treasure with something to satisfy every family member – a wonderful culture with local traditions, Sri Lankan wildlife and stunning tropical beaches. Designed especially for a holiday with kids, this package is best enjoyed between the months of March and October.

Itinerary Highlights:

Wildlife Safari & Elephant Orphanage
Experience Local Culture & Traditions
Palm-lined Sandy Beach Relaxation
Help out on an eco-farm

15 Days

4+ Age

Beach Holidays

Culture and History

Family

Romance

Destination
Included

All applicable taxes

All entrance fees

Star Accommodation

Transfers
Not Included

Expenses of personal nature

Day 1: International Flight

Depart from the UK on an international flight to Colombo, travelling overnight.

Day 2: City Stay

Upon arrival in Colombo, you will be met by your driver and escorted to a nearby city hotel in Colombo (approx. 1-hour drive time). You will be staying near the Colombo fort area, the perfect location from which to enjoy a relaxing stroll beside the sea along the Galle Face Green promenade. You might even wish to visit the Colombo Dutch Hospital, the oldest building in Colombo and now a heritage building, shopping and dining precinct before returning to your hotel to enjoy a local dinner and a refreshing overnight comfort stop.

Day 3: Cave Temple

Driving inland today to Sigiriya (total drive time approx. 3.5 to 4 hours), to the lush green centre of Sri Lanka known as the Cultural Triangle. On the way you will visit the UNESCO world heritage site, Dambulla Cave Temple, the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka which is fascinatingly built into and underneath the overhanging cliff. Each of the 5 main caves contain fascinating statues and paintings, some dating as far back as the 8^th centenary. On arrival at your hotel the remainder of the day is yours to enjoy the hotel facilities and relax, perhaps beside the pool with a cocktail whilst the children enjoy a refreshing splash.

Day 4: The Lions Rock & Local Village Experience

Today is a local day and we recommend an early start to avoid the midday heat when you climb the Rock. The remarkable rock citadel of Sigiriya, known as Lions Rock, is one of the most famous landmarks in Sri Lanka and dates back to the 5^th Century. Passing through the carved lion’s feet and bravely climbing the 1200 steps to the summit of this UNESCO World Heritage site, you will be rewarded with sensational 360-degree panoramic views for miles around as well as the beautiful gardens below. Return to the hotel for hearty breakfast and refresh. Around midday, you are invited to experience traditional Sri Lankan village life including a cookery lesson from a local villager, during which you will make your own lunch, followed by an oxen cart ride through streets of this rustic rural community.

Day 5: Cycle Tour & Wildlife Safari

After a leisurely breakfast, you will head to the ancient city of Polonnaruwa (approx. 45 minutes’ drive) for lunch and a gentle guided cycle tour to explore the many well-preserved ruins of Ceylon; these include palaces, shrines, monasteries, pavilions, parks, ponds and irrigation lakes. Later in the afternoon, have your camera ‘at the ready’ for a 2-hour exciting jeep safari drive at Minneriya National Park. Here you may witness herds of elephants enjoying their natural habitat as well as spot many other mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles – you might even be lucky enough to catch a sighting of a leopard or sloth bear!

Day 6: Head to the Beach

Today you will be driven to the northeast coast to the port city of Trincomalee to begin your idyllic 4-night beach stay (total drive time approx. 2.5 hours), calling en-route at Kantale Reservoir for a photo stop. This historic city, known as ‘Trinco’, sits on one of the world’s finest natural harbours, offers sensational panoramic views across the Indian Ocean and is popular for blue-whale, sperm whale and dolphin watching. It is home to colourful Hindu temples, colonial architecture and boasts stretches of pristine sand, rocky inlets and mazes of lagoons.

Day 7 - 9: Sun, Sea and Sand

These 3 full days are beach leisure days for you to enjoy Trincomalee, your hotel facilities and this dramatic coastline in whichever way you please. Alternatively, we can arrange some additional local tours if you prefer such as whale/dolphin watching, a snorkelling trip to Pigeon Island or a short drive to explore the historic city of Trincomalee. In Trincomalee, we highly recommend a visit to the stunning Koneswaram Temple, perched proudly on the cliff edge and surrounded by jaw-dropping scenery, this is an ancient temple to the Hindu god Shiva.

Day 10: Eco-Farm in the Jungle

Heading back inland today to Pellipola (approx. 4-hour drive time) into the heart of the Cultural Triangle for your 2 night’s stay at Jim Farm Villas. Set in a jungle setting amongst a beautiful landscape, this luxury boutique hotel and yoga retreat with Ayurvedic Spa is built on a 50-acre eco-farm. Here on the farm tour, you will discover the organic method of cultivating coconuts, bananas and other crops on the farm, including black pepper, mangoes, papaya, cinnamon, coffee and cocoa. The farm also has its own free-range chicken and eggs as well as cows to provide milk and organic manure. Designed specially to protect and enhance the beautiful environment, the hotel has installed solar hot water panels on the roofs of the villas and a rainwater harvesting system. It will be a fascinating couple of days for the whole family.

Day 11: Exploring the Farm

A day of leisure to enjoy all that this sensational hotel has to offer – and be assured there is lots to do here to keep you all busy and entertained. Find out more about coconut farming, see the nuts being harvested by the skilful pickers or assist with milking the cows. Learn to cook a Sri Lankan dish by helping the chefs prepare lunch. Borrow the farms binoculars and reference books to see how many of the 102 species of birds you can spot. Join in a yoga class, indulge in a luxury spa treatment or take a guided walk or bike ride to the farm or nearby village. Alternatively, laze amongst the palms beside the beautiful Hilltop swimming pool, soaking up the rays, sipping a fresh cocktail whilst watching the happy children play.

Day 12: Tasting Tea

Today head to Kandy (approx. 2.5-hour drive time) calling on-route to a tea factory where you will learn about the history of tea as well as the process of black and green tea production, right from picking the leaves through to the final product. Of course, there will be an opportunity for tasting the freshest cup of tea imaginable and well as buying some to take home as a souvenir. The afternoon is leisure time for you to all relax and enjoy the hotel facilities.

Day 13: City, Markets, Tooth Temple & Cultural Show

Enjoy a lazy morning of leisure and some family fun time in the hotel pool before lunch. The afternoon will comprise of a city tour of Kandy with an opportunity to browse the local markets before visiting the most sacred Buddhist temples of all, the Temple of the Tooth Relic, located in the royal palace complex. This golden-roofed Temple houses Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic – a tooth of Buddha. In Kandy town, you’ll watch the Kandyan Cultural dance show, a stimulating Sri Lankan Arts, Dance and Cultural Heritage Show which encompasses various forms of traditional dancing including some ancient rituals; the children are sure to be awed by the acrobatic performances too with their leaping pirouettes, back flips and various stunts such a plate spinning and a dramatic fire walk!

Day 14: Beach via Elephant Orphanage

Heading back to the west coast to the beach town of Negombo for your last night stay beside the stunning, palm-lined, wide, sandy beach (approx. 3.5-hour drive time). Calling on-route for lunch at Pinnawela village, you will also visit the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, home to over 90 wild Asian elephants - this orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground has the largest herd of captive elephants in the world, perfect for those precious ‘family selfie’ moments. Upon arrival in Negombo, the remainder of the day is at your leisure to relax as you choose, perhaps a stroll along the stunning beach whilst the children splash along beside you, paddling in the Indian Ocean.

Day 15: Fly back home

Sadly, all good things come to an end and today you will be driven back to Colombo (drive time approx. 4-hours) for your return flight to the UK. *note:

You will be travelling in a private airconditioned vehicle with your own chauffeur. This means that morning departure times are flexible each day, as is the amount of time you wish to spend at each site/activity. Your guide will advise on suitable travel times to avoid peak congestion and recommended the best time of day to ensure maximum enjoyment of the activity.

All travel time to/from locations are quoted in the itinerary, but please understand that these are only approximate to give a general guide. You will discover that Sri Lankan roads (and their users) are quite unique and appear somewhat chaotic – and it’s not just pedestrians, cyclists, bikers, tuk-tuks, dogs, slow moving heavy goods and agricultural vehicles that cause congestion. Don’t be surprised if you see the occasional elephant, monkey, land-lizard or cattle strolling across the road too! Consequently, ‘we expect the unexpected’ and work on anticipate travel times based on 30-40 kms per hour.

Make Your Own Memories

- Scheduled international flights (economy travel) from most of the major airports in the United Kingdom
- 13 nights accommodation at 4* standard hotels sharing a room
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- Travel in a private vehicle with your own chauffer guide
- Entrance fees to all sites and experiences as specified on the itinerary
- Sri Lanka ETA visa
- All applicable taxes with no hidden charges