Sri Lanka itinerary

[Holidayplanner123]

Hi, planning Sri Lanka for Easter…

Travelling with 3 kids 7 & under so want to be sensible about amount of long drives / hotel changes. we will have a driver

Views on this itinerary please:

arrive in Colombo
Drive to Kandy (1 night)
Drive to Nuwara Eliya (1 night)
train to Ella (1 nights)
drive to Tangalle, stopping for safari at the national park en route 5 nights (r&r)
day trip to Galle
back to Colombo

I would prefer to do less hotels in the first part but otherwise we are doing a lot of travelling without breaking it up.

any suggestions on how to improve this?

thank you

Sounds great to me. My only thought is that you're missing out on seeing Sigiriya which really is outstanding - have you considered adding this in between Columbo and Kandy as 1 night?

The trips between the places mentioned are easily managed, try to leave earlier in the morning and let the children sleep in the car (also miss traffic which can sometimes be bad).

If you wanted to make your journey shorter back to Colombo at the end of your trip you could consider Mirissa or Weligama as your beach destination rather than Tagelle

We did 3 nights in Kandy which we were glad of as the flight is pretty awful, as was the 3 hour drive from Colombo to Kandy! We went to Sigiriya and an elephant sanctuary (which was amazing) as day trips and then down to Bentota where we stayed for a week, getting the train down to Galle and visiting a turtle sanctuary.
The roads were pretty awful, but this was 10 years ago, they may be better now.

We are going over Easter too. We are doing sigiriya and Mirissa. I’m not sure if all the areas you have said but are any of them coastal beach towns? I think on the south coast there is lots of nice beachy places(mirissa being one)

Can I follow please, we can't go at Easter but I'd be interested in August around 3 weeks travel.

I can highly recommend home stays over hotels. We loved Sri Lanka.

Elephant sanctuary is a must but here's a tip - the hotel by the river is better.
If you get in for lunch on the veranda you will see the mahouts take them all for a dip with the very tiny babies Absolutely magical!

As above Sigariya is a great day out and there are elephant rides nearby.

Have you thought about a safari when you go to Neurula Elia?
Also the botanic gardens are amazing (I think they are near Colombo).

Do catch the Kandy dancers up there - again timing is everything to get a seat near the front for the firewalking!

Please don't ride on elephants!

Just think about your backup plan if the trains aren't running.
We had an issue with landslides and never managed to catch our train.
We had to scramble a bit for an alternative.

Sigirya is amazing don't miss it.

Also the Elephant Sanctuary - your children will adore it.

Sounds great. Can you add in any extra nights anywhere? We did 18 nights -Colombo, Kandy, Ella, Yala NP, Unawatuna nr Galle. Had at least 2 nights in each place. Our kids were a similar age to yours and they loved all the wildlife and the train. We didn’t do Sigiriya as it was just a step too far with 3 little ones.

Thank you everyone some really great tips there… I love the idea of Sigiriya but I heard the hike to the top is a bit tricky and our youngest child will be just under 3 years at that point. Do you think it’s manageable with that age?

We can’t extend the time sadly so trying to squeeze in what we can, whilst retaining some r&r time at the end. Tangalle is a beach resort but open to other suggestions. We want a hotel with kids facilities ideally. For the other locations we will look at alternative accommodations though.

thanks all

Im not sure I'd want to do Sigiriya with a three year old! I took my DC when they were 9 and 12 and they were fine. Maybe 6 plus? Its hot so its usually an early start - we started climbing at 9am having got there at 8am. It was a good 90 mins to the top and Sri Lankan health and safety isn't the best! Lots of shear drops, ropes as barriers and the summit is a plateau without any safety rails. Unless your 3 year is in a carrier for 90 mins and then on a rein, I'd give it a miss.

That’s what I though about the hike. Thanks!

Before you head to the national park, I would recommend a couple of days at Arugum Bay. It's a chilled out surfers paradise. Very beautiful and an opportunity to recharge and relax after the hiking.

As mentioned, the botanic gardens are a must, especially the orchid house.

Hmmm....I recommended Sigriya but I think you're right about the children. They're probably too young. It's a climb and they wouldn't manage at that age.

Apologies, wasn't thinking.

Just throwing in a real wild-card here.
Luxury Glamping in Sri Lanka | Eco Wild Glamping Bambarakanda

What do you plan to do in each location?
I actually wonder if this holiday is a bit of a waste right now.
Don't get me wrong - Sri Lanka is probably my favourite holiday ever.
But, you're missing lots and moving fast.
Wait until you can go for longer and kids are a little older. Mine were 15, 12 and 10.
Go snorkeling, have surfing lessons, climb sigariya, cycle around pollonawara.
If you do go now, get the train straight from Kandy to Ella giving you 2 nights in either place.
Kandy was ok but habarana / Ella / arugum bay / nilaveli much nicer!
Another poster suggested arugum bay - lovely place but better if your kids can try surfing. Water is not calm for a gentle swim and no snorkeling.

It’s not hard, but it’s very hot! Make sure you have water and a decent hat as the steps are partly in full sun.

I have wondered this myself! But it seems plenty of people do this kind of trip with young children and enjoy it. Sure we will miss some key things but we might go back 10 years from now and do those.

We can still see some wildlife, (easy) hikes, beaches, food, different culture etc?

@Holidayplanner123 fair enough if not once-in-a-lifetime.
Food is amazing, and lots of culture to lap up.
I can't get my head around your first few days as you won't be time to 'do' anything while also finding your feet
Would you be better going straight to the south coast, then drive to Ella via safari (or do this as a day trip from tangalle), 2 nights there so you have a day to explore tea stations and scenery (will the 3 yr old go in a backpack?), next day train to Kandy and 2 nights in Kandy giving you a day to explore (temple of sacred tooth relic). Then to the airport directly from Kandy.
Either way 2 nights in Kandy+Ella would be calmer.
We loved this place in Ella - incredible food and lovely family.
Green Leaf Resort

I love Sri Lanka, and have been many times, however, there have been a number of problems since covid and the lack of tourists. They seem to have a problem with their electricity, and it frequently goes off. Lots of places are understaffed etc. It’s a wonderful place, and I have been to all of the places on your list. Some of the interior roads are not the best, and travel between places can take an awful long time.

How about taking the train to kandy instead? Just a word of warning, unless it's been improved, the rd to nuwara Eliya is interesting, bordering on terrifying! I took the public bus, which went round hairpins at speed

I am now rethinking the itinerary thanks to
your advice / more research:

• Bentota 2 nights OR Galle 2 nights
• Dickwella 2/3 nights (ideally beachfront Airbnb!) Love the sound of this area
• safari on the drive to Ella day
• Ella 2 nights
• back south to a hotel with kids club for remaining 3 nights

A friend suggested I wouldn’t miss Kandy, and although I would love to do the train ride, I know my kids will find it entertaining for 20 mins max and then ask me repeatedly “are we there yet”

Does this sound more sensible?

FWIW we live on this side of the world so this is not a difficult flight for us - we could return if we fall in love.

Sounds loads better to me @Holidayplanner123

It's great fun watching the trains go over the viaduct in Ella - probably more fun than the long ride for the kids.