Sri Lanka Family Holiday
Sri Lanka Family Holiday
Sri Lanka Family Holiday
12 Days Starting in Negombo and ending in Colombo
Visiting: Negombo , Dambulla, Kandy , Bandarawela, Udawalawe , Mirissa, Colombo
Tour operator:
Tour code:
HHFL
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 16
Age range:
5-99 years
Tour operated in:
EnglishInterests:
Tour Overview
Naturally gorgeous, culturally captivating and steeped in mysticism, Sri Lanka makes for a wonderful introduction to both travel and the Indian subcontinent for children and adults alike. Embark on a 12-day family tour and discover temples carved from cliffs, fortresses built on boulders and wildlife-rich parks. Expose your family to different ways of life while cycling through peaceful villages and touring working tea plantations. Wonder at wildlife when you go safari in search of wild elephants, deer and crocodiles. Chill out by the beach in Mirissa while the kids are playing with other young travellers on the tour. Educational, active and leisurely paced, this trip is everything you could want in a family getaway.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Negombo
Location: Negombo
Accommodation: Ruvisha Beach Hotel or similar
Welcome to Sri Lanka! Known as the ‘Pearl of the Indian Ocean’, the island offers travellers palm-studded beaches, rolling plantations, and sacred sights steeped in spirituality. There are no activities planned today until your group welcome meeting at 5 pm.
Day 2: Dambulla
Location: Dambulla
Accommodation: Pelvehara Village Resort or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Begin the adventure by heading to Dambulla by private vehicle, located at the end of a moderate 4-hour drive from Negombo. This town plays home to some of the world’s most spectacularly decorated cave temples. Upon arrival, choose whether to join an optional excursion to the vegetable wholesale market, a labyrinth of shops and stalls that offers a fascinating look at the vast range of produce grown in Sri Lanka. Later, explore the Dambulla cave temples, where prehistoric Sri Lankans lived thousands of years ago and thousands of ancient murals and statues depicting the Buddha are on display.
Included Activities:
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Day 3: Dambulla
Location: Dambulla
Accommodation: Pelvehara Village Resort or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today’s adventure takes you from Dambulla to Sigiriya, a colossal stone monument hosting a ruined fortress. Let the kids burn off some energy with a climb to the top of enormous rock, checking out the murals and caves along the way. If the weather is playing nicely, you should be able to take in sweeping views of the thick forests from the summit before descending. Once you return to Dambulla, take the family for a pleasant bike ride around the countryside. After a day full of activity everyone should be nice and tuckered out by the time night falls.
Included Activities:
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Day 4: Kandy
Location: Kandy
Accommodation: Hotel Senani or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Say farewell to Dambulla in the morning and make a 3-hour drive to beautiful Kandy, often called the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. The verdant hills surrounding the city, along with the tranquil lake in the centre, creates the perfect scenery for family photo opportunities, and the old shops and restaurants will keep you busy for hours. Spend the afternoon basking amongst rows of flowers and towering palm trees in the Royal Botanical Gardens, home to more than 4000 species of plants including orchids, spices, medicinal plants and various trees. It’s a leisurely walk full of colour. Continue to the Spice Gardens to learn about Sri Lankan spice plants and herbs.
Included Activities:
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Optional Activities:
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Day 5: Kandy
Location: Kandy
Accommodation: Hotel Senani or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
This morning, visit Dalada Maligawa (the Temple of the Tooth), which houses the country's most sacred relic: a tooth said to belong to the Gautama Buddha. Pilgrims have been coming to pay homage at this site since the 16th century and they still come in droves today, making it a fascinating place to teach kids about one of the world’s oldest religions still being widely practiced. This evening join a local family for dinner and learn the steps to a traditional Kandayan dance during some lessons from local performers.
Included Activities:
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Day 6: Bandarawela
Location: Bandarawela
Accommodation: Orient Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
After breakfast hit the road by private bus past lush green hills to Nuwara Eliya (3 hours), a former colonial hill station built entirely during the 19th century. The old world architecture reflects what you might expect to find in an English village and the town is a fascinating mix of water buffalo and brick Victorian buildings, golf courses and tea plantations. From here board a train to Bandarawela (2 hours). Enjoy views across the hills and tea plantations from your accommodation this evening.
Included Activities:
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Day 7: Bandarawela
Location: Bandarawela
Accommodation: Orient Hotel or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, lunch
After a few busy days on the road, today unfolds at a slower pace. Bandarawela is an unhurried, unpretentious hill town that exists to supply the needs of the tea plantation workers and their families. Another distinctive feature of Bandarawela is the colonial flavour still preserved in the many old buildings, including the Bandarawela Hotel and the old supermarket. Enjoy a leisurely morning walk through the countryside, past tea workers plucking the tips of the plants and throwing them into the baskets on their backs before settling in for a local home cooked lunch. The afternoon is free for your enjoyment.
Included Activities:
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Day 8: Udawalawe
Location: Udawalawe
Accommodation: Udewalawe Camping (with basic facilities) or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast, dinner
After a hearty breakfast and 8.30 am checkout, drive to Udawalawe National Park (approximately 3 hours). This park has an amazing array of animal and birdlife, with more herds of wild elephants than anywhere else in Sri Lanka. Following lunch, hop in a jeep for a safari inside the park. Other wildlife regularly spotted here includes macaques and larger monkeys, spotted deer, crocodiles and sometimes even leopards. This is a real safari experience, nothing like a zoo or safari park – truly an adventure for all ages! Check into the campsite at around 6 pm after a full day of adventure.
Included Activities:
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Day 9: Mirissa
Location: Mirissa
Accommodation: Paradise Beach Club – Mirissa or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
After breakfast this morning it's time to farewell the camp and head west towards the coast and the unique town of Galle Fort. Kids will be able to learn about the interesting history of the town and see the remains of the walled fortress, now one of the most important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka. After lunch kids will love getting hands-on and making their very own kites to fly. Kite flying is a fun and popular pastime activity for local families and if visiting in the summer you're likely to see skies filled with colour along the coastline. Kites in hand it's then time to head to our final destination for this evening, the chilled-out beach town of Mirissa where you will spend the next 2 nights.
Included Activities:
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Day 10: Mirissa
Location: Mirissa
Accommodation: Paradise Beach Club – Mirissa or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Mirissa is one of the best spots in Sri Lanka and you and your family will enjoy a full free day to explore it your way. Wander around the scenic waterfront or consider gathering the family together to head to the nearby Weligama by tuk-tuk or bicycle to see colourful fishing boats bringing in the daily catch to sell along the shore. Enjoy some fresh fish for lunch and perhaps go for a splash in the clear waters of the Laccadive Sea or relax on the sandy beaches.
Day 11: Colombo
Location: Colombo
Accommodation: Fairway Colombo or similar
Meals Included: breaksfast
Check out of the hotel and head towards Colombo. Once you arrive, take a bit of time to wander through the bazaar and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the bustling market. Afterwards, enjoy a bit of free time. You’re in the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, so there’s more than enough things to occupy the whole family. The waterfront is full of life and makes for an excellent starting point. Regroup in the afternoon and head to Galle Face Green – five hectares of ocean-side park bliss – with your fellow families.
Day 12: Colombo
Location: Colombo
Meals Included: breaksfast
Your Sri Lankan family holiday concludes this morning after breakfast. There are no activities planned for today and you are able to depart the hotel at any time after check out at 12 pm. If you are departing later in the day, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel. Additional accommodation is available through your agent at the time of booking, subject to availability.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hotel (10 nights), Camping (1 night) -
Dambulla - Cave Temples
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Sigiriya - Bike ride
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Sigiriya - Lion Rock Fortress Visit
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Kandy - Botanical Gardens
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Matale - Spice Garden
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Kandy - Temple of the Tooth
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Train ride from Nanu Oya to Bandarawela
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Bandarawela - Country side trek
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Bandarawela - Tea Plucking Experience
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Udewalawe National Park - Wildlife safari
What's Not Included
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Tipping and Gratuities
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International Travel
Transport
We believe that the vehicles you use pay an important part in your holiday so where possible we include a wide variety of vehicles from local remorks or tuk tuks in Asia to feluccas on the Nile as well as the ubiquitous air conditioned minibus.
Accommodation
GENERAL ROOMING CONFIGURATIONS:Family of two - All family groupings of two will be put into a twin room.Family of three - Wherever possible we will put you in a triple room. Please be aware that in a handful of places triple rooms are in short supply. This means that, in practice, a triple room will often simply be a twin room with a mattress on the floor or a further bed squashed in. Where it is impossible to provide a triple room, you will have to decide which of your party takes the single room.Family of four or more - You will most likely stay in two twin rooms. If and wherever possible we will aim put you in a quadruple room. Whilst we will do our very best to ensure that families are roomed close together (in some cases, we can arrange adjoining rooms), we can’t guarantee this. Most family holidays occur during peak season and we sometimes have little to no control over where you will be put. You need to come prepared for this.
Included Activities
Dambulla - Cave TemplesSigiriya - Bike rideSigiriya - Lion RockKandy - Botanical GardensKandy - Temple of the ToothBandarawela - Country side trekBandarawela - Tea Plucking ExperienceUdewalawe National Park - Wildlife safariMirissa - Kite Flying
Important Information
1.Some travellers have reported being approached by locals offering excursions before their Intrepid trip commences. This has been particularly prevalent in and around the hotels used by Intrepid. These guides are in no way connected to Intrepid and we cannot guarantee the safety or quality standards of their tours. We advise customers against joining any tour offered by the unauthorised guides.2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.3. The trip begins with an important welcome meeting at 5pm. There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time.4. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking for entrance tickets. Fees may apply for amendments to details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing new tickets.5. These trips are for adults and children travelling together and there must be at least one child under 18 with you in order to book.6. Minimum age for children on this trip is 5 years old.
Mode of Transport
We believe that the vehicles you use pay an important part in your holiday so where possible we include a wide variety of vehicles from local remorks or tuk tuks in Asia to feluccas on the Nile as well as the ubiquitous air conditioned minibus.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
Though its equatorial position means fairly constant year-round temperatures, the summer months in Sri Lanka are very hot with short, sharp monsoons in the south-west of the country. Please consider your family’s suitability to the season you wish to travel in.
Part of travelling with Intrepid means respecting local cultures and sensibilities. That way you get the most out of your interactions with local people and environments. We visit a number of temples on this trip and all members of your family will need to have clothes that cover from wrist to below the knee in order to access them. A light scarf is also a good idea for covering shoulders and arms when it’s hot. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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