Wild Sri Lanka & Beach for Families - 13 days

Welcome to Sri Lanka! You will be met upon arrival at the airport and transferred to your hotel in the city of Negombo. Here you will have the rest of the afternoon to settle in and explore the highlights at your own leisure.

Negombo - Sigiriya. After breakfast we bid farewell to Negombo and set off for the town of Sigiriya, home of the famous Sigiriya ancient rock fortress and near to the Dambulla cave temples. Spend the rest of the afternoon getting better acquainted with this lovely town. Sit back, relax and try some of the local traditional foods including pittu.

Sigiriya Rock and Village. Our first stop this morning is to the ancient Sigiriya rock fortress of the 5th Century King Kasyapa, undoubtedly one of the most iconic sights of Sri Lanka. Let the kids’ burn off some energy with the climb up to the ruins of the palace and penthouse. Once we reach the ruins we have time to wander through some of the oldest landscape multi-tiered gardens in the world, and revel in the breathtaking landscape of the surrounding jungles.

After descending from the ruins we make our way along the village path to a typical village lake, known as a “Wewa”, passing by homes surrounded by green woods and watch huts which the locals use at night to keep a lookout for wild elephants and boar. Here we cross the lake by canoe arriving at a local farm where we meet the owners and spend some time watching them share the secrets of Sri Lanakan cuisine before we sit down to enjoy the delicious meal which has been prepared using a traditional hearth.

Polonnaruwa and Minneriya. After breakfast we make our way to the medieval capital of Sri Lanka, Polonnaruwa. Here we take time to wander along the shimmering waters of the man-made lake, the Parakrama Samudra and uncover intricately carved lotus pillars, meditative halls, ceremonial towers, as well as magnificent royal baths and palace ruins before stopping at the famous Gal Vihara Temple.

This afternoon we head to Minneriya National Park where we search for wildlife by Jeep Safari. Despite its relatively small size there is an unusually wide range of habitat types, from dry tropical forest to wetlands and grasslands found here which is home to elephants, sambar, spotted deer, macaque and purple-faced langur monkeys, sloth bears and if we are incredibly lucky we may spot a leopard on our game drive. Every year from July to November, hundreds of elephants migrate to a man-made watering hole in Minneriya, which is one of the few water sources not to dry up in the hot weather. This is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles to be seen anywhere in the world.

Sigiriya - Kandy. This morning we discover the Golden Cave Temple in Dambulla, the most impressive of Sri Lanka’s cave temples. Boasting over 2000 sq meters of painted walls and ceilings and a 14 meter Buddha made from rock.

Our next stop of the day is to a spice garden in Matale to get a better understanding of the process of growing the various different spices Sri Lanka is famous for before finishing our day in Kandy, the city of colonial architecture.

Today we explore the last capital of Sri Lankan kings by tuk tuk. We start our tour driving around and taking a dip in the lake built by the last Sinhala King in 1798 before going back into the town and exploring the Bazaar, the gem museum and a local lapidary.

After freshening up at our hotel we end our day with a visit to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, where it is said that whoever holds the relic holds control of the country, for an evening of traditional entertainment and dancing.

Kandy - Haputale. Today we board the scenic train passing through tea plantations and amazing waterfalls until we reach the town of Haputale, on the southern edge of the Hill Country. After checking in and freshening up at our hotel we have the rest of the day to explore our spectacular surroundings. Go hiking in the Thangamale woodland or visit the Lipton’s Seat lookout where Master Lipton planted the first seeds for what is now Sri Lanka’s most popular tea – Lipton Tea. For those looking to relax, the hotel pool offers amazing views of the surrounding landscape.

Happutale - Ella - Tissamaharama. This morning we venture through the clouds to the village of Ella where we meet our local guide before making our way to our first stop - Ravena Ella Falls, one of the wildest falls in the country with a 30 foot drop. It is said the king who kidnapped princess Sita from India hid her behind the falls.

Returning to our hotel, there's time to relax before we embark on a jeep safari through Yala National Park where we search through the thorny scrubs and dense forests in hopes to see the resident elephants, leopards and bear. If we’re lucky we also get the chance to see the feathered King Fisher and migrant birds being protected from Predator Eagles.

Tissamaharama - Hambantota - Beruwala. This morning we travel just outside of Tissamaharama to a local village called Hambantota. Here we wander through the farm and taste some home grown tea in a fresh coconut shell and play some traditional Sri Lankan games with the villagers. After an afternoon of fun we return to our bus in tractors used on the farm and set off to our last point of call for the day, Beruwala where we have the evening at leisure to spend on the beach.

The next two days are at leisure to explore Beruwala. Take a stroll along the beach known as the "Golden Mile" or go for a walk through the lively fish market. You can meet the local fishermen and taste some of the days catch. Those looking for something different may wish to visit the water sports centre or sea turtle hatchery. Here you can learn all about the turtles that come to lay their eggs on the beaches here. You even get to meet some of the baby turtles!

Beruwala - Colombo. After breakfast we make our way to Colombo, originally known as "the garden city of the east”. Meet our guide and enjoy a sightseeing tour of highlights including the old clock tower and the impressive Gangaramaya Temple. Our tour ends with a spot of souvenir shopping in Paradise Road and Lakmedura. We then have the rest of the evening to continue exploring Colombo’s streets or sit back, relax and watch the world go by.

Our tour comes to an end today with a transfer to the airport. We hope you enjoyed your holiday!