How to spend a family vacation in Sri Lanka –for delightful and inspired holidays

Sri Lanka is a land of many wonders where locals go to great lengths in ensuring that all visitors experience the warmth of its hospitality. Blessed with marvellous environs and numerous accommodation facilities that would appeal to all travellers, the island nation is undoubtedly, a popular destination for family holidays. Penned down below is how you can go about scheduling one.   

kandy | img via flickr

Travel requirements

As is the custom with all countries, Sri Lanka requires that every entrant have a passport that is valid for a minimum period of 6 months upon the conclusion of one’s visit. Further, in order to enter the country, one would be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and for this purpose, an application can be submitted online through the Department of Immigration and Emigration. However, do note that if you are a national of the Seychelles, Singapore or the Maldives, then you will not need to make an application.

When should you go?

Sri Lanka’s weather is underpinned by two monsoon seasons but by and large, showcases features of a tropical island escape that would make for excellent opportunities to enjoy a beach vacation in and around its most sought-after regions. The northeast monsoon rains descend over parts of the northeast and east during December to March and therefore, afford ample time to plan out a stay across other parts of the nation. These include the central highlands and the beaches that dot the western province and southern provinces. For those wanting the peace and quiet of Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern provinces, then it will be beneficial to arrive from May to September. This way you will avoid falling prey to the strong winds and showery conditions that prevail over the west and south as a result of the southwest monsoon.

Where should you focus your travels on?

While the Emerald Isle is reputed for off-the-beaten-path adventures which rival some of the more celebrated areas, one cannot go wrong by allocating a greater proportion of one’s time for those which are traversed along on a more frequent basis. The business capital of Colombo will be a good place to start off your travels as the city merges the old with the new in no uncertain manner. 

Thus, you can easily find room to visit Independence Square and the National Museum and still have enough energy for a meal at Barefoot Garden Café before the prospect of a shopping spree within the glitz and glamour of One Galle Face calls out to you. Next up, spending time in the nation’s 2nd largest city of Kandy cannot be excluded. Ideally, book the intercity train from Colombo that will have you moving past lush green tea estates, gurgling streams and towering mountains. Having arrived, waste no time in discovering the scenic pleasures of Kandy which make up the Kandy Lake, the Udawattakele Forest Reserve and the talk of the town – the historic site of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic which is nestled in the heart of the city. 

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Kandy, at least from a cultural perspective is the seaside hamlet of Galle. Boasting fascinating traces of Sri Lanka’s colonial past including the magnificent Galle Fort which is a mere 50-minute drive from Turyaa Kalutara which is one of the Kalutara hotels that one can reside at, the city is a ‘must’ whenever the words ‘down south’ are mentioned. Also, should you want an ideal environment to treat your family, then look no further than Pedlar’s Inn Café located inside the Fort which offers comfy seating and a delightful menu to select from. On the wilder side of things, make plans for a safari expedition within the periphery of the Yala National Park. Obtain the services of a tracker and a robust vehicle built for the journeys ahead and set about combing through dusty routes and dense thickets en route to feasting your eyes on herds of the Asian elephant and the elusive leopard.

What should you budget for?

The answer to the above varies from one travelling style to the other and thus, one can never risk accommodating a ‘one size fits all’ approach on the subject of a family vacation in Sri Lanka. For those on a medium budget that will include stays in 3-star hotels, meals at sit-down restaurants and rides in taxis, then know that a price bracket of USD 80-100 per person per day will be the norm. On the other hand, anything in the range of USD 100-150 per person per day ought to be allocated for travelling families who seek a more refined and luxurious experience with 4 to 5-star hotel getaways and private tour guides & transfers being among its highlights.