Sri Lanka with family

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Along the water on the Hamilton Canal

  

  Upon your arrival at the terminal, you quickly identify your driver, holding an Olalalanka sign. That's it, you are here, you set foot on Sri Lankan soil! A few minutes for introductions, then off by car to Negombo, 20 minutes from the airport. The children quickly realize they are in another world, discovering bell-shaped temples, small three-wheeled vehicles, and other cultural differences! The immersion will begin in the afternoon with a walk along the Hamilton Canal, an opportunity to see children greeting you from the banks, birds, and the lush vegetation of Sri Lanka. After this first day, overnight at the hotel.

• day 2

  Jeep Safari in Uda Walawe

  

  In the morning, head south to Uda Walawe National Park, a wildlife reserve for nearly 50 years, after the construction of a reservoir on the Walawe River. You will pass through the town of Ratnapura, a small town that lives mainly from the extraction and trade of gems. In the afternoon, the children will no longer be able to wait to meet the wild animals, especially the elephants, which number nearly half a thousand in the park! In this setting mixing savannah and mountains, you will have to keep your eyes open to spot the monkeys, deer, buffaloes, crocodiles, and sloth bears that share this territory. After this exceptional encounter with wildlife, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 3

  Elephant Orphanage and Little Adam's Peak

  

  After having breakfast, you have an appointment with the elephants in an orphanage that protects the pachyderms. You will then take the road to the tea region in the center of the island, more specifically to Ella. On the way, a stop at the Rawana Falls will impress the whole family as they tumble down the mountain near the road. In Ella, you will take a walk up to the top of Little Adam’s Peak. Along the way, the tea plantations where you will meet the children from the villages who will shyly approach yours. A real moment of connection for your children. Once at the top, the view is breathtaking! This unforgettable day will end with dinner and a night in a family guesthouse.

• day 4

  Tuk tuk safari and cooking class

  

  This morning, departure aboard the tuk-tuk with which you will set off to discover the world of tea up to Lipton’s Seat. You will travel through a tea plantation and meet the pickers. If you are lucky, you will witness their morning tea break and the weighing of the leaves. You will discover the tea communities, religious sanctuaries, the school; so many elements that will spark a thousand questions from your children in the face of such cultural differences! Later, family cooking class: you will learn how to cook rice and curry, the country’s traditional dish. You will of course taste your preparations. Dinner and overnight stay in the guesthouse.

• day 5

  Train to Nuwara Eliya and Kandyan dances.

  

  Departure in the morning aboard the train to Nuwara Eliya. Children will enjoy taking a seat in a carriage where doors and windows are open! Sri Lankans are kind to children and the presence of yours will certainly make it easier to make contact and exchange. 2h30 later, you will find your vehicle and head towards Kandy after a panoramic tour of Nuwara Eliya, also known as "Little England," which gets this nickname from its past as a fashionable hill station during the British colonial era. At the end of the day, you will get acquainted with Kandyan folklore, the rolling of drums, and dancers dressed in traditional costume. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 6

  The Temple of the Tooth and the Spice Garden

  

  In the morning, during the ceremony, you will visit the Sri Dalada Maligawa, the former royal palace where the relic of the Buddha's tooth is carefully kept in the temple of the same name. The story goes that this tooth arrived in the hair of a princess, something sure to amaze the children! The museum dedicated to Rajah, the temple's sacred taxidermied elephant, will definitely fascinate the children. Later, you will head towards Sigiriya via the spice route. Take the opportunity to stop in a garden and show the children how spices grow. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Dambulla.

• day 7

  Sigiriya Rock and Hiriwaduna

  

  Climbing to the top of Lion Rock is worthy of great adventurers! You will discover the frescoes of the "Maidens of Sigiriya," and your children, probably more impressed by the spiral staircase, will still enjoy playing like goats between the enormous sculpted lion's claws. This unique moment is one to capture forever! Later, you travel in a cart pulled by oxen, take a seat in a canoe that glides across the lake to the village where you will have lunch. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 8

  On the way to Kalpitiya via the Dambulla caves.

  

  Today, you head towards Kalpitiya, a peninsula on the West coast, a paradise for kitesurfers and preserved from mass tourism. A stop is a must in Dambulla, where young and old will immediately spot the gigantic 30-meter-high "golden" Buddha overlooking the famous Golden Temple. The restless monkeys will encourage the children to climb cheerfully, without complaining, to the top of the rock. The caves will fascinate them with their mystery, and you as well, just as much as the Buddha statues. Later, head to the West coast to spend the rest of the day at the beach, for a bit of relaxation. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 9

  Dolphin watching cruise, relaxing on the beach.

  

  At dawn, the time of day most favorable for dolphin watching, the whole family boards in search of schools of cetaceans. The children will wriggle with excitement at the idea of spotting dolphins, their eyes focused on the water until they finally see one, then two... Soon, they stop counting and open their eyes wide at the magical spectacle! So many beautiful memories to recall at breakfast! The rest of the day is free, at the beach, unless you prefer to discover the peninsula, its coconut groves, vegetable crops and orchards, as well as the Dutch fort in the village of Kalpitiya. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

• day 10

  Munneswaran Temple and Hanuman Temple

  

  The last day of this unforgettable family trip has arrived! You leave Kalpitiya according to your flight departure time. You can enjoy the hotel and the beach if your flight is in the evening. On the way to the airport, we recommend a final stop at the Munneswaran temple, one of the oldest Hindu shrines on the island. Further along the road, it is impossible to miss the gigantic Hanuman, the Hindu monkey god who marks the entrance to a roadside temple. Before leaving Sri Lanka, you will pass through splendid coconut groves that line the road to Negombo. Your driver will drop you off at the airport. End of our services. The price includes: (based on 4 participants – 2 adults and 2 children under 12 sharing a triple room) - Transfers and transportation as described in the itinerary, in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking driver (mileage, insurance, fuel, parking, driver’s meals and accommodation included) - Accommodation: 1 triple room (double room with an extra bed in which the 2 children under 12 can sleep) – Family room on day 1. - Meals: half-board (breakfast and dinner at the hotel), except in Negombo, day 1 breakfast only. Lunches on days 4 and 8 are included. - Entrance fees to sites and activities mentioned in the program - Geolocated phone with internet (deposit of €100 on arrival) - French-speaking team at your disposal 24/7 - Loaned adapter - Travel booklet with description of the sites in the program - Bottles of water available in the vehicle - Tastings of fruits and typical “snacks” The price does not include: - Lunches except days 4 and 8 included - Dinner on day 1 - Drinks and personal expenses - Assistance-repatriation insurance - Tips - Anything not listed in the section “The price includes.”