Elephants, Beaches and Emerald Fields
Itinerary
- Itinerary:Negombo - Polonnaruwa - Trincomalee/Arugam Bay - Kandy - Ella - Yala - Colombo
- Duration:14 days / 13 nights (flexible)
- Price:From £ 1,955.- per adult (excluding flights)
- :From £ 1,475 - per child (up to 11 years)
Days 1-3 – Fishing boats in Negombo
Negombo is the perfect starting point for your family trip to Sri Lanka. Just up the road from Colombo, it has a lot to offer, and you’ll get to experience the fisherman’s way of life. Whilst you’re here, you’ll join a local fisherman and try to catch your own dinner with a traditional bamboo fishing rod. You’ll then end the day relaxing on the beach, where a local restaurant will cook up your catch on the BBQ – the ideal end to the day!
Days 3-5 – Cycle through the ancient kingdom
Next, you’ll travel from Negombo towards Polonnaruwa by private car with an English-speaking driver. Your journey will take around 5 hours. Feel like a real time-traveller during your adventures in Sri Lanka’s ancient capital. You will explore Polonnaruwa by bike, racing through the maze of temples, relics and ruins and if local food is your thing, then Polonnaruwa is the place for you, with countless local restaurants serving delicious food. You will have plenty of free time to wander around the stone town at your own pace or simply chill by the pool at your lakeside hotel. To make your trip a bit more action-packed, venture off to one of the neighbouring national parks to watch wild elephants roaming in the jungle – a very special experience!
Days 5-8 – Sea shells on coral islands
Next, you’ll travel from Polonnaruwa to relax on the beach at Trincomalee. Your journey will take around 2.5 hours. The east coast is the best place weather-wise for a beach stay in Sri Lanka during the summer school holiday months. The sandy beaches are long, wide and it’s the perfect place to unwind for a few days. You’ll be staying in resort by the beach, with a nice swimming pool, and whilst here, you’ll head out on a snorkelling trip around nearby Pigeon Island.
Days 8-9 – Experience local life in Kandy
Next, its time to head inland to experience the rural living not far from colourful Kandy. The journey will take about 4 hours by private transfer. Over the next few days, you’ll stay in a local home in a village on the outskirts of Kandy. Learn about local life, cook up a storm in the kitchen with a curry cooking class, take a city tour to see the highlights and marvel at a cultural show at the Temple of the Tooth. You and your family will have lots of activities to keep you busy and plenty of time to learn about local Sri Lankan life from your hosts.
Days 9-12 – Hike through the hills of Ella
Your driver will then take you to the emerald green fields of Ella, the trip will take around 4 hours. Ella is a small laid-back village located in-between tea plantations amidst the mountains. You and your family will spend a few days here taking in the beauty of the area, with stunning green landscapes with lush hilltop views all around you. Your hotel is located high in the hills, with a swimming pool offering a stunning view for you all to look out on. Whilst you’re here you have the chance to explore the hill-country at your own pace; take a walk around the countryside, have a picnic with a view or take the Little Adam’s Peak hike.
Days 12-13 – Wildlife encounters in Yala
Next, you’ll drive towards Yala National Park stopping off en route at the Elephant Transit Home where injured babies and orphans are cared for. You’ll visit around feeding time and watch as the young elephants wait patiently at the gate and jostle for position for the first sip of milk. The driving time today is around 2.5 hours.
Elephants, monkeys, crocodiles and maybe even a leopard or black bear – this the part of Sri Lanka which the kids will be most excited about. Welcome to Yala National Park! You’ll spend the night sleeping in a safari tent on the edge of the park, with delicious freshly cooked food included and the noise of nature all around you. You’ll set off on a jeep safari with a local guide to seek out some of the country’s most famous residents. It’s an experience the whole family will remember forever.
Days 13-14 – Colombo’s tuk-tuks and temples
Before your trip comes to an end, you’ll reach Colombo after 5 hours for your final night. Colombo isn’t high on everyone’s list, but the country’s capital is a real eye-opener for kids to see daily life in a big working city. Hustle, bustle and honking horns fill the streets, and if you’re after a little culture-shock then it’s a great place to spend a night! You’ll stay in a hotel near to the waterfront and Galle Face Green, full of amazing street food and children playing cricket on the grass. Whilst here we’ll arrange a tuk-tuk tour to give your family a real local experience.
At the end of your trip we’ll arrange for a transfer to take you to Colombo airport for your international flight back to the UK.