Sri Lanka Family Vacation
Wildlife tours, rainforest exploration, action, and adventure activities, with plenty of fun with the sun, sea and sand make the Sri Lanka family vacation perfectly fit for an unforgettable family holiday.
Sri Lanka fulfils all conditions to be a first-class family vacation destination: Sri Lanka family holiday is affordable compared to other Asian holiday destinations. But the most important reason, why this tropical island is so popular as a holiday destination for all travellers in the world is the plentifulness of fun-filled activities on the beach, adventure, mouthwatering Asian cuisines, and wildlife encounters.
Wildlife encounters during Sri Lanka family vacation
A network of National parks, wildlife sanctuaries and safe passage between them Known as “Elephant corridors” provides a very safe environment for wildlife that delights animal lovers of all ages. However, it is not that easy to spot animals and birds in the jungle due to their elusive behaviour, usually, the children have no patience to find them – unless you have an idea where to look.
Udawalawe elephant orphanage and conservation centre is a grassroots elephant conservation operation located next to the Udawalawe national park, occupies the land between Udawalawe wildlife reserve and Udawalawe Lake, which is one of the best places to include in the Sri Lanka family vacation, most importantly it is a place for kids.
The conservation centre is under the management of the Sri Lanka wildlife conservation department and it is maintained by the funds allocated by the government. The elephant orphanage is a conservation centre and a research centre that acts as a safe house for sick, orphaned and old animals.
The elephant is declared as an endangered and protected animal in Sri Lanka since 1975, the population of the wild elephant is shrinking day by day due to many reasons such as human-elephant conflict, Habitat loss, killing the animal for tusks etc.
The opening of Udawalawe and Pinnawala conservation centres as well as making them protected animals has created a positive picture of the existence of these Asian jumbos. Despite the many hardships for the animals, they have been able to maintain a high population in the wildlife reserves during the last several decades, numbering more than 5800 wild elephants.
At Udawalawe elephant orphanage the visitors can see a large number of freely wandering wild elephants of different ages. The best time to visit the orphanage is feeding time, during the feeding time, a large number of animals is gathering to get their milk portion. The orphanage of Pinnawala has created an impressive result by rescuing thousands of orphans, sick and old animals since its inception in 1995.
From the main entrance of Udawalawe national park, which is about 1 km from the orphanage, local jeep drivers and guides organize Udawalawe jeep safari for visitors, which allows the visitors to have an up-close introduction to groups of elephants residing here.
The elephants are wild, but they are harmless as long as the visitors stay in the jeep, and more importantly, the jeep drivers have a good idea about where the animals are roaming, so the children can easily see the elephants grazing in their natural habitat.
Along with elephants, the kids can spot many other animal species such as Jackal, wild boar, deer, monkeys, mongoose, monitors, snakes, wild buffaloes, crocodiles, and a large number of avian fauna species. Perhaps you can even spot a leopard and bears; however, it is difficult to spot those varieties at Udawalawe national park.
Ridiyagama safari camp
If you like to see a few other indigenous animal species and African animal species visit Ridiyagama safari camp, which is only a few kilometres away from Udawalawe national park and takes only 1 hour to reach. This unique 500 acres facility provides a home for a large number of indigenous as well as foreign animals.
Animals such as Lion, Tiger, Zebra, Horse, Camel, Ostrich, African elephant and many other foreign animals can be spotted here. Unlike in the wildlife reserve, it is easy to spot animals here, even though they are roaming in a large area. Kids have the opportunity to see the animals that they can’t see anywhere else on the island.
Bit of Action and adventure in Sri Lanka family vacation
Most travellers don’t forget to explore the rich historical attractions in Sri Lanka along with lush green forests and wildlife reserves. This may not seems exactly like a family vacation, but the fact is kids also love a bit of adventure, perhaps they like adventure more than adults. Most of the adventure activities available in Sri Lanka may not suitable for babies and toddlers however they can easily accommodate kids as well as teenagers.
Usually, the safari camps provide all meals, safari jeeps and safari tours as well making it very convenient for travellers. Most of those properties offer many activities such as jungle walking, river kayaking, and safari, along the border of the wildlife reserve.
The activities are organized and conducted by well-trained and experienced staff making it safe for travellers of any age. Guides are well educated and knowledgeable, therefore the travellers can gather a lot of information about the fauna and flora and the tours will be very engaging for travellers of all ages.
Safari camps and private jungle lodges are available for travellers along the border of most wildlife reserves; most of them are managed by private companies and prior reservation is required to seal your spot. However few safari camps are available within the border of wildlife reserves, they are owned by the government and under the purview of the wildlife department of Sri Lanka.
Reserving those wildlife camps is difficult due to the high demand and travellers need to reserve such properties well in advance. The on-site accommodation with the availability of tree houses or bathing in an outdoor shower while swimming in a natural pool is also perfect for families and available on the island. The best thing about family holidays is that kids less than 6 years stay and play for free.
Sri Lanka family vacation and Sun, sea, sand
Being an island, Sri Lanka boasts clean and sandy beaches suitable for beach holidays at any given time of the year. Sri Lanka is s perfect spot for all kinds of saltwater activities; it is a distinct advantage for the island in the race to be a family-friendly holiday destination because kids like to hang around the beaches.
Surfing, windsurfing, boating, and kayaking are some of the lightweight thrilling adventures for older kids. The activities such as snorkelling are offered to kids at the age of around five or six years, enabling them to explore the rich underwater world of Sri Lanka.
There are many family-friendly beach resorts along the west and southern coast of Sri Lanka, which is one of the best-kept secrets for the popularity of Sri Lanka family vacation among travellers; however, Bentota beach is the biggest seaside resort town and the most popular for Sri Lanka family vacations with a wide range of activities, large number of places to visit and a large number of hotels in all budget categories.
The unique location of Bentota beach with saltwater on one side and river water on the other side is ideal for most water sports available on earth. Many water sports centres have set up their activity centres along Bentota River giving easy access to the delightful ground for travellers of all ages.
Most resorts are suitable for a family vacation and offer hours of entertainment for in-house kids with their animation team, this ‘animation staff offers many interesting activities for kids like children’s yoga sessions, nature walks, cycling tours, and many other activities suitable for little people.
As the day winds up, families can take refuge in a beach cabana or a bungalow that is built in a way to hug the cool breeze of the Indian Ocean, providing perfect settings for a sound sleep of little ones and caretakers.