Children's Highlights

There aren't many attractions dedicated solely to children in Sri Lanka but there are a lot of sights they'll love.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Near Kandy a home for elephants with up to 80 ready to interact with visitors.

Millennium Elephant Foundation

A smaller grassroots version of Pinnawala (which is nearby)with fewer pachyderms and smaller crowds.

Udawalawe

One of the best national parks for wildlife spotting safaris.

Elephant Transit Home

Not far from Udawalawe this is a well regarded halfway house for injured and orphaned elephants.

Minneriya

A national park renowned for its herds of elephants.

Turtle hatcheries

On the west coast there are popular.

Polhena

Near Matara, the beach here is safe and shallow for little ones.

Polonnaruwa

Kids can literally run themselves silly at the vast and car free ancient heritage sites such as this one with their very cool ruins.

Three wheelers

Buzzing blowing and completely unlike any ride any place else these ubiquitous transport options are good for a thrill.

Backwater boat trips

These will also keep kids amused.

Planning & Practicalities

*Sri Lankan hotels and guesthouses invariably have triple and family rooms, plus extra beds are supplied on demand. Most restaurants don't supply highchairs.

*For very young children a dilemma is to bring either a backpack carrier or a pram/stroller. If you can bring both. Prams have tough going on uneven or nonexistent footpaths but are worthwhile in Colombo and Kandy.

*Check if your hired car (with driver) has a child's seat. If not you can get one in Colombo.

*Buy pharmaceutical supplies imported baby food and disposable nappies at Cargills Food City and Keells Supermarkets throughout the country.

*Breastfeeding in public is accepted but parents will struggle with finding dedicated baby changing rooms. It's not a major problem as it's acceptable for toddlers to be naked in public.

*Rabies and animal borne parasites are present in Sri Lanka so keep children away from stray animals including cats, dogs and monkeys.

*Bring suncream and children's mosquito repellent with you because you won't fine it in Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka For Kids

*Like a good rice and curry Sri Lanka offers a dazzling array of choices. This is obviously not a first world country so the child who expects a packaged Disneyland experience won't be happy. It's the real world but a real world it is. There's enough to see and do to keep a family busy for weeks.

*Although practical details may be a challenge at times, your time will be eased by the Sri Lankans themselves. They love children and they'll go out of their way to help you if you're travelling with kids. We've watched a grimly serious driver suddenly melt and start playing the silliest games with a client's youngster.

Eating with Kids

*Sri Lankan hospitality means that people will go to any length to please young and finicky eaters most places have a few Western style dishes.

* To ease your children into Sri Lankan food try a breakfast of pittu. The coconut rice combination will be kind to their palates. Also try hoppers, especially the string variety or nice and mild rotti.

*The profusion of fresh and exciting varieties of fruit should mean that everybody will find something they like.  

Off the Beaten Track

*A full 82% of Sri Lanka's land is controlled by the state in some from or another and is therefore subject to a raft of legislation to combat destructive activity and protect sensitive areas like the scores of natural forests. The boxed text only includes information about 11 of the 20 national parks and three other green space from among the 63 sanctuaries, a long list of forest reserves and countless wetlands both with and without official titles.

*Given the overcrowding at some of the better known natural areas, new attention has been directed to other deserving national parks, such as Lunugamvehera (which serves as a link between Yala and Udawalawe National Parks, allowing elephants to pass freely between the two) as an alternative to Yala and Wasgomuwa instead of GalOya or Minneriya.

*Sri Lanka is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, which currently recognises three coastal zones Bundala National Park the 915 hectare Madu Ganga Estuary near Balapitiya, 80km south of Colombo on the A2, site of one of the last pristine mangrove forests in Sri Lanka and the Annaivilundawa Tanks Wildlife Sanctuary just west of the A3 about 100km north of Colombo, a cluster of ancient manmade, freshwater reservoirs that are now a safe haven for awesome wetland biodiversity.

*For further listings of out of the way green escapes, contact the government conservation departments or consult LOCAL ternative Sri Lanka a responsible travel map.

*Sri Lanka is a year round wildlife watching destination but generally the best times correspond with the main November to April tourist season. At this time of year all the big parks are open and the dry conditions mean that animals start to gather around water holes, making them easier to spot (this is especially so between February and early April). If you come in the May to October southwest monsoon season, head to the parks around the Ancient Cities and in the east of the island.

*The north of the country remains much more of an unknown quantity for wildlife viewing and there are currently no protected areas open to the public but that is likely to change fast.

   

Planning Your Safari

Where to go depends entirely on what you want to see and what kind of safari you want to take. For example Yala National Park in the far southeast is the most popular overall park and is fantastic for leopards, but it's also very busy and can become something of a circus with minibuses chasing each other around in search of cats. If you want your leopard-spotting quieter (and less certain) try Wilpattu National Park (boxed text) although you'll have to cope with much more basic facilities.

National Parks & Reserves

      More than 2000 years ago enlightened royalty declared certain land areas off limits to any human activity. Almost every province in the ancient kingdom of Kandy had such udawattakelle (sanctuaries). All animals and plants in these reserves were left undisturbed.

      Today's System of parks and reserves is mostly an amalgamation of traditionally protected areas, reserves established by the British, and newly gazetted areas set aside for things like elephant corridors. There are more than 100 of these areas under government guard, covering approximately 8% of the island. They are divided into three types strict nature reserves (no visitors allowed), national parks (visits under fixed conditions) and nature reserves (human habitation permitted). Sri Lanka also has two marine sanctuaries the Bar reef (west of Kalpitiya peninsula) and Hikkaduwa National park.

Wildlife

*For its size Sri Lanka boasts an incredible diversity of animal 92 mammal species, 242 butterflies, 435 birds, 107 fish, 98 snakes and more. Given the fragility of the environment in which they live it should come as no surprise that quite a few are vulnerable.

Mammals

*Sri Lanka's mammals include some of the most easily observable of the country's animal species as well as some of the most invisible. Hard to spot are the solitary and mostly nocturnal leopard Sri Lanka's top predator the scavenging golden jackal the shaggy sloth bear the civet (a catlike hunter related to the weasel) the mongoose and the shy armour plated Indian pangolin with overlapping scales made from modified hair.

*Very audible but not always visible are troops of tree bound cackling primates, like common langurs, also known as Hanuman or grey langurs, endemic purple faced langurs hairy bear monkeys and toque macaques notable for their distinctive'dos a thatch of middle parted hair. The slow movements of the slender loris belie its ability to snatch its prey with a lightning quick lunge.

*More often crossed albeit at different times of the day are the majestic Asia elephant the omnivorous and tusked wild boar of Sri Lanka and cervine creatures like the big maned sambar and smaller white spotted Axis deer. The bushy tailed, five striped palm squirrel is commonly seen scurrying around gardens and town parks. These are often also the locations of the large trees in which Indian flying foxes (large fruit eating bats) camp by the hundreds.

*Mammals don't just hide out in the forrests and savannahs. The biggest of all mammals are to be found in the waters off Sri Lanka. Blue whales and slightly smaller sperm whales swim along migration corridors off the coast here. The area around Dondra Head at the southern tip of the country is being hyped as the best place in the world to see blue whales.

Birds

A tropical climate long isolation from the Asian mainland and a diversity of habitats have helped endow Sri Lanksa with an astonishing abundance of birdlife. There are more than 400 species, 26 of which are unique to Sri Lanka others are found only in Sri Lanka and adjacent South India. Of the estimated 198 migrant species most of which are in residence from August to April the waders (sandpipers, plovers etc.) are the long distance champions making the journey from their breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra.

Tips for Birdwatchers

*Visit a variety of habitats- rain forest, urban parks and bodies of water in the dry zone to see the full diversity of birdlife in Sri Lanka.

*February to March is the best time for birdwatching. You miss the monsoons and the migrant birds are still visiting.

*Waterbirds are active for most of the day.

*Although morning is always the best time to go birdwatching in the evening you will see noisy flocks of birds preparing to roost.

*A pair of binoculars is an invaluable tool to help with identification. Small models can be bought cheaply duty free and don't weight much.

*Consider taking a tour with a specialist if you're keen to see the endemic species and achieve a healthy birdwatching tally particularly if time is short. 

National Parks

*Sri Lanka is one of the finest wildlife watching countries in South Asia. The island may be small in size, but the variety of habitats and the wildlife found there would do justice to a country many times its size. Even a visitor with only the most casual of interest can't help but be overawed by the sight of great herds of elephants, enormous whales, elusive leopards, schools of dolphins, hundreds of colourful birds and reefs teeming with rainbow coloured fish.
*The Sri Lankan tourism industry hasn't been slow to cotton onto the country's wildlife watching potential and an impressive array of national parks, protected zones and safari options exist that allow anyone, from dedicated naturalist to interested lay person to get out there with a pair of binoculars and make the most of the Sri Lankan wilderness.

Diving & Snorkelling

*There are plenty of opportunities to live like a fish in Sri Lanka. Dive schools can be found all along the coast (except the far north) and you can slap on a snorkel almost anywhere. Diving and snorkelling in Sri Lanka is more about the fish than the reefs but there are a few exceptions and wreck diving is also possible. Sri Lanka has the full dose of tropical Indian Ocean fish species including such pretty little numbers as angle fish, butterfly fish, surgeon fish and scorpion fish. Higher up the gnashing teeth scale come the black and white tip sharks.
*Along the west coast, the best time to dive and snorkel is generally from November to April. On the east coast, the seas are calmest from April to September. But at none of these times can underwater visibility be described as breathtaking.
*Diving shops can be found in Colombo and in the major west coast resorts. They hire and sell gear, including snorkelling equipment.

Safety Guidelines for Diving 

*Before embarking on a scuba diving or snorkelling trip, carefully consider the following points to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.
*Possess a current diving certification card from a recognized scuba diving instructional agency (if scuba diving)
*Be sure you are healthy and feel comfortable diving.
*Obtain reliable information about physical and environmental conditions at the dive site.
*Dive only at sites within your realm of experience if available engage the services of a competent, professionally trained dive instructor of dive master.

Responsible Diving 

Please consider the following tips when diving and help preserve the ecology and beauty of reefs

*Never use anchors on the reef and take care not to ground boats on coral.

*Avoid touching or standing on living marine organisms or dragging equipment across the reef. Polyps can be damaged by even the gentlest contact. If you must hold on to the reef only touch exposed rock or dead coral.

*Be conscious of your fins. Even without contact the surge from fin strokes near the reef can damage delicate organisms. Take care not to kick up clouds of sand which can smother organisms.

*Practise and maintain proper buoyancy control. Major damage can be done by divers descending too fast and colliding with the reef.

*Take great care in underwater caves. Spend as little time within them as possible as your air bubbles may be caught within the roof and thereby leave organisms high and dry. Take turns to inspect the interior of a small cave.

*Resist the temptation to collect or buy corals or shells or to loot marine archaeological sites. (mainly shipwrecks)

*Ensure that you take home all your rubbish and any little you may find as well. Plastics in particular are a serious threat to marine life.

*Do not feed fish.

*Minimize your disturbance of marine animals.

   

 

 

Whale watching & Dolphin watching

*Sri Lanka is fast gaining a reputation for being a world class whale watching location. The big attraction is big indeed blue whales, the largest of all creatures. Mirissa is the best place from which to organize a whale watching trip. On the east coast Uppuveli and Nilaveli offer quieter but less reliable whale watching and in the north west and the Kalpitiya area is the new whale in town, although here schools of dolphins are more common than whales.
*In all these places local boat tours are available but it pays to go with someone who really know that what they're doing.
*The season for whale (and dolphin) off the south coast and Kalpitiya is from January to April, while on the east coast it runs from May to October.

Windsurfing & Kitesurfing

*Sri Lanka isn't renowned for its windsurfing or kitesurfing but that dosen't mean there's no action. Negombo has a well run kitesurfing school that runs kiting trips up and down the coast. Further north the Kalpitiya area is gaining a reputation for kitesurfing. Winds tend to be more consistent up here but for the moment facilities are few and far between.
*On that note the far north of Sri Lanka around Munnar Island and the islands off Jaffna have good windsurfing potential, but they remain very much off the beaten track.
*Some top end hotels and a couple of private water sport operators around the Bentota area hire beaten up sailboards. It's a good place for learners and lessons are possible.

White water Rafting, Canoeing & Boating

*You don't have to be a beach babe to enjoy Sri Lankan water sports. High up in the hills, rivers tumble down mountains to produce some memorable rafting conditions.
*Currently the best known white water rafting area is near Kitulgala, where a number of different operations can take you out on gentle river meanders or for experienced rafters, exciting descents of class 4-5 rapids.
*The Belihuloya area of the Hill Country is also gaining a reputation for kayaking and other river borne sports.

*Back on salty water you can organize boat or catamaran trips for sightseeing bird watching or fishing around Negombo, Bentota and most east coast beach resorts.

Surfing

*Sri Lanka has consistent surf year round but the quality of waves is far lower than the nearby Maldives and Indonesia. You visit Sri Lanka more for the culture climate and ease of travelling than for the chance to get barrelled. Sri Lanka is however a superb place to learn how to surf or for intermediate surfers to get their first reefbreak experiences. Many of the spots are very close to shore and surf access couldn't be easier and this also makes Sri Lanka an ideal destination for a surfer with a non surfing partner.
*Sri Lanka's best known wave is Arugam Bay on the east coast. Surf's up at this long right point from April to October.
*Weligama on the south coast seems custom made for learning to surf and a number of surf schools and camps have recently sprung up there.
*On the west and south coasts the best surfing is from November to April, with the start and end of this season more consistent than January and February
*The reefs of Hikkaduwa on the west coast are a long time favourite, although more for the ease of living than for the quality of the waves.
*The Midigama area is the best spot along the south coast with a mellow left point a nearby consistent beach break and a short and sharp right reef, which offers about the only frequently hollow wave in Sri Lanka.
*Boards can be hired and lessons are available at most beach towns
*Low Pressure Stormider Guides offers good advise on surfing Sri Lanka.

Safe Swimming

*Every year drownings occur off Sri Lanka's beaches. If you aren't an experienced swimmer or surfer, it's easy to underestimate the dangers or even to be totally unaware of them. There are few full time lifesaving patrols, so there's usually no one to jump in and rescue you. A few common sense rules should be observed.
*Don't swim out of your depth. If you are a poor swimmer, always stay in the shallows.
*Don't stay in the water when you feel tired.
*Never go swimming under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
*Supervise children at all time.
*Watch out for rips. Water brought onto the beach by waves is sucked back to sea and this current can be strong enough to drag you out with it. Rips in rough surf can sometimes be seen as calm patches in the disturbed water. It's best to check with someone reliable before venturing in to the water.
*If you do get caught in a rip swim across the current towards the breaking waves.in a rip,swim across the current towards the breaking waves. The currents are usually less where the waves are actually breaking and the surf will push you shoreward. Never try and swim against the current. If it's too strong for you to do this keep aflot and raise a hand so that someone on shore can see that you are in distress. A rip eventually weakens the important thing is not to panic.
*Exercise caution when there is surf.

*Beware of coral coming into contact with coral can be painful for the swimmer and fatal for the coral. Always check with someone reliable if you suspect the area you're about to swim in may have coral.  Never dive into the water. Hazards may be lurking under the surface or the water may not be as deep as it looks. It pays to be cautious.

Beaches

     

 For many people the beach is Sri Lanka, and small through the island is, it really is no slouch in the sand and sea department.

       The west coast is the most developed beach area and is where the majority of the package tour resorts can be found but don't let that put you off because some of the beaches here are up there with the best in the country.

       With its stunning beaches good selection of accommodation and activities that range from diving of sunning to surfing it's no surprise that the south coast of the island is the most popular area with beach bound independent travellers.

       War and unrest have kept the east coast beaches largely off the radar of all but the most adventurous but with peace big changers are afoot here and some absolute corking beaches are starting to get travellers tongues wagging.

      Finally, there's the far north, where a beach to yourself isn't just a possibility but more of a given. However, only explores need pack their beach things.

Beach Culture In The North & East

By and large Sri Lankans are an easygoing and accepting lot and on the south and west coasts there are also very used to foreign tourists and their skimpy beachwear. For much of the East & North through the situation is a little different women in bathing suits even modest one piece numbers can attract a lot of unwelcome attention. Even in the increasingly popular east coast beach resorts such as Arugam Bay and the beaches north of Trincomalee the attention can be excessive (and there have been sexual assaults). On these beaches and especially in more remote locations, women will not want to travel alone and should consider wearing a T shirt and shorts into the water.   

When are you like to go around in Sri Lanka

         Sri Lanka is pretty much a year round beach destination. When it's raining in the East it's normally sunny in the west and vice versa.
         The main tourist season coincides with the northeast monsoon, which runs from December to March. At this time the beaches on the west and south coasts are bathed in sunshine and the tourist industry for this part of the country is in full swing.The east coast by contrast is often wet and many hotels are closed.
         Between May and September when the stronger southwest monsoon hits the island and the southwest coast is drenched, head straight for the east coast which sits in the rain shadow of the highlands and will be sunny and idyllic.
         Don't take the season as gospel, through even during the height of the southwest monsoon it can often be sunny in the morning on the west coast beaches before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in.
         The north of the island is generally much drier so you could come here any time and get your beach towel out.

Tour Plan-5

*This tour covers the uncrowded middle of Sri Lanka. Start in Dambulla, with its series of cave shrines painted with vivid Buddhist murals. From here it's short jaunt to Sigiriya, a 200m tall rock outcrop that was once a monastery and is truly one of the island's most amazing sights.













*Further northeast the former royal capital of Polonnaruwa offers an inspiring collection of Buddhist sculptures and monastery ruins dating back nearly a thousand years. Head due east to the coast and the beaches at Kalkudah, and Passekudah. The former is a deserted and beautiful broad strip of sand. The latter is also beautiful and draws locals by the busload.

*Continue your beach adventures 20km north at one of Sri Lanka's hidden gems, Vakarai Beach. You're really off the grid here at this paradise and only have electricity a few hours at night.

*Go north again and you are on the idyllic natural harbour of Trincomalee. It has a rich history going back centuries that the recent war couldn't erase. Finally end your cultural and sandy trek at the dual beach towns of Uppuweli and Nilaveli. There's much debate about which is better you decide.

Tour Plan-4

 *This fast trip will warm even the most frost bitten visitor escaping a frigid winter elsewhere in the world. Begin your jaunt in Galle founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it is one of southeast Asia's best preserved, fortified colonial cities. Walk the walls at sunset and enjoy the many cafes cropping up along streets lined with renovated and delightfully dilapidated old buildings.

*Hit the beach at nearby Unawatuna, which has an alluring crescent of sand, cafes overlooking the surf and perfectly blue waters luring you in. Now find your inner Tarzan (many of the movies were short in Sri Lanka) at the UNESCO recognized Sinharaja Forest Reserve, Sri Lanka's last major tropical rain forest.

*Back on the south coast, Sri Lanka has a fast breaking surf scene and you'll find lessons, board rentals and cheap surfer dives in Ahangama and Midigama.

*Another short jaunt east brings you to Weligama, which has beach resorts and a lively fishing village with fascinating markets. Not far away is the sandy gem of the south, Mirissa, where cute little places to stay are hidden in the palms.

Tour Plan-3

*With peace, parts of Sri Lanka that were off limits or almost off limits for decades are opening up to visitors, who will be warmly welcomed. Start at Kalpitiya, the main town on the long finger of land that just up into the Indian Ocean. The beaches here are just OK but the kite surfing and reef diving are spectacular. Hook your way around north to Wilpatthu National Park. This treasure was closed for years during the war but is now returning to life. It has all of Sri Lanka's iconic animals and is very quiet.

*Next explore another spit of Sri Lanka extending in to the sea Mannar is technically an island but feels like a peninsula. It has white beaches, wild donkeys and incredible beauty. The remote town of Talaimannar feels like the end of the world. Here a chain of reef and islets almost from a land bridge to India.

*Hook around again to the Jaffna peninsula. Jaffna bears scars of the war, which still seems like a recent memory here. But the rich Tamil culture is returning and charming temples on shady backstreets await exploration.

*Roads closed for years have reopened and you can visit Keerimalai spring, a sacred site with legendary bathing pools. It's close to the Naguleswaram Shiva Kovil, which traces its past to the 6th century BC.

*Your next destination is Point Prdro, which is still shaking off the 2004 tsunami but holds onto traces of a colonial past.There is a long swath of the whitest beach you can imagine here.

*Jaffna has nearby islands well worth exploring for their sheer minimalistic beauty.There's actual sights on Nainativu, which you reach via increasingly unsubstantial causeway and a ferry. Buddhist and Hindu temples draw the pious to this tiny speck of sand.

*Another ferry ride which is half the fun takes you the 10km to Neduntivu, which some still call by its Old Dutch moniker Delft. It's a windswept place beyond the end of the road and wild ponies roam seemingly deserted streets.