Travelling With A Toddler

*We travelled with our 22 month old son around the west and south coasts and the Hill Country. I'd be lying if I said it was all plain sailing and if I said it was always a perfectly relaxing holiday! However it was certainly rewarding and travelling with him was a real ice breaker with both local people and other tourists plus our son absolutely adored Sri Lanka.

*A few points to note few places have baby beds. We knew this and came with our own but we met many other couples with young children who ended up sleeping in the same bed as their toddler for the whole time. It was in their words, 'Not as romantic a holiday as we hoped! You should also bring a mosquito net to cover them as hotels rarely have spares.

*Always order your child's meal well in advance otherwise by the time the food arrives they'll be too tired to eat. Our son loves curry,fruit, fish and curd so we had no issues getting him to actually eat. If yours won't eat this then pasta is normally available in tourist areas.

*Some people travel by public transport but we hired a car and driver for the duration which had the added bonus of meaning we had a babysitter on hand!

*Without any doubt it was easier to travel along the coast than the hills (where attraction are more for adults). If you really want to make things easy for yourself then just choose one beach make a base and take day trips from there.

*Nappies (diapers), even if they're the same brand you use at home, don't seem to work as well and rarely made it through the night. The size scale is also smaller so if you buy mediums at home you'll need large in Sri Lanka

Best Regions for Kids 

Colombo

Yes it's chaotic and at times noxious but the capital also has plenty of cool things that kids, albeit order kids, will enjoy, such as the made markets of Pettah.

West Coast

It's beaches baby all along this sandy coast. There are all manner of relaxed resorts where you can relax and maybe build a castle or two.

The South

More beaches plus the cool environs of the fort. (It's a real fort) And in the west there's elephants.

The Hill Country 

Waterfalls are literally cool places to hang out. Plus the mild temperatures are a good respite from the heat elsewhere. Tea plantations and trains are an unbeatable day out.

The Ancient Cities

Ancient temples, forts, ruins, jungle and elephants.