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Family Holidays: Sri Lanka family holidays

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Why

It can be anything you want it to be, there are good beaches everywhere, and the Cultural Triangle in the centre of the island has many sights of historic interest. There is also a great deal of wildlife to see, particularly elephants, and the Pinnewela Orphanage is a must see. It's also a very scenic island, with lovely views never far away.

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1. Top left: Bentota beach
2. Top middle: Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
3. Top right: Ratnapura Market

1. Bottom left: National Park Leopard
2. Bottom right: Excursion by boat

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When

Sri Lanka has excellent weather from December until the end of April. Then the monsoon starts, continuing through June and the first half of July. The August school holidays have excellent weather, before the monsoon returns from September to November. During monsoon season, the weather tends to be good in the mornings, before clouding over at around two and raining for the rest of the afternoon. Note that different parts of the island are more affected by each monsoon, so if you plan carefully you can get away with decent weather regardless of when you take the family.

How

take the plane

Sri Lankan Airlines operates daily non-stop flights to Colombo, taking around 12 hours. Alternatively Sri Lanka is easy to combine with Dubai or the Maldives for an interesting two-centre holiday.

Stay

Sri Lanka has a wide range of family friendly accommodation. The international chains are well represented and you will also find some fine independent properties.

Do

• Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage. A famous Sri Lankan attraction that shouldn’t be missed
• Sigiriya Rock Fortress – one of the most interesting sites in Sri Lanka. A ruined fortress built on top of a 200m high rock. Fantastic views from the top, and you are surrounded by history as you climb
• Galle – one of several towns that used to be the capital of the island, Galle has a great deal of historic interest, as well as shopping and beaches for the less enthusiastic teenager
• Yala National Park – a small national park in the South Eastern corner of the island, where you can see monkeys, elephants, birds, and on very rare occasions, leopard
• Surfing on the south coast – a less developed part of the island, but lots of scope for watersports which aren’t so easily available on other parts of Sri Lanka

Eat

Food is very much based around the hotels, which mainly offer buffets. Some of the hotels offer a la carte menus in addition. There are always several options, usually several curries, and a couple of western options. Some hotels are rather better known for their food than others, and the hotels we have selected take account of this.

Cost

From £2,500 to £5,000 for a family of four for ten days to two weeks.

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