A Multi-Centre Family Holiday in Sri Lanka - Part 1

By Rhonda Carrier

Sri Lanka may be a small country, but it packs an enormous amount of culture and activities into its 64,000km2 (about the size of Wales) and it also takes a while to get around, so it can be tricky to decide where to base yourself to make the most of all the sights and adventures in store, from rainforest treks to surfing.

When families ask our travel experts about Sri Lanka with kids, we recommend either an organised family adventure holiday touring parts of the country with a small-group specialist, or a two- or ideally multi-centre holiday staying at several properties and combining lots of different experiences.

‘At the Heritance Kandalama, a lone elephant roams the surrounding area, the toque macaques leap and dive from the hotel balconies into the treetops like carefree acrobats, palm squirrels and lizards dart excitedly around, and crested serpent eagles soar overhead.’

This is what we did recently, heading first to Sri Lanka’s iconic Culture Triangle of historic sights for a couple of nights, checking into the hugely family-friendly Heritance Kandalama in its spectacular jungle setting. Plunging straight into this outstanding Sri Lanka family resort’s gorgeous infinity pool perched over Lake Kandalama, we took in the views across the water towards the 5th-century rock fortress of Sigiriya, which we were excited about climbing the following day. As the sun went down, a local musician sat on the rocks above the pool and beguiled us and the hotel’s resident monkeys with his flute playing. We felt we'd landed in another world.

The Heritance Kandalama is a brilliant choice for those looking for a Sri Lanka family adventure and to encounter some of Sri Lanka’s famed wildlife – you won’t see it, but a lone elephant roams the surrounding area, the toque macaques leap and dive from the hotel balconies into the treetops like carefree acrobats, and palm squirrels and lizards dart excitedly around. And there are birds galore to listen to as you relax on your balcony or around the hotel, or go on an early-morning nature walk with the resident ornithologist, as we did – spotting the likes of orioles, jungle fowl (the national bird), jungle crows, crested serpent eagles, kites and cormorants.

The Heritance Kandalama is carved into the rock, and its prize-winning architecture by local designer Geoffrey Bawa, including living walls, makes much of it almost disappear into its lovely landscape. As parents, you may want to splurge on the hotel’s unique boutique cave restaurant, with only two tables set far apart and live flute music to accompany your fine dining by the light of lanterns.

Enjoy some freshly cooked egg hoppers at breakfast at the Heritance Kandalama © Rhonda Carrier

With kids, the buffet is the better bet – copious, with lots of Sri Lankan and global options. Don’t miss the Sri Lankan hoppers cart, where a charming local lady whips up these traditional rice-flour and coconut-milk pancakes that you can fill with a fried egg and accompany by curries and sambals. There’s also a great selection of detoxing and healthy options as well as indulgences, making the best of local vegetables, herbs, spices and medicinal planets, including ambarella, at breakfast lunch and dinner – all handily labelled for their benefits.

Sigiriya (40 minutes away by car) is definitely one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka with kids – a real adventure because you stroll first through its water gardens, spotting roaming iguanas and watching local workers clear the pools and waterways with their blue and other water lilies, wondering how you’re going to make it to the top of this rocky outcrop rising near-vertically from the jungle floor.

Steps, stairways and walkways take you from Sirigiya's lion's paws to the very top. © Rhonda Carrier

The answer is via a series of steep steps, spiral stairways and narrow metal walkways that feel like they're clinging only tenuously to the rock face. Brave them and you're rewarded by the ancient ruins of the place built by King Kashyapa in 477-495 AD, the gorgeous frescoes of the Heavenly Maidens, and spectacular views over the surrounding plains punctuated by giant white Buddhas.

Back at the Heritance Kandalama, aside the three lovely swimming pools (one carved out of the rock) and a very good spa including Ayurvedic treatments, there’s a whole array of activities to warrant a stay of at least three or four days. They range from tours to a local village by boat, bike and walking, butterfly watching, and elephant safaris in nearby Wasgamawa National Park, to kids’ arts and crafts at certain times.

There are also outdoor games such as giant chess and rocket, and the hotel even has its own eco centre with a playground, some natural-history displays, bees, a model herbarium, and garbage-triage facilities, all displaying its commitment to sustainability and conserving its environment.

Jacuzzi bath in a Deluxe room, seen from the balcony © Rhonda Carrier

Rooms here all have a Modernist feel with lots of teak and large windows to maximise the feeling of being fully immersed in nature. We loved our Deluxe room in the Sigiriya Wing, with distant views of the rock fortress and the feeling of being perched up in the treetops themselves – including from the Jacuzzi bathtub, which you could open up the elements. All rooms sleep up to three, or you can get interconnecting options.

As well as Sigiriya, the Heritance Kandalama is also well located for (30 minutes from) another of Sri Lanka’s major World Heritage sites, the Dambulla Royal Cave Temple. For 22 centuries, this cave monastery with its five sanctuaries of Buddhist mural paintings and statues (more than 150, one spanning more than 14m) has been a major pilgrimage site. As an introduction to the religion and its significance in Sri Lankan history and present-day life, it’s great for those visiting Sri Lanka with teens.

Inside one of the Dambulla caves © Rhonda Carrier

For the next part of our Sri Lanka family holiday itinerary, we carried on three hours south to Kandy and the tea plantations, and then further south still, to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and from there onto the beach – you can read all about in our feature A Multi-Centre Family Holiday in Sri Lanka -Part 2.

Due to the nature of Sri Lanka’s roads and traffic, we don’t recommend driving here. We can book English-speaking chauffeur guides as part of the Sri Lanka family holiday packages we can tailor-make for you. Find out more about the Heritance Kandalama and ask us for a quote. Our holidays include flights; at the time of writing SriLankan Airlines operated the only direct flights from the UK to Sri Lanka, from London Heathrow, taking 10–11 hours. Read more about Sri Lanka family holidays.