Sri Lanka: Wild Family Adventure

Experience Overview

Explore Sri Lanka, where enchanting wildlife, ancient ruins and mystical landscapes make for an unforgettable family trip. This activity-packed adventure uncovers the country’s many treasures: we climb the ancient rock fortress at Sigiriya, spot elephants on safari and raft down the Kelani Ganga river. And that’s just the start. We also take a train ride through the tea hills, enjoy an authentic cooking class, and visit the Elephant Transit Home to learn about their vital conservation work. Finally, we head to the palm-fringed beaches of the south coast, an idyllic end to a trip that will be talked about for years to come.
Profile
— Accommodation: 3 Superior nights (resort), 9 Classic nights (hotels) — Hotels with swimming pools (not available in Kitulgala or Colombo) — Travel by private air-conditioned bus and one train journey — Some long journeys by private bus — Suitable for children aged nine and above
At a Glance
— Accommodation: 3 Superior nights (resort), 9 Classic nights (hotels) — Hotels with swimming pools (not available in Kitulgala or Colombo) — Travel by private air-conditioned bus and one train journey — Some long journeys by private bus — Suitable for children aged nine and above
Trip For You
This trip is graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. Though this trip has been designed for nine to 12-year-olds, it’s also suitable for 13 to 16-year-olds. Our Family trips are aimed at children in the primary age group, so if your child is in the secondary age group, they may find it a little easier. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us. Drives: Although this is not a particularly demanding trip, three of the drives are long (up to three hours with one drive up to five hours) and some are on winding mountain roads that can be affected by the rains, which occasionally cause short delays. The longer drives are broken up with many stops for a view or refreshing drink. Weather: Temperatures can be hot on the plains and moderately chilly in the hills, but because we use an air-conditioned bus, this is not normally a problem. Sigiriya: The final ascent at the Sigiriya rock fortress is on open metal stairs fixed against the rock side. There are handrails on either side but those with a strong fear of heights may prefer to stay on the lower level, where the lion ‘paws’ are. Mini Adam’s Peak: This trek is generally moderate and taken at an easy pace but the last 10 to 15 minutes of ascent is mostly by concrete steps and some short, rougher narrow paths. We recommend you wear walking shoes or trainers (sneakers) and carry water, a hat and sunscreen. Sinhala and Tamil New Year (April departures) The new year national festival known as Avurudu in Sinhala and Puthandu in Tamil is not celebrated by any other nation. The festivities are observed by both Sinhala Buddhists and Tamil Hindus across Sri Lanka for two days (13-14 April 2025). If you are travelling in Sri Lanka over these dates, expect to see religious ceremonies, family activities, traditional foods, colourful decorations and a general feeling of goodwill toward neighbours and friends. Parties can go into the night and it can be quite loud during this period. Your leader will happily show you some of the activities where your itinerary allows. During the new year public holiday, most shops, monuments and attractions are closed; however, your leader will modify the itinerary as required to ensure minimal disruption.
Group Description
Our Sri Lankan team of leaders has proved very popular with their incredible knowledge, passion and hospitality adding greatly to the experience. There is no better way to experience Sri Lankan culture than letting a local leader show you around their country. Our family groups are designed to accommodate on average four to five families per trip with a mix of children aged nine to 12 years old but it's not uncommon for older siblings (13 - 16 years old) travelling too.
Eating Drinking
All breakfasts and three lunches and two dinners are included. We suggest allowing about 7,000 rupees (US$23) per day for lunch and dinner. You can eat out very cheaply in Sri Lanka and your leader will provide recommendations for where to eat locally however, the options may not always be suited to larger groups. Some locations you stay may have limited local restaurant choice, in which case meals will be at the hotel. Hotel meals are generally buffets; the majority offer an à la carte menu, but service can be slow. Where suitable, your tour leader will be happy to arrange a shuttle transfer into the local town or, if you prefer to be more independent, take a tuk tuk or taxi. Your leader can help recommend some good places to eat. Sri Lankan cuisine is a fascinating reflection of the island’s heritage; there is a unique fusion of fresh local produce with spices brought to the island over the centuries by Malays, Arabs, Indians as well as the Dutch, Portuguese and English. Despite (or perhaps because of) these influences, Sri Lankan cuisine is often referred to as simply rice and curry. This is the staple dish in most restaurants and is usually a serving of rice accompanied by assorted meat and vegetable curries as well as various pickles, sambols (condiments), and a handful of tiny poppadum – all using the contrasting flavours of coconut, chilli, curry leaves, cinnamon and garlic. Vegetarians are well catered for but please inform us before departure of any special dietary requests. Please note, the availability of certain products is minimal or non-existent in Sri Lanka. For example, wheat- or dairy-free options outside of hotels are limited. Please be prepared for this, you may need to bring these from home. Spicier food can be avoided easily and lots of the hotels will serve Western options alongside traditional food. Mineral water is provided in large containers throughout the trip so please bring a bottle with you to refill. Please note, restaurant service can be quite slow.
Transportation
We use an air-conditioned minibus or coach depending on the size of the party; vehicles in Sri Lanka tend to have limited legroom so we try to stop for comfort breaks as needed. The train ride to Ella will be in the second-class carriage, an authentic experience and great chance for some fun local interactions. Due to the Sri Lanka rail booking system, all train tickets must be pre-booked no later than 30 days in advance and full passport information will be submitted to secure your ticket. Please Note: Should you book your trip with Exodus within 30 days prior to travel, we will endeavour to secure train tickets from Watawala to Ella as per the itinerary, this may be as late as on the day purchasing from the station. If tickets are no longer available, you will travel by road to Ella railway station and then enjoy a train ride from Ella to Badulla which passes over the world famous Nine Arch bridge, and takes approximately one hour so you won't miss out on experiencing the Sri Lankan train on this trip. In the national park, we are normally split into two or three 4x4s depending on the size of the group.
Joining Instructions
Key information Start hotel: Amagi Aria Hotel, 640/82 Suhada Mawatha, Puttalam – Colombo Rd, Negombo 11500, Sri Lanka Phone: +94 312 238 385 Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately Airport: Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) Getting to the start hotel The start hotel is approximately 20 minutes’ drive from the airport. Exodus provides free arrival transfers to the start hotel from the airport for all customers. For customers on land only packages, transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts. Catching your return flight Exodus provides free departure transfers for all customers to Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) from the end hotel. Please note, unless specified otherwise, the transfers will be to the start (or pre-tour) hotel and from the end (or post-tour) hotel and will be on the date on which the tour starts/ends; transfers to other hotels in the same city and/or on different dates may attract an extra charge. Transfers should be booked with your sales representative at least two weeks before the tour starts.
Weather Information
Generally, expect rain at some time but with plenty of sunshine. On the plains, day- and night-time temperatures are warm to hot with Colombo having an average daytime temperature of 30C (86F). The temperatures drop as we go higher into the hills and especially at Ella where daytime temperatures are 10C-25C (50F-77F) and night-time temperatures in December could be chilly (about 10C-12C/50F-53F minimum).
Spending Money
For small purchases, particularly at local shops and markets, cash is generally preferred and easier for transactions than credit cards. It is recommended that you allow at least 2,200 Sri Lankan rupees (US$6) for personal expenditures such as stamps, postcards and soft drinks. Some sites may charge a small fee for camera use. Shopping opportunities in Sri Lanka are endless and we suggest you take money for souvenirs, even if you are generally not a keen shopper, we have found most people succumb to the wide variety of handicrafts on offer. All entrance fees and activities described in the itinerary are included with an exception for the optional activities mentioned on some days. Optional excursions Sigiriya — Tuk-tuk alternative to cycling: 6,000 rupees (US$15) per tuk tuk Kitulgala — Rainforest entrance fee (waterfall walk): 650 rupees. — Boat charges 200 (each way) — The ranger charges Rs. 2500. — If we are giving a village Tea + snack need to add 500 per person. Ella — Ravena zip-lining: 11,000 rupees (US$34) for adults (16 years and above) and 7,000 rupees (US$22) for children Weligama — Surfing: 15,000-17,000 rupees (US$45-US$50) per person (two-hour lesson, plus instructor and surfboard rental) — Snorkelling: 11,000-13,000 rupees (US$32-US$39) per person (two-hour session, plus guide and snorkelling equipment rental) Ahangama — Boat ride on Koggala Lake visiting Cinnamon Island and temple: 5,000 rupees (US$16) per person Whale watching (November to April) — The whale-watching trip by private boat should cost about 32,500 rupees per person depending on the number of participants. Minimum 6 passengers required. Below is the breakdown. — Cost of Boat- 110000 to 140000 (Depending on the availability, Supply, and demand on the given day) — Entry ticket – 8000 rupees — Tuk Tuks - Rs. 1500 per person. (We cannot take the bus into the Harbor.) — Tips - 500 to 1000 rupees per person. — Approximate cost for 6 pax - 80 pounds per person — Approximate cost for 10 pax - 65 pounds per person — Approximate cost for 14 pax - 55 pounds per person Please note, if you choose to enjoy this excursion on your free day, we strongly advise booking a private charter boat through your leader in advance as the boats are always subject to availability. The more members of the group who wish to join the charter the more cost-effective it will be. We do not recommend larger, commercial boats; they may be cheaper, but they do not always respect the welfare of the animals or operate in an environmentally responsible way. We have also had reports of overcrowding on the boats. Please ask your leader for further details on how to book a private charter.
Tipping
Tipping is part of the culture in Sri Lanka. However, it can often be an awkward affair, especially when you’re in an unfamiliar country. As such, your tour leader will offer to arrange and look after a tipping kitty, which will be used to tip hotel staff, local guides, bus drivers, and other support staff (optional excursions are not included in the group kitty). Your leader will suggest how much to contribute, but it is usually about 30,000 rupees (approximately US$92) total per family. At any time during the trip, your leader will happily show you an account of how the kitty is being distributed. Tips for the leader and transfer crew are not included in the kitty and are at your own discretion. If you wish to show your appreciation, our recommendation is as follows: Driver and assistant: 1,500-1,900 rupees (US$5-US$6) per family per dayLeader: 2,600-3,300 rupees (US$8-US$10) per family per day Where possible, please tip in the local currency.

Highlights