Tropical Island Wanderer Family Holiday

The adventure starts at our hotel in Negombo overlooking the lagoon, approximately 20 minutes' drive from the airport. We have a welcome briefing with the leader this evening. Stay: Amagi Aria Hotel (or similar).

Today we drive to Sigiriya, a journey of approximately three and a half hours but there are breaks along the way. Passing by the impressive fifth-century rock fortress of Kurunegala city, which rises 600ft (185m) from the plains, we stop nearby at a lake for a comfort break and to stretch our legs before continuing to our hotel. The afternoon is free to enjoy the town of Sigiriya or relax at the hotel and jump in the pool! Stay: Sigiriya Village Hotel (or similar) (B).

Sigiriya is our base for the next two days. After breakfast, we take a short drive to Polonnaruwa, the 10th-century capital of Sri Lanka. Here there are many Buddhist relics and ruins dating from 1,000 years ago when Sinhalese culture reached its zenith. Your mini explorers can roam around discovering the ancient ruins. We stop for lunch at a hotel in Giritale. There is plenty of time here before the afternoon activities, so relax and take a dip in the hotel pool (don't forget your swimwear!).

This afternoon, we safari at Minneriya National Park. It's renowned for being home to large herds of elephants, but also keep a look out for monkeys, deer and plenty of bird life. Stay: Sigiriya Village Hotel (or similar) (B/L).

This morning, we take advantage of the cooler part of the day and climb Lion Rock (the return trip usually takes around three hours). It was once used as a haven from invaders and the route to the top is up a series of steep steps and gangways. Crowning the flat summit are the extensive remains of the King's Summer Palace, where we enjoy breath-taking views of the countryside. The descent is much easier and takes a lot less time. Please make sure your children are accompanied at all times as there are some steep drops on this climb. It is, of course, optional and you may not wish to climb to the top of the fortress itself.

In the afternoon, we hop on bikes to cycle gently through villages and soak up the atmosphere, always a fun experience. If you do not wish to cycle, your leader will assist you with hiring a tuk tuk – approximately 4,000 rupees (US$12) per tuk tuk – to follow the group. Stay: Sigiriya Village Hotel (or similar) (B).

This morning, we leave Sigiriya and begin our journey to Kandy. Our first stop is the magnificent cave temple at Dambulla, for some the most impressive sight in Sri Lanka. There are colourful, and very well preserved, paintings and statues of the Buddha inside the caves, which date back to the first century BCE.

After lunch, we're back on the road and break up the drive with a visit to a spice garden near Matale, where we can smell the various spices and herbs and the resident expert explains their uses. It's a fun, interactive experience for the kids to discover how spices look before being turned into the powder they may be more familiar with!

There is a chance to stock up on massage oils, spices and Ayurvedic medicines for those keen in natural remedies. For our final stop before arriving in Kandy, we drop into a home for a short demonstration in the traditional method of making ropes from coconut husks. Kids can see how masterpieces are created using a machine that strings out ropes of all colours and sizes. We continue onto Kandy for an evening at leisure. Stay: Hotel Suisse (or similar) (B).

Kandy is a picturesque hill town on a lake and home to the Temple of the Tooth. We begin with a visit to the temple during the ceremony. The Tooth of Buddha was taken from the funeral pyre in 543 BCE and found its way to Sri Lanka in the fourth century CE. There are normally hundreds of worshipers who visit the temple each day and it is open to the public. The rest of the day is free to wander round Kandy, by the lake or take a taxi up the hills for wonderful views over the town or to the Royal Botanical gardens. Stay: Hotel Suisse (or similar) (B).

Today we make the spectacular drive through the tea plantation district to Nuwara Eliya. This was the favourite hill station for the British during the Colonial era; in the cool highland air at 6,200ft (1,890m), it has a very British feel to it. Known locally as Little England, it is dotted with British-style houses, hotels and even a racecourse. The area is known for its high-quality tea and we visit a working plantation, where we try tea picking (weather dependent). Continuing, we head to a popular spot within the hill country staying overnight in Ella. There are some great local restaurants and viewpoints here so check with your leader for their recommendations on where to head this evening. Stay: Heaven's Edge Hotel (or similar) (B).

This morning, we depart Ella and drive through Ella Gap where we have spectacular views of the coastal plain nearly 3,280ft (1,000m) below. Almost the entire southern part of the island should be in view and on a particularly clear day the shimmering silver of the ocean is visible. We then continue south out of the hills to Kataragama down on the plains, which is our base for visiting Yala National Park.

We have a game drive this afternoon; the park is home to elephants, deer, monkeys, buffalos and a wide range of bird life. If you are lucky, you may also see a leopard – Yala has one of the highest concentrations of these beautiful animals in the world. Please note, the sanctuary is closed for four to six weeks from September to October allowing the park authorities to check the animals. We therefore go to an alternative area close by, usually Udawalawe National Park. Stay: Mandara Rosen (or similar) (B).

This morning, we leave for the coast and beautiful palm-fringed bays. On the way, we stop at Tissamaharama and walk through farmland to a village where you can try local delicacies such as boiled manioc served with coconut and a spicy mixture of chilies, onions, peppers and lemon. We see daily life and may even take part in traditional Sri Lankan games. We then head back to our bus in little tractors used by the farmers. We arrive at Ahangama in the afternoon, where you can relax with a few days on the beach, sinking your toes into the sand or cooling off with pool dips! Stay: Insight Resort (or similar) (B).

Over the next two days, we have free time with a chance to do any one of numerous optional activities. Your leader can help to organise. On Day 10, the leader will arrange an optional return transfer to Weligama Beach, a great spot for surf lessons or snorkelling with plenty of beachfront bars and restaurants to stay hydrated and refuelled. During November to April, there is also the opportunity to go whale watching. As public boats are not recommended, the more of you keen to go, the lower the cost for the private boat hire. Stay: Insight Resort (or similar) (B).

We set off today and drive along the coastal road to the historic port of Galle, which dates to the 17th century and is now a Unesco World Heritage site. On the way, we stop at a small folk museum inspired by the local writer Martin Wickramasinghe. The museum is a typical house from the Koggala region and is set among beautiful gardens. Late afternoon, we continue along the expressway to Colombo, reaching our hotel in the late afternoon. Stay: Fairway Colombo (or similar) (B).

We have a relaxed breakfast before we bid farewell and begin our return journeys home. If you'd like a bit more relaxation, consider joining our Maldives extension and kicking back in paradise (B).