Visiting the Turtle hatchery is a charming experience for the entire family. Located on the west coast of Sri Lanka, you will get to see one, two and three day old turtles ready for release in the sea at night. Interestingly, there are only seven species of marine turtle in the world and five of them are found in Sri Lanka where the turtles enjoy the warm coastline of the Indian Ocean. The baby turtles are tiny and delicate – smaller than the palm of your hand! Not only does the Turtle hatchery provide a great activity for kids, it’s a delightful trip for adults alike.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rock Fortress at Sigiriya is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous attractions. There is a lot to explore, keeping children engaged for hours and the chance for them to run off some steam. Your family will love the delightful trip through the popular water gardens, onwards to the boulder gardens and the Cobra Hood Cave, to the staircase that rises out of the mouth of the giant, historic Lion whose monstrous paws only remain. At the top of the Rock Fortress sits the palace, 200m above the ground. The views of the Sri Lankan Countryside from the top have to be seen to be believed.

Elephants are nature’s big, friendly giants. Getting close to these magnificent animals will leave you with a sense of awe – not just of their huge size, but also of the care they take and the relationship that they have with their mahouts (handlers). It will soon become clear just how clever and emotive these amazing animals really are. The Elephant rides go along the edge of the lake and typically take about an hour. There is usually lots of opportunity to spot wildlife during the ride, including lizards and birds… and sometimes crocodiles! It’s a trip your family will never forget.

For the more adventurous type, the Keleni River provides Grade 1 and Grade 3 rapids for White Water rafting. Grade 1 rapids are the gentlest and very easy and we provide this as an excursion on our tours. With totally untouched rainforest of either side of the Keleni River, taking a ride down the river is a wonderful experience for the entire family.

The Born Free Foundation runs the Elephant Transit Camp which is located next to the Uda Walawe National Park. Getting to see the herd of baby orphan elephants is an incredible experience for the family, especially watching them fed on milk – some of the wiser Elephants have learnt they can get a second helping if they go around twice! Once these magnificent creatures are ready they will be released into the Uda Walawe National Park. Inside of the park there is plenty to see. Taking an open top Jeep safari is a fascinating experience for adults as well as the kids, with a wide array of wildlife in full display; Elephants, deer, lizards, crocodiles, buffalo and prodigious birds, to name a few.