Our abiding memory of Sri Lanka is the people.

They are so friendly! During our 4 week family holiday in Sri Lanka we never got a grumpy glance. Everyone was genuinely pleased to see us and many people went out of their way to help us. People were always waving, always smiling. It helps of course that lots of Sri Lankans speak good English. This meant we had some really lovely, meanigful encounters. It felt like we got to know the real Sri Lanka a little - rather than just being tourists.  

How to plan a Sri Lanka holiday

Over this four week adventure we stayed in ten different places. We probably had one too many stops. Next time eight or nine would do. This is because getting around Sri Lanka takes time. Distances are not that big, but roads are slow.

For a shorter three week trip drop Jaffna and Bentota and reduce your time in the highlands.

We pre-booked accommodation - that way we knew exactly where we needed to be when. This takes a lot of the complexity out of the trip. We used Booking.com for most of the bookings.

Flights to Sri Lanka from the UK will soon be direct with British Airways from London Gatwick. Frustratingly they weren’t when we booked so we had to choose from direct with Sri Lankan from London Heathrow or via Dubai with Emirates from London Gatwick. earch on Booking.com for flights to Sri Lanka.

British passport holders need a visa to visit Sri Lanka. It’s free. You fill in a form online on the Sri Lanka ETA website. Confusingly there is no email confirmation. You need to check back a couple of days later to find and download your visa which you then print out to take with you.

We hired a car in Sri Lanka using a local company called Kings Rent a Car. The cost was very similar to what we paid on our driving tour of the Yukatan - great value at around £30 a day with no extra charge for a second driver. Customer service both online before we arrived and in person was very good. The car was a basic auto with aircon.

Driving in Sri Lanka is not for the faint hearted. Roads are good quality, but the traffic is often pretty crazy. I’ve written more about driving in Sri Lanka below. Compared to Europe fuel is cheap at around £1.50 a litre.

It's easy to buy a local SIM in Sri Lanka. We bought one at the airport. It’s super cheap. We used Dialog and had no problems – coverage was very good Ready then? Let's hit the road on our Sri Lanka family adventure!

Days 1 and 2 Negombo

We spent a couple of days in Negombo to get over the flights. It's an ideal option as it's only 45 minutes from the airport. We stayed on the beach.

Unfortunately, the currents mean it's quite dangerous for swimming. But we found an area that had local lifeguards so I went swimming with some friendly locals which was great fun.

Where to stay?

The Jetwing Blue was ideal. It has several pools. Spacious bright rooms. We opted for the family suite which was huge. Not the cheapest place we stayed by any means but decent value for Negombo.

Days 3 to 5 Wilpattu National Park

We got the hire car delivered to the hotel the day we were ready to leave. We took the A3 coast road up to Puttalam and then right along the A12 as far as Panama Maragahawewa and the turn off for Wilpattu National Park. We chose this park particularly because it has regular sightings of leopard and elephant. Additionally, it's less visited than the big parks down south which can get very busy.

We did a full day, safari with a jeep driver and guide. It cost around $175. On top of that we had to pay park fees of $75. So it's not particularly cheap. But we really enjoyed our day. Having a guide really added to the experience. We were really excited to see a leopard at quite close quarters. With no other vehicles around. We also saw a couple of elephants lots of monkeys and interesting birds as well as a mongoose.

The park is not stuffed with game. You go for quite long periods without seeing much at all. You are fairly likely to see leopard – but often it’s at a distance or there are lots of other vehicles around. We decided to do another half day safari the following day. This time we went just with a driver. We had a brief sitings of leopard again, but a long way off.

Where to stay?

Family run Wilpattu Eagle Lodge he's really well located just moments from the park entrance. It also has a swimming pool perfect for cooling off after a dusty day of Safari. Rooms are spacious and comfortable. However, we thought it was rather expensive - in particular the price of food.

Days 6 & 7 Anuradhapura

It was just a short 45 minute drive to our next stop. Anuradhapura is one Sri Lankan's most historic cities. We really liked it. It's not too big so easy to find your way around. The historic part of town features a series of impressive Buddhist temples. Huge white stupas - round structures with points on the top - dominate the landscape. We were lucky enough to coincide with a festival. Everyone was really welcoming.

We spent a spellbinding hour wondering around Ruwanweli Maha Seya surrounded by worshippers chanting, tooting on conch shells and banging drums - all of it to the heady scent of incense.

We also visited Thuparamaya which was smaller, quieter and in its own way equally lovely. Next day we walked around the market, visited the archaeological museum and drove a little further east to Mihintale which features a big stupa high on a hillside with lovely view across the plains dotted with little houses, paddy fields and palm trees.

Where to stay?

Sapumal Lodge is a small very friendly guest house on the outskirts of town really well located for a couple of good restaurants. It's quite basic, but you can use the kitchen and washing machine which we really appreciated. The staff are absolutely lovely. It's incredibly cheap. Amazing value for money. Highly recommended.

Days 8 to 11 Jaffna

I visited Sri Lanka a couple of decades ago when the tensions of Civil War meant it was not possible to visit the north. Consequently, I was curious to visit it now as peace was declared many years ago. It took most of the day to drive up to Jaffna but we took the coast road which was easy driving, stopping off for lunch at the little island of Mannar connected to the mainland by a causeway and a bridge. We explored the small historic fort here built by the Portuguese which they are currently renovating. It's a small sleepy little place.

Jaffna has a fort as well – also built by the Portuguese and extended by the Dutch. Much of it got destroyed during the war, but it has been restored. There is huge potential here, right now not heaps to see, but interesting to walk around and see some of the archeological work going on. Strolling along the small promenade in front of the fort along the shoreline at sunset was very pleasant. Sadly, that a lot of rubbish around.

There is not a lot else to see in the city, but we really liked it. We dropped into the lovely old colonial style public library and explored the eerie bomb-damaged ruins of a huge building in old park. Perhaps the best part was strolling the market and main shopping area in the late afternoon rush-hour chaos. Clothes, shoes saris, pots, and pans, mobile phones, fruit and veg – it’s all here. Watch your step as tuktuks and motorbikes come from all directions.

Where to stay?

We loved our rental from Abbi Holidays. Really well equipped kitchen, spacious lounge and comfy bedrooms. It even has its own pool. Even better, our host just across the road brought us amazing local breakfast every morning. For a small extra fee, they made us a really tasty dinner as well. We could have stayed a week.

Days 12 to 17 Nilaveli

For a relatively small island, Sri Lanka's weather is quite complex and seasonal . We chose beach time on the east because the weather is better at this time of year here. (We visited in August.)

This stretch has been popular with surfers for years but is now attracting more regular tourists. It's at an interesting stage of development. There is a relative lack of better quality accommodation, which means it's quite expensive. Conversely, there's lots of cheap backpack style stuff close by Trincomalee.

Nilaveli beach is clean. Sand is a little bit grainy, but the sea is warm and safe for swimming and great fun for body boarding. A draw for divers and snorkellers is Pigeon Island, a 15 minute boat ride offshore. The more we read, however the less we wanted to visit. It sounds like much of the coral is dead and way too many tourists get taken there. There is also a really high park fee of €40. However, there are dive sites outside the park.

Karen and Joe spent a morning diving with Poseidon divers who were really excellent and great value for money. The diving was fine but nothing exceptional. We enjoyed our time here, but we'd probably do fewer nights if coming again.

Where to stay?

Anukama has well appointed bungalows around a nice pool. The roof terrace bar/restaurant is great too. It's a 5 minute stroll from the beach. We found it a bit too busy with young families and our aircon kept breaking down which was a bit tedious. There are a couple of great local family-run restaurants nearby. We also visited Cardomom as day guests and liked it. Right on the beach, nice restaurant which has a pizza oven and attractive pool. We'd maybe stay here another time

Days 19 to 21 Sigiriya

On the way from Nilaveli we made a stop at Dambula. We marvelled at the five incredibly intimate rock temples filled with beautifully decorated statues ofthe Buddha. The ceilings and walls are beautifully painted as well. It wasn't too busy either. I liked them so much I went round a second time for another look. Truly magical.

Sigiriya or Lion Rock is Sri Lanka's most visited tourist site. A remarkable temple built high on top of a huge outcrop of rock. We opted not to go. Everything we read suggested it would be full of tourists and there's only a very narrow set of steps all the way to the top. Additionally, the entry fee is $30. It's easy to get great views of the rock from a distance. Indeed, our guest house offered some that were fantastic at sunset.

Having made this decision, we did another game drive to look for more elephants. We chose Kaudalla national park rather than the far more popular Mineriya. Whilst the latter is famous for huge numbers of elephants at this time of year it's also often crammed with jeeps. Kaudalla was absolutely the right choice. We saw over 100 of elephants often really close up - lots of cute small elephant babies too. In the whole afternoon, we only saw a handful of other jeeps.

On our second day we drove for around an hour and 20 minutes to Polonnoruwa This huge ancient city of crumbling Buddhist temples is spectacular. Sites are quite spread out and there’s little shade, so you need transport. We had the car but we saw lots of people using bikes which are apparently easy to hire. 

We wandered among huge stupas, enigmatic Buddhas, crumbling ruins, intricately decorated pillars and staircases. Perhaps the most impressive sight come at the end in the shape of three enormous statues of the Buddha carved from the rock face. With the different layers of rocks swirling through them they looked magical.

Top tip: You must remove shoes and hats to enter the temples because they are considered sacred. The stone underfoot gets extremely hot. So wear shoes and socks so you at least have socks to protect your feet. If like me don't have much hair, apply plenty of sunscreen to your head and face!

Where to stay?

We really liked the welcome and the food at Sinhagiri Villa. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. There’s also a huge rocky outcrop at the bottom of the garden which you can climb for great sunset views of Sighiria. Our family room was comfy, aircon was good and we had access to a fridge. There’s a nice pool too. So all the right stuff is there. Unfortunately they were building some new bungalows in the garden. This made it feel a bit like a building site around the pool.

Read more: A three week family itinerary in Vietnam

Days 22 to 24 Bandarawella

It was a long day's drive to Bandarawella but the scenery was lovely. We had learnt to go for the smaller roads which are generally quite fine and much far easier driving than the busy A roads.

We puttered through little villages with cows wandering along the road sides, green paddy fields to the left and right. As we drove further south huge mountains stretched skywards in the background. This high country in the centre of Sri Lanka was where the British retreated in the heat of summer. The roads have not changed much since. The hairpins are crazy. And here the roads were becoming much busier.

In the Highlands tourists tend to make for very popular towns like Ella and Nuwara Eliya. This is why we opted for Bandarawella. It's a pretty large town - bigger than we expected. But it's very local and we had an interesting time exploring and shopping here. We hardly saw another tourist. He also spent a great day exploring by train. We stayed at a fantastic little hotel called Train View Chalet. The train chugs right past it across the top of the little valley that it sits snuggling in. It's an oasis of calm, just lovely.

From here we organised a jeep to take us down the line to Badulla where we got on the train and chugged back. The verdant mountain scenery is really spectacular. The train is popular with tourists but it locals use it as well.

Where to stay?

We loved Train View Chalet and would have stayed longer if we had time. We had the family villa which was on two levels with a separate lounge and lovely little terrace, perfect for watching the train when they chugged past a couple of times a day. The rooms feature all sorts of nice touches – including fish tanks! Food was great, the vibe was tranquil and we cooled off with a dunk in the stream at the bottom of the little valley which they have dammed off to make a natural swimming hole.

Days 25 and 26  Villa Le Maas Tota

The drive today was short and spectacular. More twisting turning roads through the hill country, tea plantations and temples clinging to the steep sided valleys. Mountains rolling away in the distance.

We passed through the cute little hilltown of Haputale where a game of cricket was in full swing. Then the road dropped steeply down the other side of the valley offering vast views of distant plains, shimmering hillsides and lakes, all framed on both sides by gnarled mountains. Better still it was wreathed in mysterious whisps of low cloud that ebbed and flowed creating ever changing horizons. We stopped at several viewpoints to just take in panorama.

The next couple of days were all about doing nothing except relax. Just what we needed.

Where to stay

Villa Le Maas Tota is gorgeous - on another level. We’d have stayed longer. It has just 5 rooms housed in a beautifully renovated, stately tea plantation villa. The infinity pool and lawns look out at an immense steep sided valley studded with granite and rainforest. The inhouse chef cooks all your meals – there was a set menu but he was super flexible. His Sri Lankan food was just excellent. Service was faultless, rooms really comfortable and brilliantly appointed. What surprised me was this real luxury was hardly any more expensive than our hotels in the more touristy areas of Negombo and Bentota.

Days 26 and 27 Udawalawe

We chose Udawalawe because it's famous for elephants! It's home to one of Sri Lanka's best national parks for seeing them. But by now we had already seen loads.

So we opted not to do another safari. Instead, we visited the Elephant Transit Centre which was actually really inspiring. Orphaned baby elephants are looked after for a number of years. But the approach is about preserving their independence, releasing them back into the wild when they are ready. You can watch them being fed three times a day. It's popular so turn up at least half an hour early.

Food is an incredibly important part of the travel experience. After our frequent visits Thailand we find most other places just don't compete. But Sri Lanka came close. We loved the myriad breads and curries. So it made sense to do with a cookery course! By chance, the cute little guesthouse where we were staying offered one. It's a family-run business. Mum runs it with a bright smile and a firm hand. We had a great time in her kitchen, preparing a whole range of vegetable carriers and flatbreads with her. We then sat down to eat them afterwards!

Where to stay?

Amba Kola is a friendly little guest house with a pool on the outskirts of Udawalawe. The family that run it are lovely. We had their family room, which is in a new stand alone building. It’s bright, spacious and comfortable with a funky outdoor bathroom! They have a pool and can organise game drives - and those tasty cookery classes.

Days 28 and 29 Bentota

We broke up another day of driving with a stop at Galle.

It's rightly popular for tourists. The old Dutch fort area is now criss-cross of atmospheric streets lined with craft shops and trendy cafés. (You can see how Jaffna fort could end up like this with the right development.) It was unlike anything we'd seen in Sri Lanka - with the prices to match. But the atmosphere is lovely and we would have stayed a couple of nights. We had to save the interesting old churches and archaeological museum for another day - hopefully we will be back sometime. We just had time for a rather pricey lunch and a wander along the ramparts, looking out at the crashing waves below.

Final stop before we headed to the airport, Bentota is a stretch of beach 90 minutes south of the airport. It was good for relaxing and packing up before the flight but when we visited it was very quiet. We were just outside the town and there were few options for eating aside from our hotel. Like Negombo where we started this family holiday in Sri Lanka, the sea is dangerous so swimming isn’t recommended.

Next time we’d stay in Galle instead and accept a longer last day’s drive to the airport – which would take around 3 hours.

Where to stay?

We really liked Sea Rock Villa. It’s a small hotel with only spacious, comfy 10 rooms – all with sea views. There’s a nice pool and it’s all right on the beach. We spend time wandering along the beach which was almost deserted, watching the waves thrashing onto the sand. Food in the restaurant was fine – a bit dull. The staff – like everywhere we went in Sri Lanka were super helpful.