Sri Lanka with kids- hotel recommendations and general info.

Hi there

We are looking at travelling to SL in August with our 6 year old. I have a few questions....

1. Is there anywhere where you can swim in the sea in Aug which is not on the Eastern side of the island?

2. Does anyone have any recommendations for family friendly beach hotels with kids clubs? We would ideally like to be able to walk to shops/restaurants from the hotel, but are not really looking for anywhere really really lively!

3. How feasible are day trips to places like Kandy and Singirya (sp?) from:

- Bentota

- Berawala

- Waikkal

- Negombo

4. Any general feedback from anyone re travelling in SL with childres- any does and don%26#39;t!

Many thanks in advance for your help!!

Sri Lanka with kids- hotel recommendations and general info.

Hi,

I%26#39;d only recommend two places as being safe for swimming on the west coast in August.

Thats Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna which both have a good beach completly sheltered by a surrounding coral reef.

There are a few others that are partially shaltered, such as Mirissa and Polhenna but safe swimming on these depends on the weather.

I don%26#39;t have much knowledge of the hotels as I stay in guest houses so the only one that I think fits the bill and is set inside the safe reef area is

http://www.silversands.go2lk.com/

Don%26#39;t know how good they are with kids but it has everything else you%26#39;ve asked about. The safe swiming, lots of small bars, restaurants, shops etc within a short stroll.

The sites you%26#39;ve asked about visiting are really all an overnight stop from more or less anywhere on the coast south of Colombo.

You could just about get to Sigirya from Negombo, climb the rock and get back in a day but it wouldn%26#39;t be a lot of fun rushing around.

Rod.

Sri Lanka with kids- hotel recommendations and general info.

Mmmmm... only small additions:

* From Waikkal/Negombo a day trip to Pinawela orphanage is 2 x 2.5 hours and to Kandy 2 x 3.25 hours. So feasible for sure. From Bentota/Beruwala indeed it starts at 2 x 4-5 hours so gets more difficult.

* Sigiriya is out of reach as daytrip from all of them. Yes, you could do from Negombo as 2 x 4-5 hours. BUT climbing is recommended against if you start between 10:30 AM and 3:30 PM due to the sweltering daytime heat, so really works better when you stay closer (overnight).

All the best,

%26lt;Erik%26gt; %26amp; [Sandya]

Hi

We went to Sri lanka a couple of years ago with our two kids then aged 3 and 6 and stayed at the bentota beach hotel which I would definitely recommend. It has a good pool, a great restaurant, water sports, access to the beach directly from the hotel and staff who are very helpful and loved the children.

Two tips, first if you book this hotel book it Bed and Breakfast and then do a deal with the hotel to upgrade to all inclusive as there prices are very reasonable. Secondly it takes a long time to get anywhere in Sri Lanka so bring something to keep kids occupied on long journeys.

A visit to the elephant sanctuary at Pinnewhalla is a must but tie it in with an overnight stay in Kandy as it is an arduos day trip and Kandy is definitely worth a visit.

Hope you find this helpful.