GREAT FAMILY TRIPS TEND TO BE A MATTER OF BALANCE - FIGURING OUT WHO WANTS WHAT, WHEN AND WHERE AND MAKING A PLAN TO TICK ENOUGH OF THOSE BOXES.

SO WE’VE PENCILLED OUT THREE FAMILY HOLIDAYS IN SRI LANKA THAT FIND THAT PERFECT MIX BETWEEN ADVENTURE, EXCITEMENT, AND OLD FASHIONED RELAXATION.

MOUNTAIN TEA, JUNGLES AND SEA

12 nights - from USD 6,800 for a family of four

A trip taking in two of our favourite old Sri Lankan properties as well as a new gem on the beaches of the South Coast.

You’ll head up to the island’s cultural capital of Kandy and just beyond to a gorgeous private estate of some 100 acres. Jump in private waterfalls, pluck tea, explore the foothills of the Knuckles Mountains or drop down into Kandy for the day.

From the estate on to the wilderness of Gal Oya. The National Park here is much less visited than others on the island and you’ll see it at its quiet and beautiful best with a boat safari in the early morning. Adventures to the top of Monkey Mountain and walks with the local Veddah Tribes, not to mention Jungle Drives and river picnics all await.

After a week’s healthy action, down South to golden beaches and the option (if anyone fancies) of a slightly slower pace. Mawella Beach is one of our favourites - wide and open and not a surfing beach so quieter for that. A pristine new spot has opened up, ideally suited for families with upstairs/downstairs cabanas and all very stylish to boot. It’s by no means a resort hotel but has thought carefully about options to fill your days - so if beach- or pool-lounging isn’t what you’re after then sailing, paddle-boarding, fishing perhaps. Galle’s an easy day trip away also and the busier spots of Hiriketiya are a short Tuk ride away if any of the family want something a little more lively.

MANOR HOUSES TO JUNGLE GLAMPING - GORGEOUS BEACH TO FINISH

12 nights - from USD 8,900 for a family of four

We put this trip together for families with an eclectic taste in style and experience; from high-end boutiques in the hills to something much more rustic - but great fun - on southern plains and then finishing with some pazazz again in a gorgeous beachfront villa close to Galle.

Stop 1 takes you to the fringes of Kandy and a Wallauwa (manor house) impeccably restored and lovingly serviced. Jump into Kandy for a real sense of the island’s cultural heart; explore the Botanical Gardens at Perideniya or nip off for some golf at Victoria (just half an hour’s drive and certainly Sri Lanka’s most eye-catching course).

The train ride from Kandy to Ella is thought one of the most beautiful in the world and you’ll take it up to a stunning tea plantation bungalow in the heart of Sri Lankan Hill Country. From the estate enjoy beautiful hikes with expert guides or - a little more high octane - whizz down the Flying Ravana, Sri Lanka’s first “mega zip line”.

After Ella you’ll wind down to towards the Southern Coast, stopping for 2 nights at a rustic but beautiful lodge on the shores of a gorgeous ‘tank’ (lake) close to Udawalawa National Park. All mud-roofed cabanas and thatched roofs, this is an ‘in-nature’ kind of deal and great fun; a evening trip out onto the lake one of our very favourite things to do in SL.

From the lodge it’s back to some high-style and finishing the trip with some golden beach days close to the historic Galle Fort. Sri Lanka does private villas beautifully and we’ll pick one out to perfectly suit your gang.