Sri Lanka Best Destinations for Kids

Sri Lanka Best Destinations for Kids

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Arabiers Digital

22 October 2024 | 12 min

Sri Lanka Best Destinations for Kids

Introduction 

Sri Lanka is a beautiful island with a huge variety of family friendly activities and destinations.  There are many fun and kid friendly activities and destinations in Sri Lanka that cater to children of all age categories and interests whether it’s an adventurous person,  nature lover or someone who’s curious about Sri Lanka’s unique culture and history. Moreover, Sri Lanka is very famous for its great hospitality,dreamy destinations, luxury hotels,best holiday packages and friendly locals.  This travel blog from Arabiers offers everything you need to know about Sri Lanka's best destinations for kids. 


Colombo - The Capital City of Sri Lanka


Colombo is the capital and the largest city of Sri Lanka, this location offers a great combination of outdoor trips,museums, planetariums and fun city activities for kids

Viharamahadevi Park :

●    Viharamahadevi park is one of the most beautiful gardens named in honour of  the iconic sinhaleese queen Viharamahdevi, it is located at the cinnamon gardens colombo 07. The park features a beautiful large statue of Lord Buddha, landscaped green pastures, water fountains,jogging tracks, picnic spots,children’s play areas,boat riding and a mini zoo making it an ideal location for kids.

National Museum  : 

●    The National Museum of Colombo is the largest and the oldest museum in Sri Lanka.The building of the museum is architecture according to the italian renaissance style. This museum houses a large collection of unique exhibits of Sri Lankan history including the very valuable throne and crown of the kandyan kings and a library that holds very informative and valuable manuscripts of the past. Visiting this location is a great opportunity to learn about the rich culture, heritage and history of Sri Lanka. 

Planetarium : 

The planetarium located in Colombo 07 is the only planetarium in Sri Lanka. The sole purpose of this location is to educate people on astronomy and space science using fun entertaining activities like shows about astronomy topics, star charts and moving celestials.The building on the planetarium is uniquely architectured as a striking dome.

Dehiwala Zoo : 

Dehiwala Zoo is one of the oldest zoological gardens in Asia, It houses many different animals both local and global. Many visitors and tourists visit this location to watch the famous elephant show, lion feeding sessions and walk through the beautiful butterfly gardens.

Galle Face Green : 

Galle face green is a fun urban park in Colombo with many leisure activities for kids such as flying kites, picnics, long walks and various street food. This location is famous for trying the delicious Sri Lankan street snack ‘isso wade’ and watching the scenic view of sunset feeling the cool breeze of the indian ocean.

Tips for Visitors :
It's best to plan outdoor activities in Colombo either early morning or late evening to avoid the heat of the sun.
 


Negombo : The Airport City


A beautiful tourist friendly city located near the Colombo Bandaranaike International Airport. This location is very famous for its beaches and fishing industry. It also consists of some main tourist attractions and fun kid’s activities.

Negombo Lagoon : 

The Negombo lagoon is a beautiful large water body in the coastal side of Sri Lanka. Children along with their parents can enjoy many kid friendly yet unique experiences such as boat riding, fishing, kayaking, birdwatching etc. This location is famous for spotting many migratory birds and aquatic species.

Negombo Fish Market : 

The Negombo fish market is one of the busiest markets in Sri Lanka. It’s a very unique opportunity for kids to witness fishermen , fishing boats at work  and even purchase very fresh seafood to make your meals more delicious.

Negombo beach : 

The Negombo beach is one of the most popular beaches in Sri lanka and it’s famous for its golden sand, calm blue waters and fun fishing culture. Kids can engage in many fun activities like swimming (with the help of parents), build sand castles or even observ fishermen pulling their nets to the shore.

Tips for Visitors :

We recommend you to consider staying at a 5 star accommodation  facility with beachfront access to enjoy your stay to the fullest.


Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage - See the Majestic Creatures


Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is a recreation facility based on protecting orphaned and injured elephants.It is located in Pinnawala, Rambukkana area around 70 km from Colombo. It is the largest elephant orphanage in the world and it houses over 95 elephants. At this locations kids can enjoy many unique experience and engage in fun kids friendly activities like follow,

●    Bottle feed baby elephants.
●    Bath elephants.
●    Feed fruits to elephants.
●    Observe elephant behaviours up close.
●    Get educated on wildlife conservation efforts.

Tips for visitors : 
Maintain a safe distance with the elephants to ensure safety.
 


Sigiriya : The Rock Fortress


Sigiriya is an ancient rock fortress built by king Kashyapa and it is also considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is also known as the lion rock and it consists of beautiful arts etc. Kids can have many unique and  fun experiences such as,

●    Rock climbing.
●    Observe water gardens and ancient ruins.
●    Learn about kings and Sri Lankan history.
●    Observe wild animals like monkeys along the way to the top.

Tip for visitors : 
Wear comfortable light clothing and stay hydrated at all times to avoid heat during climbing.


Yala National Park - The Wildlife Experience


The Yala National Park  is one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries that covers around 979 square kilometres. This location is highly famous for its world famous leopards. This land is a perfect combination of lagoons, forests, beaches, grasslands etc. Let’s have a look at some very unique and special wildlife experiences that kids can enjoy here,

●    Guided jeep safaris.
●    Spot wildlife species like leopards, elephants, crocodiles , sloth bears and deers.
●    Observe migratory birds.

Tips for visitors : 
We recommend that it's best to go in either early morning or late evening to avoid the day's heat.
 


Ella - Beautiful Waterfalls and Scenic Train Rides


Ella is a beautiful hill town famous for its breathtaking views of waterfalls, tea plantations, misty hills and cool climate. It’s perfect for adventours, relaxation and to enjoy nature.Kids can enjoy many nature related activities such as,

●    Scenic train rides.
●    Enjoy coffee in cafes overlooking the ella.
●    Hiking in the ella rock and Adam’s peak.
●    Visiting tea factories.
●    Walk and take fun photos in the colonial style nine arches bridge.


Sinharaja Forest Reserve : Beautiful Rain Forest in Sri Lanka


The Sinharaja forest reserve is one of the  largest rainforests in Sri Lanka and a UNESCO World Heritage Site famously known for its rich biodiversity consisting of rare plants, wildlife species and beautiful forests. Here are few kid friendly activities you can enjoy at this location, 
●    Jungle roaming.
●    Guided tours in the jungle.
●    Spotting wildlife species such as leopards,endemic birds, reptiles and insects.
●    Find very rare plant species.
●    Enjoy the nature of waterfalls.


Bentota : A Beach Town


Benota is a beautiful beach town with many beautiful attractions and kid friendly destinations such as bentota beach and bentota turtle hatchery etc.

Bentota Beach 

The Bentota beach  is a beautiful golden sandy beach and calm water perfect for relaxation. 

One of the unique features of this beach is having access to both ocean and river as it is located at the mouth of the bentota river. Let’s have a look at few activities that kids can enjoy at this location,

●    Swimming 
●    Banana boat rides.
●    Fishing.
●    Boat safaris.
●    Sunbathing
●    Leisure walks.
●    Spot wildlife and migratory birds.

Bentota Turtle Hatchery 

The Bentota turtle hatchery is a conservation project established to protect endangered sea turtles. They hatch eggs of turtles and release baby turtles to the ocean at the right time. Let’s have a look at few fun activities that kids can enjoy at this destination,

●    Observe and interact with baby turtles.
●    Spot various types of turtles such as leatherback, hawksbill, loggerhead and green turtle etc.
●    Participate in releasing turtles to the ocean.
●    Observe turtle nests and even eggs.