168 hours into backpacking Sri Lanka and we’re in full swing in this warm-hearted, stunning & incredibly diverse little country. The initial apprehension and guardedness a new country brings (especially backpacking with kids) has melted away. Getting to grips with how things work here in Sri Lanka only takes a few days. We’ve found everything incredibly easy travelling Sri Lanka with kids so far – apart from the food which can be challenging for little European taste buds!

Backpacking Sri Lanka with kids

We’re impatient to discover the rumours of remote, pristine beaches, the rich culture of ancient traditions and temples, to witness tea production in Sri Lanka high up in the cooler climes of the hill country, ride the train from Kandy to Ella (one of the most stunning train journeys in the world), not to mention the abundance of exotic wildlife and fantastic dive sites.

As we become more clued up, we’ll let you know our 27 day backpacking Sri Lanka route and top tips for travelling Sri Lanka with kids. 

It’s impressive what you can experience in 7 days in Sri Lanka. Even taking it slower as a family. Read on to hear our first impressions of backpacking Sri Lanka.

 1. Transport in Sri Lanka – tuk tuks!

We fell in love with this super cute bakery tuk tuk who advertised his approach by a loud ice cream jingle.

Officially my favourite mode of travel – ever! Describing the thrill of a tuk tuk journey to my girls on the plane, they were amped on arrival at Colombo (Bandaranaike) airport to see what all the fuss was about. The price haggle. The manic wasp-like engine revving. The fumes and dust. The frenzied weaving in and out of clogged traffic lanes. The vivid colours, their crazy drivers with their religious icons adorning the dashboards. I love tuk tuks!

And so it was then, that on arrival after a 19 hours and 3 flights to (Colombo) airport, we bustled out into the main road and the girls watched their first haggle (it’s their first visit to a third world country). Since then we’ve mostly been catching tuk tuks for short distances.

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Read our post Things to do in Kandy Sri Lanka

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2. Budda

We didn’t know turning our backs to Buddha was offensive. So – never have your photo taken with a buddha behind you.

After a nights recovery sleep at nearby Negombo, we headed straight for the cultural capital of Sri Lanka – Kandy. It makes sense geographically if you’re travelling during the Yala Monsoon (May-Sept) as you’ll be heading to the East Coast beaches anyway. Kandy is perfectly situated in the middle of the island and it’s the perfect spot to find Sri Lankan culture.

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Which is the best rock to climb in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka?

The UNESCO world heritage site Lions Rock or the humble alternative, Pidurangala?

Read our review on Climbing Pidurangala Rock

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It’s a 2-3 hour drive with a private driver (9,000 rupees) from Negombo to Kandy but I’ll talk in a later post about getting around and costs. You’ll go straight into cultural overdrive, which can be punishing after the long flight (rather than chilling on a beach), but taking it slowly with the kids and building in some chill days along the way is key. That way we can end the holiday with a long stretch at the beach – heaven.

 From witnessing the last night finale of the most spectacular Buddist festival in Asia, Esala Perahera, to my 6 year old learning not to turn her back to Buddha at Dambulla Cave Temples, watching our elephant safari guide pull up to a roadside temple to pray to Ganesh, the elephant god, before entering the national park, religion and Buddha are everywhere in Sri Lanka. Whether you’re visiting the large cultural sites and temples of Sri Lanka, spotting shrines to deities in your homestay or offering lotus flowers to Budda at Dambulla your kids will learn fast about the do’s and don’ts of Buddism.

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Read our post

 Best Beach Cabana on the East Coast of Sri Lanka

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3. Sri Lankan Elephants

We saw over 70 elephants dressed to the nines in the famous Buddhist festival Esala Perahera, in Kandy

With no less than 22 national parks on an island just slightly smaller than Ireland, and with the highest density of wild elephants in Asia, there’s a good chance you’ll see one of these huge beauties on safari. With the world’s largest wild elephant gathering happening here in August every year, when up to 300 elephants migrate to Minneryia National Park‘s reservoir, you can ditch David Attenborough and see it with your own eyes. I’ll be writing more about visiting the National Parks and why other commercial elephant centres  should be avoided, soon.

Within 10 minutes drive into Kaudulla National Park, we saw a mother and her 7 month old baby. 

4. Sri Lankan Food

Sri Lankan hoppers are pancake like on the outside and crumpet like in the centre

Sri Lankan cuisine has been our toughest challenge here and hands down the one thing about Sri Lanka that most young families might struggle with at first. Sri Lanka curry is downright delicious – something our kids were not so inclined to agree with (at first!).  Expect to be ordering plain omlettes (with french fries where available), rice and rice noodles for the first few days. We’ve now moved onto hoppers (egg pancakes shaped like a bowl), coconut roti (flat bread), and veg fried rice. It can be daunting to watch your kids eat so little in the first few days, but believe me hunger gets the better of them eventually and they start to be less fussy about what’s on their plate. We bulk up at breakfasts and buy a lot of fresh fruit at roadside stalls. I’ll write more about Sri Lankan food in another post.

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Read our post

Things to do in Ella Sri Lanka with kids

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A typical Sri Lankan breakfast at your guesthouse includes fresh fruit platters, a pot of tea, toast and eggs of some description. If you want hoppers you’ll have to ask as they’ll presume you want fried or boiled eggs. Sri Lankan hoppers are pancake like on the outside and crumpet like in the centre.

5. Sri Lankan People

Sri Lankan people are so friendly. Everywhere you go the locals give you smiles. Here We met this lovely lotus flower seller on the steps up to Dambulla Caves to give as an offering in the temples

I always thought Thais were the friendliest in the world but Sri Lankan people have such a friendly, amical manner without being in your face or intrusive, that they are just utterly wonderful. They genuinely love kids and so with a few of these in tow, we’ve found ourselves completely embraced wherever we’ve been.

Whilst waiting on the train platform for the Kandy to Ella train we immediately made friends with the chief signalman and his comrades and were treated to a private viewing of the antique signal levers (that still are used and working today). We sat with the locals chatting easily whilst a number of aloof Westerner travellers, all in couples watched on. Kids rule. Bring yours!

Backpacking Sri Lanka is easy with kids. We would definitely recommend bringing your tribe to discover this beautiful island.

If you’re thinking of heading to Sri Lanka read Best Travel Tips & Guide to Sri Lanka and 50 Important Tips for Travelling in Sri Lanka

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