Palm-lined beaches, temples, caves, gigantic buddhas, monkeys and elephants are just a few of the unique reasons to visit Sri Lanka with kids. We get that it can feel overwhelming travelling to a new and more far flung destination with your children, but we think Sri Lanka could be a great place to start. It feels exotic, there is definitely a cultural difference, but it is very geared up to tourism and English is widely spoken making life a little easier when travelling long haul with kids for the first time.
Today we’ve partnered with Villa-Finder.com – who have over 1,000 villas in Bali, Phuket, Samui, Sri Lanka and Mauritius – to explore why a villa holiday in a stunning Asian beach location needn’t be daunting. Villas have a team of staff for starters and Villa-Finder.com have a large family customer base so they know exactly how to help families find the villa that best meets their needs.
Villa-Finder.com travel consultants like to find out how old your children are and any special requirements like a pool fence or car seat. After you book the guest relation team can help to arrange airport pickups, a special dinner, a day tour, an in-villa massage, pool toys, BBQ party.
In Sri Lanka a villa rental is comparable to a hotel in price, but your food and drink bills will be lower. Breakfast is included and in many villas you can pay for the chef to make lunches or dinners too. Villas have staff and managers so the answers to your questions and support you need as a family is never far away.
Villas are a private, spacious and unique way to experience a new country and experience living like the locals, well okay, like the Ambassador in some cases – see our fourth villa pick! We were amazed by some of the gorgeous properties and we’ve picked 5 today we absolutely love.
Villa Footprints
Villa Footprints looks like a fun family friendly place to stay, with its stunning beachside location overlooking the Indian Ocean from the gardens. No one is going to get bored here, with volleyball and private pool with toys and super colourful rustic interior. It has 6 reviews of 9 and above out of 10. It sleeps 10 with 5 bedrooms. Perfect for multiple family getaways!
Villa Sepalika
Located in the historical town of Galle, the beautifully unique Villa Sepalika has three spacious suites with four poster beds, a hammock and sprawling pool. Can you imagine lazing in that hammock, listening to the kids splashing in the pool and watching the palm trees sway in the breeze? Breakfast is included and there are 3 staff who can cover lunch and dinners at additional cost. Sounds like a stress free way to introduce the kids to local Sri Lankan dishes. Perfect for teens as there is loads of space to hang out.
48 Lighthouse Street
The grand colonial style interiors and spacious interiors make this the perfect place for a special getaway or occasion. Its located in the ramparts of Galle Fort – how incredible must that feel? There are four bedrooms and 3 staff, a private bar and a library to retreat to. The monochrome interiors and houseplants look simply stunning. One for the photographers and instagrammers, but kids might miss the lack of pool…However, Villa-Finder.com recommend booking more than one property for a longer stay and experiencing the uniqueness of each villa. Staying in the ramparts could be the perfect contrast to a beach front villa.
Amabassador’s House
With this property Villa-Finder.com are really spoiling you! Ambassador’s House was the home of the Bangladeshi Ambassador for several years before it became open to the public as a holiday home. The gorgeous interiors with antique furniture and the pool surrounded with lush greenery have to be seen to be believed. Four bedrooms are furnished with king-sized canopied beds and the fifth with single beds. The media room looks seriously impressive and opens up onto the pool, we think kids are going to be seriously happy chilling here!
Find out More
Why not dip your toe in and find a villa in Sri Lanka for your family trip? If you need more convincing, Penny has been digging into the reasons why you might love Sri Lanka over on her own blog, parentshaped.
For every booking, Villa-Finder.com plant a tree in Sumatra, Indonesia too. So you can contribute to the environment while staying with them.
These villas look great. I’ve always wanted to go to Sri Lanka. One for the travel list for next year I think!