From packing, safety and food, to carriers and strollers, these tips will help you travel around Sri Lanka with babies and toddlers.
We’ve just returned from an utterly amazing 12 day trip around Sri Lanka. It was my second time in the country – the first was for my honeymoon. I’ve written extensively about that experience already. The route we took on our second trip was pretty similar, but with a few extra cultural stops.
I’ve just written a family travel itinerary for Sri Lanka, so if you’re looking for specific kid-friendly route, you’ll love that post!
To be honest, when I told some people we were travelling to Sri Lanka with our two-year-old son, they looked at me like I was a bit crazy. Not only is it a long flight from the UK, but the country is pretty raw in places. I could understand people who hadn’t visited being apprehensive, but we knew it would be a brilliant place to travel to as a family. Sri Lankan people are so family-oriented. We found locals to be warm and welcoming, always wanting to talk to us and learn more about our family.
One lasting memory from our honeymoon three years ago, was tucking into dinner at a roadside restaurant in Sigiriya, as we watched a French family with three young kids clambering around. We were impressed by the mum who seemed so cool, calm and collected! Seeing her doing an adventurous trip like this with little ones inspired us. We had a feeling that would be us one day.
Flash forward three years and here we are, fresh back from our Sri Lankan adventures with tonnes of memories and plenty of travel tips. From what to pack and how to get around safely, to useful things you’ll only know from visiting, this guide is filled with advice for anyone travelling to Sri Lanka with young kids.
10 Essential Tips For Travelling To Sri Lanka With A Baby Or Toddler
Flying to Sri Lanka with a baby or toddler
It’s important to allow plenty of time to check in, clear security and board your flight. We flew direct from London Heathrow to Colombo with Sri Lankan Airlines. The check in queue took a long time, so we were glad we’d allowed almost three hours.
We have the YOYO3 stroller which is airline approved, meaning you can store it in the overhead lockers. This is brilliant, as it means you can wheel it right up until you board, and have it ready at the other end too.
If you have a baby, you may be able to request a bassinet for your flight. Our son was never a fan of these, but having the bassinet means you’ll have an exit row, which offers more legroom and space.
If your child is over two years old, they’ll have their own seat. Don’t forget to request a children’s meal in advance. It was our son’s first flight with his own seat, and he loved the novelty of the airline food!
We bought an inflatable plane bed for this flight. It was brilliant. It fills the entire space from the seat to the seat in front, meaning your child can stretch out. Plus, when they play with toys or books, they can’t drop things down. Not all airlines accept them, so definitely check before you purchase. It was permitted on our Sri Lankan Airlines flight (I had emailed to check in advance).
Often we ignore the flight attendant when they encourage us to board first. Why coop up your kid in a tin can any earlier, when they’ll only get restless! Usually, one of us boards early with the bags, while the other carries our child on board at the last minute.
Booking hotels in Sri Lanka for young children
Not every hotel in Sri Lanka will have a cot or travel cot available. We requested them at each, but some said they couldn’t guarantee it. If this is critical for you, consider taking your own travel cot. Options like this one by BabyBjorn and this one by Graco are lightweight and travel-friendly.
Many hotels will offer sofas or extra beds too, so speak to them before your trip to make sure they have the room set up for your family.
We booked four and five star hotels for our family trip in Sri Lanka. It’s a country where luxury doesn’t come at a huge price. One of them, Araliya Beach Resort in Unawantuna, even had a children’s playground, pool and kids section at the buffet!
For more tips on booking accomodation, don’t miss my guide to the best family-friendly hotels in Sri Lanka.
Travelling around Sri Lanka with babies and toddlers
If you’re a small family, I’d recommend booking a driver for the week. That way you’ll have all your transport taken care of, a local who knows how things work and the flexibility of your own car.
On our last trip we booked individual cars for each part of the route, mostly via tour operator Mahaweli. They were excellent and it wasn’t hugely complicated to organise, but I think having the same driver for the whole trip would have been simpler. If you have one car, you may be able to organise a car seat too, or bring your own.
Planning your days in Sri Lanka with small children
One thing I learned from travelling around Sri Lanka with our two-year-old was how adaptable he was. He rarely had a meltdown or was upset. He just got on with whatever we were doing! But, the one big piece of advice I have is to plan routes carefully, including stops.
We had a few very long travel days, and I think they were too gruelling for him. He was actually sick twice from motion sickness. The windy, uneven roads, particularly in tea planation areas, are tough on adult stomachs, let alone little ones! We wished we’d got out of the minibus every hour or so, just to have a bit of fresh air and stretch our legs.
You might want to look at rest stops along your route where you can grab a cold drink, use the toilet or have a bite to eat. Prior planning could make or break your trip!
If you haven’t organised it already, I’d recommend buying an eSIM for your trip. They’re really easy to set up and mean you’ll have internet connection from the moment you land. I always buy mine from Sim Local. Use the code WANDERLUST at the checkout and you’ll get 10% off!
Clothing for babies and toddlers in Sri Lanka
As a general rule, Sri Lanka is hot all year round. It does have wet and dry seasons, but you can expect warm and humid weather throughout the year. The only thing to be aware of is that temperatures are cooler in the tea plantations and mountains (particularly around Ella and Newara Eliya).
For this trip, I dressed my son in t-shirts, shorts and sandals pretty much every single day! I also packed swimwear, a rain jacket (which he never wore as it was too hot!) and warmer clothes for the flights. I also took a sunhat, which, being a toddler, he refused to wear 99% of the time!
For bedtime, he wore his usual pyjamas and a toddler sleeping bag. Remember, hotels are air-conditioned so tend to be cool at night.
Sri Lanka is an adventurous country, and you’ll find your little ones get pretty dirty out and about! Whether they’re playing on the sand, in the mud, splashing in puddles on rainy days or something else, we got through a lot more outfits than there were days!
Carriers and Strollers for Sri Lanka
This part is only relevant if you have small kids. If you’re visiting Sri Lanka with a baby, you’ll definitely want a baby carrier. We have the Ergobaby Aerloom, which has been brilliant. We didn’t pack it for this trip, as we use other items now our child is two.
Instead, we packed the Wildride toddler carrier which was really handy when he didn’t want to walk or we couldn’t use the stroller. I used it in the airports, to walk along busy roads and around several temples. It was a great way to keep him safe and contained, and to move at a decent pace!
We also took our YOYO3 Stroller (my full review is here). This is the best stroller to travel with. It’s lightweight, packs down super small (fitting in the overhead locker on planes) and is a comfortable ride. There were several spots it wasn’t suitable for, but plenty that were. It was very useful at airports and for transporting various items. Overall, we were very happy we took it. It was also a great way to guarantee a decent nap each afternoon!
We also packed our Osprey Poco Child Carrier backpack. We knew we’d be hiking Sigiriya with our son, and we decided this would be the best way to transport him safely. Realistically, we could have made do with a baby carrier just for that one morning, but we had the luggage allowance, and the backpack carrier was a lot more comfortable and provided a sun shade too! We only used it for that one activity though, so if you’re short on space, it’s not essential. Our friends used a standard baby carrier on their back for their 2.5 year old, and it worked fine!
Sun protection for children in Sri Lanka
We were very careful with our son’s skin throughout the trip. We layered on factor 50 sun cream every day and tried to avoid midday sun / stick to the shade. We also took a children’s insect repellent (deet free), which we used around dusk some evenings. He still got a few mosquito bites, but they didn’t bother him much.
I was relieved that I remembered to pack our rechargeable fan. It was a last minute addition, but we used it a lot. Sri Lanka is hot and humid, and this made a big difference to our comfort levels! We have one like this, which attaches to any item with its tripod legs, making it ideal for pram naps and car journeys.
Travel safety
There are several ways to travel around Sri Lanka. You might book a private driver and travel by car. Perhaps, you’ll use a minibus. Plus, you’re likely to go on trains, in tuk-tuks and perhaps on buses or boats, too. In the UK, there are strict laws around children’s car seats and travel safety. However, you won’t find these regulations in Sri Lanka (you’ll see locals with three or four kids piled onto one scooter!) It’s up to you how you want to travel and what you’re comfortable with.
In the past, we’ve travelled with the RyRy Scallop Travel Car Seat. It’s brilliant – fits vehicles with ISOFIX and can be transported in its backpack. It’s pretty heavy, but most car seats are! If you want to take a car seat for your trip, this is a great option.
We knew we’d mainly travel by minibus and that style of car seat wouldn’t work. We’d wondered about strapping our son in using a seatbelt, or just holding him. But, after a couples of days of him clambering all over us (and it not feeling very safe), we got his travel high chair out.
We’d packed this because we knew some restaurants wouldn’t have high chairs and meals get messy when he’s not in a seat! It’s a really compact item, fits in a suitcase, and can be attached to most chairs. It has straps which we used to fix it to the seat on the minibus. We also threaded the seatbelt through the base of it to secure it more. We never expected to use it in a minibus, but it was a great hack, and a lot safer than having him crawling around.
As ever, this is a personal choice. You might want to book a car with a proper child’s car seat, or take your own. I’m not endorsing what we did as the safest option, but it worked well under the circumstances. We also used it on the train from Kandy to Ella – it was brilliant for that! Kept him safely in one place, boosted him up so he could see the view better, plus he was very content in there!
If you are travelling with a small baby, I’d suggest putting them in a baby carrier strapped to your front, and then putting a seatbelt over both of you.
Food In Sri Lanka For Babies and Toddlers
Have you ever tasted Sri Lankan cuisine? Let me tell you it’s amazing! I adore it, with its tasty curries, numerous vegetarian dishes and spicy coconut sambals. It’s varied and delicious. While you may be daunted that it’s going to be too spicy for your little ones, don’t fear. You’ll always find rice on every menu, as well as various types of bread or poppadoms. There was often some kind of noodle dish too. Our son had something along these lines most days.
Sri Lanka has an abundance of fresh fruit too, from pineapples and mangos, to bananas and watermelons. Many hotels offer buffet breakfasts, where you’ll find standard items like bread, eggs, sausages, potatoes, cereals, fruit and yogurt.
Plus, while you may want to immerse your family in the culture, you’ll often find Western favourites on tourist menus. It wasn’t long before we were tucking into spicy curries, while our son was snacking on fries or a sandwich! As any parent knows, the main thing is that they eat. What they eat on holiday, isn’t a huge deal!
We packed lots of snacks in our suitcase. Easy items like breadsticks, rice cakes and toddler cereal bars. Plus, we took a bag of his favourite breakfast cereal. It bought us time in the mornings in hotel rooms, as he could snack on that before we went to the buffet breakfast.
All of the hotels were happy to provide milk for our toddler (usually organised at the buffet dinners or breakfasts). If you’re not staying in hotels, you’ll find most items you need in small convenience stores or supermarkets.
Going on safari in Sri Lanka with babies and toddlers
We went on safari twice on this trip. The first was in Hurulu Eco Park near Habarana and the second was in Yala National Park. You might think safaris would be off the cards with small children, but they’re not! It’s up to you to decide if you’re comfortable with the idea. I probably wouldn’t choose this experience with a tiny baby (under 6 months perhaps) as I’d worry about how much they’ll get bumped around on the uneven terrain.
With babies, I’d suggest putting them in a baby carrier to be safe. With toddlers, you should be fine with them on your lap or strapped into a seat. We had ours on our lap most of the time and he loved looking out of the windows at the elephants and other creatures.
Most safaris run in the morning or late afternoon (when animals are most active) and last three to four hours. I wouldn’t recommend doing a full day safari with babies or toddlers. Not only is it a long time in a vehicle (you can’t generally get out as the animals are wild!) but it’s also very hot and dusty. Our toddler was definitely ready for a rest and a change of scene after four hours in a jeep!
I would 100% recommend going on safari with your kids though. Our son adored seeing the wild animals and is still talking about the elephants he saw. What a brilliant way to broaden his horizons, seeing these creatures in their natural habitats rather than on the pages of a book.
I hope this guide helps you plan your holiday in Sri Lanka with babies and toddlers! We found it to be a very welcoming country to families. We never felt unsafe, loved the variety of experiences and felt like it was an enriching trip for us all. Don’t forget to take a look at my guide to Sri Lanka with kids, which includes a great route to follow.
Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions. Have an amazing time!
Looking for more travel inspiration for visiting Sri Lanka? Check out these posts:
- The Perfect Two-Week Sri Lanka Itinerary: Beaches, Safari and Culture
- How To Spend 1 Week In Sri Lanka: 7-Day Itinerary
- Sri Lanka With Kids: Family Itinerary and Top Things To Do
- What To Wear In Sri Lanka For Women And Men: Sri Lanka Packing Guide
- 10 Essential Tips For Travelling To Sri Lanka With A Baby Or Toddler
- 7 Amazing Family-Friendly Hotels in Sri Lanka
- How To Plan A Safari In Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka
- The Best Honeymoon Hotels In Sri Lanka
- 9 Amazing Things To Do In Ella, Sri Lanka
- 16 Best Places To Stay In Ella, Sri Lanka
- 12 Best Places To Stay In Mirissa, Sri Lanka