It’s never easy planning and executing a long vacation when you have two young children. Their food, sleep and comfort are your top priorities because you know what happens when even one of them is compromised – HELL BREAKS LOOSE!
This vacation had been on our minds for a long time. Come June 2025, we complete 10 years of being married! This milestone deserved an extra special celebration, more so because ‘Hum do, Hamare Do!’
Planning stage:
When to go? Where to go? How many days? Budget?
You’d consider the idea of ringing in your anniversary while on the vacation to be the most romantic setting, wouldn’t you?? But a vacation in June-end is a big NO for a CA! Makes me always wonder why he chose to get married in June and plan both his kids to arrive in July when it’s his annual peak audit/ tax season! Luckily for us, we had another date – we had officially registered our wedding in May, so that would do as well!
By the way, YES it is our anniversary trip but just because I love Ireland or PP loves Mount Kilimanjaro doesn’t mean those destinations are doable with our too little boys!
So here were our top options:
YES:
Japan/ Kazakhstan/ Georgia/ South Korea/ Russia/ Turkey
NO:
Southeast Asia/ Dubai/ Europe
We did consider going to the North but the ticket prices had skyrocketed given that half the Indian population chooses to go there for a respite from this heat! When you have a preschooler + an infant, your options better cater to the older one’s likes and dislikes unless you want 10 full days of “ NO/ I’m bored/ can I watch?/ let’s go back home!” The infant couldn’t care less! When you consider flying to some place with an infant that’s one wild child it’s best for you and co-passengers that you fly short with no layover and that’s how we zeroed down on the one destination that wasn’t on our earlier list – SRILANKA! From whatever little we had read and seen, the country had so much more to offer each one of us, from beaches to mountains to mall and all! By the way, we did not do another secret wedding in April, the dates just worked out perfect.
Next step was working on the itinerary. Now I don’t know about others, but we love doing this activity by ourselves! We started with reading and watching blogs, articles, videos and reels that gave us a truckload of information and we soon shortlisted 3 places to visit. PP and I, we both like to keep our to do/ must see list very flexible and with two kids it’s all the more important that we do so!
Execution stage:
Being Patils!
1) I DON’T spy in my eye the I!
Upon reaching the security check at Mumbai Airport, PP was stopped and ordered to place his Iwatch in the tray and pass through the scanner again. I had already collected the bags and phones. It was only when he crossed over to me did I learn that we had to wait for his watch to arrive. But only it did not! Ten minutes passed by and there was no sign of the watch. Because he had put the watch in a separate tray, chances were high that someone had piled their luggage onto the tray and lifted it off! PP began to panic. (WHICH HE NEVER USUALLY DOES!)
While he rushed to inform the security personnel, the kids started to get restless and hungry. All of this drama at 4.00 am.! I took out their food and sat to feed, focusing on not making a mess and ensuring that the little one didn’t take a leap while I turned to feed his brother. I multitask a lot but doesn’t necessarily mean I’m an expert at it.
Meanwhile PP was trying to track his Iwatch on the phone App but it did not work. Murphy zindabad! Luckily the airport security was prompt in checking their camera feed and soon the watch was traced to a man who had gone some distance. Shortly, a man was brought to the spot with PP’s watch on his person but he had a contrasting tale to tell! Whether he stole it or not will remain a mystery as it wasn’t clear but at that point all that mattered was we got the watch back AND caught our flight in time.
Thank you Mumbai Airport Security.
2) No thanks, we’ll PASS!
When we entered The Grand Hotel on our second day in Nuwara Eliya, I was super duper excited to say the least!! I was so smitten by the waiting area that I could hardly wait to be taken to our room. But that’s not what made my jaw drop. When the lady from the reception asked us for our passports, PP realised that his waist bag containing our passports was missing!
We frantically rummaged through our bags but in vain. There was only one place we could have left it behind. PP called the caretaker of Villa Lemon Count as we had checked out from there earlier that morning. Luckily it was there and it was such a relief that the Villa was only 15 mins away!
3) ‘Dish’oom ‘dish’oom!!
On our drive from Sigiriya to Colombo, PP informed me that the ‘nice’ hotel guy that had requested me to post a review for his hotel had nicely added ‘Kitchen Usage Charges’ of 1000 LKR to the final bill along with service charges. Who ever does that? I used his gas only for a total of 5 times during the stay and it was to make the baby food – MY powder cooked in MY dish. I was mad at his cheap behaviour until I reached the Colombo hotel to realise that the dish was no longer with me. The hotel guy had not only gained that 1000 LKR but also my dish, a dish that was used since Shloki’s baby days. Now I was mad at myself AND him.
4) The Battle of Windshire
Our drive from Nuwara Eliya to Galle was a 6 hour+ drive but thanks to our driver and his friendly wife who accompanied us, it was a fun road trip. However, reaching the Fort Windshire was proving to be a real battle! Everyone had to get out of the car twice so the driver could get it to the top without letting the car die on us. “Zor laga ke Aayesha!” (The poor wife that pushed the car, her name was Aayesha).
It was when PP walked to me asking whom I had spoken to at the hotel that I began to suspect something had gone awry. I was greeted by a sweet elderly woman who informed me that the Suite booking I had made through their website was invalid because the site was broken down, which was why I received no final confirmation mail from the Hotel. So basically, we lost the battle and conquered no Fort. Also, Mokshi left a toy spade there as a mark of defeat.
It was the Sinhalese New Year weekend. Where were we going to get a room? The kids were hungry and tired after the long drive and the poor couple that had come to enjoy their day after dropping us off were forced to babysit while we sat there doing a quick desperate search on booking.com! We were shown a regular room in the Fort but that was it. It was just regular. After several calls, we confirmed a room at Villa Lemon Count for 3 nights. A decent property with an attractive lawn and a view of the mountains but no other amenities, unless you count the huge bath tub!
You know how the saying goes, ‘agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho….’ It couldn’t be more true! Thanks to PP, we hit jackpot and got to spend the next two nights at The Grand Hotel! This was the CC best anniversary gift!
5) From PickMe to DropMe
When we reached Sigiriya on Day 7, PickMe App permanently blocked PP’s number! While the customer care wasn’t clear about the reason, his account did not get unblocked as promised. So we used the hotel guy’s local contact and he demanded cash payment. So we had to stop by at an ATM first because until then PP had only used his card.
How did we reset PickMe App? – PP logged in with my Mom’s phone no.! An OTP is required only to sign in and not to commence rides 😀
What we did different:
– If you want to take a train in Srilanka, the most popular and highly recommended journey is the one from Kandy to Ella (or Ella to Kandy) that boasts of a scenic route, passing through tea plantations and mountains. Like PP said, it would be the ‘Kasto mazza hai’ type. We only wanted the kids to experience a train journey and shorter the better, so we took a train from Colombo Fort to Galle – all in all a coastal route with the tracks nearly touching the waters! Apparently the Kandy – Ella gets too crowded and it’s not like we were interested in leaning out of the door to make Insta reels! It was a First Class AC non-sleeper.
Can you hear Shloki? Shortly after the dialogue all four of us SLEPT OFF. So much for the scenic route.
– We did only two half days at the beach:
1) Unawatuna beach
2) Dehiwala – Mount Lavinia beach (Marino Beach Lounge at Colombo)
– We did only Nuwara Eliya. Tourists are known to combine Ella with it but it was really my choice and I really wanted to explore the ‘Little England’ hill station, famous for its colonial-era architecture and tea plantations. No tea-tours* please! 😛
– PP and I are coffee lovers and not the experimenting type. We need our filter kaapi or Cappuccinos and Mochas. We lived off them throughout our trip at cafés and Barista. Starbucks doesn’t even exist! Our apologies Srilanka, your tea isn’t our cup of tea.
When you search ‘Family trip to Srilanka’, you’ll find Safari in the top suggestions, especially at Yala National Park. Having gone on a safari vacation recently, we decided against it but when we searched for things to do in Sigiriya, there happened to be Elephant Safari tours not far away from our Hotel. Online packages were too costly, so our hotel guy arranged for a tour and it turned out to be the best decision! An afternoon Safari in Hurulu Eco Park. Wait till you watch the videos!
What to pack:
If you’ve read my ‘Confessions of a Travelholic’ blog, you’ll know I underpack almost always leading to major chaos and confusion. This time around, it was a 10 day trip and international at that! So I took no chances. I packed enough clothes for all of us, made sure there were matching pairs and what not!
Essentials:
Medicines and Thermometer – Made sure I had a solution for every ailment that could trouble my kids. I carried two hing rolls because you just cannot have enough of them!
Baby food – Though I’m not a fan of ready-to-eat packaged foods for infants, especially Nestle Cerelac, I ordered a few cereals and snacks from SlurrpFarm for emergency situations. I carried his favourite home-made powder in bulk, along with the dish to cook in, a bottle of ghee and two flasks. I intended to pack a small pouch of Vim liquid but decided against it!
Diapers – I carried only a dozen and we purchased the rest on requirement basis. ‘Cargills FoodCity’ – has many outlets and sells everything you need and more!
The BEST OF EVERYTHING!
(I’m not going to rate/ review in detail things you can find on Google)
1) Galle
The hotel we stayed at, Orchard House, was a beautiful private Villa in the heart of Galle Fort. Their courtyard style garden with a pool by its side will blow your mind off, especially during rains. Though there were a couple of other guests, it felt like the entire Villa belonged to us, especially their kitchen where I cooked Mokshi‘s food!
We love Cafés and every single one that we stopped at was a SUPER HIT! The ambience, the food, the everything!
Pedlars Inn Café, The Bungalow Galle Fort, KiXi, Maru – Poké and Café, Dumplings Café
By the way, try Hot Hot Roti Shop (near the Lighthouse)! We took an egg paratha, spicy enough to clear up my sinuses but delicious!
I haven’t done Kochi fort so I can’t tell you if Galle fort gives similar vibes but I loved every nook and corner of this place. The narrow lanes, the cobbled streets adorned with cafés, shops and villas and the lighthouse old yet standing tall. The night it rained, the four of us slowly walked in dimly lit streets, huddled together under one big umbrella – this will be one of my most favourite moments.
2) Nuwara Eliya
Undoubtedly, it’s The Grand Hotel for me. It is grand. It is pure luxury. Established in 1891, stepping into the heritage hotel actually transported me into a different world altogether! The staff, the service, everything was first class. The jazz music playing in the corridors and rooms was another winner! Even a stroll in their expansive garden made me feel like I was in a fairy tale! I shopped for some traditional wear for the kids and myself at their gift shop to be a part of their New Year celebrations which turned out to be fun!
Cafe Noshers – Another Google discovery that turned out very good!
Gregory Lake – This park kind of gave me Central Park, NY vibes! The park is divided into phases and after a thrilling speed boat ride that the boys absolutely enjoyed, we took a long stroll in the park that was peaceful and relaxing. With two young boys? Yes! That’s how good the place was!
You know what? Most hotels in Nuwara Eliya do not have a fan and AC in the rooms!! It never gets hot and muggy there!
3) Sigiriya
Sigiriya Rock Hide – A property well hidden indeed! There’s just so much greenery around! You can see the Lion Rock at a distance, bird sounds are as frequent and clear as the honking of cars in our city, and they do have an impressive swimming pool. There was even a peacock perched upon the tree across the rooms!
Lion Rock! I’ll be honest, I had my reservations about doing this trek. Though Google said moderately difficult, I was worried how we would manage it with the boys but what do I tell you! My boy left me completely awestruck! 1200 steps climb, all by himself. In a total of 3 hours we managed to finish the trek successfully and learn about the history of the place thanks to a guide.
Hurulu Eco Park – while at first we were quite disappointed with the pace of the safari, our patience paid off and how!! We saw at least 30 adult elephants and 3 adorable baby ones! Two of them, clearly siblings, reminded me of my brats, playfully troubling and bullying each other!
After the Safari, we halted at the Barista for our mandatory evening coffee. Shlok and I had heard the thunder a few times and even exclaimed that it was loud but when it was time for us to get out and walk to the restaurant, the real downpour began! My goodness it was one of the craziest rains with lights flickering and thunder crashing! We were most fortunate to be inside Barista with the two boys and not stranded in the middle of nowhere! As a token of gratitude and to cheer up Shlok who was gloomier than the weather, I ordered a DEATH BY CHOCOLATE!
4) Colombo
Marino Beach Hotel – Shloki chose this to be his most favourite part of the trip! The big building with a spectacular view of the waters, the rooftop jacuzzi and infinity pool, the grand huge lobby, the big beautiful room with a bathtub and the delicious cheese pizza. I don’t blame him for loving this property! Also they have a private beach lounge 10 mins away, made easily accessible with their shuttle service! What else can one wish for!
‘Dolci Falasteen’ – Good lebanese food! (Found this one on Google by review)
One Galle Face Mall – We spent a couple of hours in this Mall on our first day in Colombo because we had free time to kill until our train to Galle and the kids were too hot.
…..
Back in India, I feel like, no I’m 100% sure, I left a piece of my heart in Srilanka. I can’t tell you how much we all loved every bit of the holiday, with not a single dull or tired or bored moment! A big Thank You to Srilanka for being the perfect destination for our family trip.
Talking of heart, I had seen this reel on Insta, a rare one of its kind, that I wanted to imitate. Here’s how it turned out! Cheers 🙂
P.S. This is the reworked version of my Srilanka blog because the earlier one that contained the itinerary and details turned out too business-like and wasn’t my usual style. Apparently it lacked the real Sne-ccentricity. Thank you my dear readers for giving me the feedback.
For our Srilankan itinerary, just message me. 🙂
C.A.: Confused Aquarian 