What you need to know when planning a Sri Lanka babymoon

Sri Lanka is known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean. If you visit it once you will agree it is indeed a pearl. The island nation is filled with pristine beaches, amazing wildlife, verdant tea plantations, delicious foods, rich culture and great monuments. There is no argument it is one of the best tropical countries to visit for a babymoon.

The focus of today’s Travellers Isle article is to help you have the most incredible time in Sri Lanka during your babymoon. More specifically, I want to address your safety concerns and help you design a suitable itinerary for your tour.

Safety concerns when travelling Sri Lanka during pregnancy

I thought of starting the article answering your safety related questions, as many parents are rightfully a bit nervous about travelling during pregnancy.

1. Is Sri Lanka safe to travel when pregnant?

Sri Lanka is a safe country to travel during pregnancy. According to CDC it is a Zika and Malaria free country.  Dengue is present in Sri Lanka in small numbers. Use a mosquito repellent to avoid any mosquito bites during your holiday. It is easy to find clean water, well prepared food and comfortable accommodation in Sri Lanka. Also, there are not any ongoing wars in Sri Lanka.

2. Is it recommended to travel Sri Lanka during the late months of pregnancy?

We have had guests who were 7 months pregnant when they visit Sri Lanka. We planned their itineraries without lots of travelling and they were perfectly fine during their holiday. However, the flight and the travelling part in Sri Lanka could be a bit tiresome for a mother who is 8 or 9 months pregnant. According to NHS the best time to travel during pregnancy is 4 to 6 months.

3. Does Sri Lanka have a good healthcare system that parents can rely on?

Yes, Sri Lanka has a good healthcare system that parents can rely on. There are many government and private hospitals all over the country. Almost all the doctors can speak fluent English and most hospitals have doctors who had some of their education in westerns countries.

The maternal mortality rate in Sri Lanka is 36 per 100000 live births (source). The infant mortality rate in Sri Lanka is 8.36 per 1000 live births (source). These are some of the lowest figures in the region.

Lanka Hospital, Durdans Hospital, Asiri Hospital and National Hospital of Sri Lanka (also known as the Colombo General Hospital) are the leading hospitals of Sri Lanka.

Private hospitals are generally more expensive than government hospitals, but they have better facilities. Make sure to bring your maternity medical records and purchase a travel insurance when visiting Sri Lanka while you are pregnant.

4. Is it safe to use public transport for a babymoon in Sri Lanka?

It is not recommended that you use public transport for a babymoon in Sri Lanka, as buses and trains are often crowded and time consuming.  Also, there is no flexibility for short stops in between travel when using public transport.

You will either have to hire taxis or hire a vehicle and driver for the full duration of the tour when visiting Sri Lanka for a babymoon. If you read our article “How to get around Sri Lanka”, you will know when to use which.

Suitable tour itineraries for babymoon holidays in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka faces two monsoons that bring rain to different parts of Sri Lanka alternating. Therefore, it is impossible to suggest one Sri Lanka itinerary that is suitable for all 12 months of the year.

Since you will be contacting a travel agency at some point to hire a vehicle and driver, I would encourage you to contact Travellers Isle or any other good travel agency to get a tailor-made Sri Lanka itinerary.

If you prefer to do the tour planning on your own, here are the suitable routes and example itineraries for different months of the year. I have also given you a few charts that indicate the suitability of each excursion in Sri Lanka for a babymoon. Using this information, you will be able to come up with a nice itinerary for your babymoon in Sri Lanka.

Babymoon itineraries for November to April

November is a bit rainy month for Sri Lanka, but weather starts to improve dramatically in December. In fact, Mid-December to mid-April is considered as the best time to visit Sri Lanka.

Option 1 - For short tours & slow-paced tours

The route below is ideal if you only have about 10 days to spend in Sri Lanka or if you prefer a slow holiday for your babymoon in Sri Lanka.

• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport)
• Negombo
• Dambulla
• Kandy
• Bentota – Down south beach
• Colombo
• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport)

If you would like to see a detailed itinerary for this, please refer to our itinerary “Sri Lanka with toddlers”. Depending on your stage of pregnancy, you will have to remove Sigiriya, Dambulla Cave temple and Minneriya jeep safari from the itinerary to make it suitable for you. Please check the charts given in “Things to do in Sri Lanka while pregnant” section for more information.

Option 2 – To see as much as possible

If you would like to see as much as possible during your babymoon and if you have 12 days or more to spend in Sri Lanka, you may use below route for your babymoon.

Note – If you only have 12 days, you will have to omit Nuwara Eliya and Colombo from the below itinerary.

• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport)
• Negombo
• Dambulla
• Kandy
• Nuwara Eliya
• Ella
• Yala / Udawalawe
• Unawatuna – Down south beach
• Colombo
• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport)

A good example itinerary for this would be “Sri Lanka culture trip”. Please note this itinerary was not designed for a babymoon. You might have to remove the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Dambulla cave temple and hikes in Ella to make it suitable for a pregnant woman. Please check the charts given in “Things to do in Sri Lanka while pregnant” section for more information.

Babymoon itineraries for May to October

The months May, June and October receive some rain in Sri Lanka. However, you can expect beautiful weather in July, August and September.

Option 1 - For short tours & slow-paced tours

This is the most logical sequence of location for a short tour or a slow paced babymoon in Sri Lanka during the period May to October.

• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport)
• Negombo
• Dambulla
• Trincomalee / Pasikudah
• Kandy
• Colombo
• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport)

If you like to see a babymoon itinerary that use the above-mentioned route, please refer to our itinerary “Sri Lanka babymoon”.

You may use this itinerary as it is for your babymoon in Sri Lanka. However, if you are more than 5 months pregnant, consider removing Minneriya jeep safari and Dambulla cave temple from your itinerary.

Option 2 – To see as much as possible

If you want to experience most of Sri Lanka during the period May to October, below route is ideal for you. For this route you will need minimum 14 days, but it is recommended to plan for 16 to 18 days to make your babymoon in Sri Lanka a bit more relaxing.

• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport)
• Galle
• Udawalawe / Yala
• Ella
• Kandy
• Trincomalee / Pasikudah
• Dambulla
• Negombo
• BIA arrival terminal (Katunayake airport

We are yet to publish an itinerary that follows this exact route on our website. If you would like to see an itinerary that is somewhat similar to the above, please refer to our itinerary “Sri Lanka family adventure”.

Important – Sri Lanka family adventure was not designed for a babymoon. It includes Gal Oya which is a very remote location in Sri Lanka. I would not recommend it for women that are more than 5 months pregnant.

Things to do in Sri Lanka while pregnant

Needless to say, you have to be very careful when choosing excursions for a babymoon. Some excursions can be uncomfortable, even dangerous for a pregnant mother.

Here are a few charts to help you choose suitable excursions for your babymoon in Sri Lanka. We have used a color code to indicate the suitability of these excursions for all stages of pregnancy, from 1 month to 9 months.

• Red – Not recommended
• Yellow – Probably not recommended. Parents have to decide whether to visit or not
• Green – Recommended
• Blue – Must see

Things to do in the western province

Things to do in the down south

Whale watching boat rides can be quite bumpy. Also, these trips last for about 5 hours. (You cannot ask the boat crew to stop the boat ride whenever you want. You are taking the trip with many other tourists. All of them have to agree to stop the excursion to return back to the shore.)

As nausea, vomiting and headaches are common during the first trimester, we would not even recommend it for people in their early months of pregnancy.

Things to do in the hill country

Even though there are not many excursions to do in Ella for pregnant women over 5 months, it is still a nice place to visit during late months of pregnancy. Most hotels in Ella have beautiful views of mountains. You may spend your day simply relaxing and enjoying the views.

Things to do in the cultural triangle

Sigiriya Rock Fortress has 1200 steps and Dambulla Cave Temple has 364 steps. Some women might find these two excursions difficult even during their first trimester.

Mihintale has 1840 steps. The last part of the climb is very windy and does not have proper stairs. We cannot recommend it for pregnant women.

The elephants in Minneriya national park sometimes move to nearby Kaudulla National Park and Hurulu Eco Park. These two national parks have very bumpy roads. If you had to change the jeep safari in Minneriya national park to Kaudulla National Park or Hurulu Eco Park due to this issue, the ride could be uncomfortable.

Things to do in the east coast

East coast beaches are excellent during the period May to October. However, we do not recommend pregnant women taking boat rides for dolphin watching, as those rides are extremely bumpy.

You have to take a 20-minute boat ride to reach pigeon island to do snorkeling there. Hence, it is also not recommended for pregnant mothers.

Note – We do not recommend Jaffna for pregnant women as it involves a lot of travelling to reach there. Also, it will be uncomfortable for a pregnant woman to do excursion in Jaffna due to its hot climate.

Summary

Sri Lanka is a great destination for a romantic getaway before the arrival of your new baby. It offers a wide range of excursions that are perfect for a holiday during pregnancy.

I hope this article laid a solid foundation for your babymoon in Sri Lanka. Please leave a comment if there is anything that you want to get clarified. I am always looking forward to answering your questions.

If you would like to get our assistance for organizing your babymoon, please drop us a message. We offer free itinerary consultation and Sri Lanka babymoons is one of our expertise.