Make memories to last forever with HELLO!'s family travel special

Nowhere else so small provides a family adventure so big.

Sri Lanka may be the same size as Wales, but it packs in astonishing wildlife, untamed beaches and the tastiest food your kids will ever try.

Its small scale also means you're never on the road for too long, and even the most restless children are engaged by a new experience every day.

If you're lucky enough to strike Sri Lanka off your family's bucket list, this is how to spend the perfect 14 days…

Most flights to Sri Lanka are overnight (11 hours direct, or longer if you have a layover in the Middle East), so you'll arrive tired. Head straight south to Unawatuna, a necklace of sandy coves stuck in the 1970s with low-key surf lodges and thatched bars, where you can rent a lounger for peanuts and grab a Lion beer for even less.

What's unique about the area – seek out Wijaya and Dalawalla beaches – is the sea turtles, which cruise in the shallows and are so relaxed they allow humans to swim alongside.

From here, you've two unforgettable day trips: west to Galle Fort (20 minutes by car), and east to Koggala (20 minutes). Galle Fort is the ancient walled capital of the province, with atmosphere in spades.

Teens will love the vintage cars, and the retro film posters on sale, while little ones will be hypnotised watching Sri Lankan children playing cricket on the waterfront ramparts.

Sunset is a magical time, when families fly kites and walk the sea wall, before filling Galle's streetside cafes – it's impossible to eat a bad meal in Sri Lanka – and ordering cashew curry and onion sambol.

Koggala Bay is another spot best seen at sunset, when the fishermen sit on stilts at sea, giving their best pose as the sun goes down.

Dusk is also the time to visit one of the many turtle sanctuaries on the Koggala coast; for a donation, marine staff will invite you to join them at the ocean's edge as they release just-hatched baby turtles into the waves (the low light mimics that of night-time hatching, also making the babies less visible to preying birds).

Now, I know what you're thinking: "We've come all the way to Sri Lanka – we want to see elephants."

Serendipitously, Udawalawe National Park makes the perfect pit stop on your route north. In Udawalawe, elephant sightings are guaranteed, whether they're drinking at a water hole or leading babies on parade – yes, they really do walk in size order, so keep cameras at the ready.

With the kids on a high, the thrill of having seen whales and elephants should keep them going just long enough for you to see an ancient temple or two.

Better yet, you can traverse this part of the country by train, so teens and tweens will be impressed by the journey, which is highly Instagrammable too.

Alight at any of the Tea Country towns – Ella, Haputale, Nuwara Eliya – for a couple of nights in a converted plantation home, many of which are now boutique hotels.

By day, you can visit the tea factories, pick leaves and try a cuppa, and back at the hotel, handmade cakes, croquet and board games entertain all ages.

Back on the train, your final stop is Kandy, a sacred city and home to the awe-inspiring Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. This is a photogenic set of golden-roofed stupas, halls and shrines, with one inner room that is said to contain a tooth of the Buddha.

Get stuck in by going barefoot and immersing yourselves in the incense-thick atmosphere, joining hundreds of fellow worshippers who come to light a candle and make flower offerings.

If the kids feel overwhelmed by the experience – or, worse, bored – you'll be pleased to hear that the temple is by Lake Kandy, where there are pleasure boats.

Reward the whole family with a final farewell meal; as mentioned, Sri Lankan food is exceptional, with enough entry-level dishes for children to experiment.

Hoppers are thin rice pancakes, often filled with a fried egg for breakfast, while kothu roti is a shredded roti flatbread with chicken and spring onions (a bit like Sri Lankan egg-fried rice).

If dessert is the priority, youngsters will go weak at the sight of coconut and treacle pudding (watalappam), candied fruit (dosi) and milk toffees (kiri aluwa).

Given another week, we'd use it – with older kids – to visit Dambulla Caves or Sigiriya Rock in the rural centre, or – with younger children – to explore the lesser-known east-coast beaches around Trincomalee, which is lapped by the same Indian Ocean waters as the Maldives.

Otherwise, it's time to return to Colombo for your flight home. Either way, you'll be back soon; everyone falls for Sri Lanka.

WHERE TO STAY

If you prefer to organise accommodation independently, try Teardrop Hotels which has the beautiful Goatfell plantation home in Tea Country and Wallawwa near Colombo airport.

Resplendent Ceylon has extraordinary one-off properties, including Wild Coast safari lodges in Yala National Park and Cape Weligama on the beach.

For wow-factor stays in Galle, as well as on the south coast near Tangalle, try Aman hotels Amangalla and Amanwella.

For those on a budget, Jetwing has boutique stays all over Sri Lanka, or contact Eden Villas if you want to see Sri Lanka like a local.

GETTING THERE

Tour operators with excellent coverage of Sri Lanka at different budgets include Elegant Resorts,Scott Dunn,Tuiand Expedia.

VANCOUVER, Canada

Race Across the World fans – which family doesn't watch the hit BBC show? – will have seen the teams start season three in the leafy city of Vancouver, before moving on to Vancouver Island.

The episode made us all yearn to see the Canadian province of British Columbia, a land of towering rainforest with zipline parks, grizzly bears, orcas and cute sea otters.

Teens and tweens alike will get a kick out of seaplane flights between city and island, and the fact that they're likely to spot whales simply on the commuter ferry or when travelling by kayak.

Within an hour of this beach resort, you can go surfing in Taghazout, explore the ancient walled town of Taroudant, haggle in Agadir souk or go hiking in the Paradise Valley and Anti-Atlas Mountains.

The four-hour flight and zero time difference also make Morocco a great fit for week-long half-term hops, and stylish hotels make it a great option for new parents who want some family luxury close to home.

Visitjet2holidays.com

DEVON, England

Stay at Wolf Wood Treehouses, a luxury destination set in a 12-acre forest in Devon.

Your family can walk the tors of Dartmoor, go pony trekking, surf at Bude, visit Tintagel Castle, hike Lydford Gorge (the deepest in the south-west, and with a stunning waterfall), try wild swimming or cycle the Granite Way.

The treehouse accommodation is a thrill for kids (two have small bunk rooms, with hidden bunk beds), but it's also a luxurious experience for grown-ups, thanks to a hot tub on the balcony lit with fairy lights.

There's even a wood-fired sauna hidden in the grounds.

The finest family hotels on the planet – and they're all-inclusive...

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

Siyam World (above) takes out the only sting of going to the Maldives – the extras.

Because when you're on any other island resort, you're a captive audience, paying for every ice cream and snorkel trip, with no option to shop around.

Here, it's all included, from the floating water park (biggest in the Indian Ocean), to 24-hour dining (brilliant if your family's jet-lagged) and access to KidzWorld kids’ club for those aged three to 12.

There are also 18 restaurants and bars to choose from, so you're never eating in the same place twice – as well as a spa and adult-only pools if you get time off.

BEST INCLUSIVE PERK

Every booking includes a sunset cruise (keep your eyes peeled for dolphins), snorkel safari (ditto rays and turtles) or local island excursion.

And, if you're staying a week or more, Siyam also throws in free seaplane transfers, taking the hassle out of getting there.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

Ikos – part of the same hotel group as celeb favourite Sani Resort in Greece – has managed to achieve the unachievable: they've made all-inclusive cool.

They did it by creating the most chic and luxurious hotels in the Mediterranean (with raffia lights, terracotta floors, and marble bathrooms), which just so happen not to charge extras.

Then they offered freebies even the top hotels couldn't, such as Tesla car use, endless champagne, Michelin-star menus and complimentary local museum passes.

No wonder the hotels are so successful; they've now opened five in Greece (Crete is due to open next year), one in Majorca and the latest in Andalusia.

BEST INCLUSIVE PERK

Dine Around is an original Ikos concept, which includes dinners at authentic, independent restaurants, so that the local area benefits and guests are encouraged to explore.

WHY YOU LOVE IT

Nothing beats the feeling you get when your children spot Amada Colossos's water park from afar with its tall, twisting slides, splash zone and lazy river and you say: "That's where we're staying."

That doesn't mean it's a plastic-fantastic rainbow of colours; Amada Colossos is remarkably chic, with stylish pools, ancient olive trees and lovely local stone architecture.

It's open from April to early November – we love October half term for off-season sunshine and low rates.

BEST INCLUSIVE PERK

Nowhere else has kids' clubs so well covered, with Little Stars taking babies from four months (a welcome break for new parents), Rainbow Club (ages four to 12), and Astronauts (teens) entertaining children with water sports, movie nights and dance parties.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT

Waiters on roller blades; a waterpark with wave pool; beach club and DJs… all of these come as standard at Rixos Saadiyat (not to mention at its other luxe all-inclusive resorts, from Turkey to Croatia and Egypt).

We love this outpost the most, thanks to its location on white-sand Saadiyat Beach, splashed by clear Persian Gulf waves that are even frequented by nesting sea turtles.

During Christmas school holiday and February half term, temperatures hit 26˚C, and by Easter the thermometer often touches 30˚C.

As you'd expect in the UAE, interiors are beautifully bling, with glass chandeliers, gold Arabic lanterns, and exquisite mosaic – all in the best possible taste.

BEST INCLUSIVE PERK

The live entertainment – from low-key jazz to fire shows and trapeze spectacles – are so high quality you'll feel you should be paying extra. It's great to have these family nights out included.

From the world's most exciting theme parks to magical wildlife, we provide your definitive family guide to the Sunshine State...

I've never had a case of post-holiday blues as bad as I did after Walt Disney World.

I'm not a rollercoaster nut, nor a cartoon fanatic, but something extraordinary happens as you enter the gates of Magic Kingdom, where real life stops and the fantastical takes over.

For those few hours, you, along with every other far-flung family who have travelled miles to be here, submit to the beautifully bonkers experience of it all.

Everyone is on the same page; everyone is likely to do this only once in a lifetime; and everyone wants it to be unforgettable. Which is why you need to do your homework. And why you need to escape from the parks, too, so that everyone can decompress.

I've been on family trips to Florida as a toddler, a teen, a parent and all the bits in between.

Here's how to get the bucket-list break just right...

To get the most from the theme parks while squeezing in a beach holiday as well, you'll need two weeks, which means travelling during the Christmas school break (too expensive), summer (too hot) or Easter – the perfect time of year, in my opinion.

By Easter, the busy US Spring Break is over, so the crowds have dwindled and hotels become more affordable. If you must go in summer, aim for the end of August, when rates are lower, since American children are back at school and their families tend to avoid Florida during hurricane season.

As for a timetable, I'd start your holiday at the theme parks and end at the beach, so the kids get instant gratification and you grown-ups have the easy breezy coast to look forward to.

If you're wondering "how do the theme parks actually work?", here's a quick guide.

The two big hitters in Orlando are Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, and both locations comprise various land and water parks, so you'll need one week at least to appreciate both – four to five days dedicated to Disney and two to three days for Universal.

Some parents think it madness to do both and, generally speaking, they visit Disney if they have kids aged under 12, or Universal for kids over 12. I don't agree, and if you're only going once in your life, the real madness would be to miss one. I also think the difference between the two is not down to age, but your family's personality.

Disney is a magical, immersive bubble, where simply exploring is thrill enough; the detail is astonishing, from the outdoor music to the snacks to the cast members (they are not called "staff" at Disney but cast, and in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, they even interact with you as if residents on the planet Batuu).

The rides are phenomenally creative – and you'll reminisce for years to come – but they are rarely white-knuckle. For example, only one ride goes upside down at Disney, while many do at Universal.

Walt Disney World also has epic scope, with two water parks and four themed parks: Magic Kingdom (for Cinderella Castle and classic Disney parades), Hollywood Studios (for film-inspired lands such as Toy Story and Star Wars); Animal Kingdom (including safari, Finding Nemo and Pandora – The World of Avatar); and Epcot (for futuristic fun including Guardians of the Galaxyand Mission: Space).

Universal is much more an urban theme park in the classic sense – manageable in one or two days – and it could fit inside Disney World Resort many times over. Its undeniable USP is Harry Potter, which is non-negotiable for many families; walking through Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, with the chance to buy Butterbeer or choose you own wand at Ollivanders, is brilliant.

Universal has also just opened a new park – Epic Universe – in addition to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, adding tons of characters to the list that your kids will insist on seeing: Super Mario, Minions, Marvel Superheroes, The Simpsons and more.

And how about wait times, you ask? Well, since Universal is smaller, it's easier to get around, with footpaths or trains connecting each land, while its Volcano Bay water park and many hotels are walkable.

Disney, on the other hand, is vast, and although there are shuttle buses, monorails and cool cable cars between parks and hotels, it’s best to tackle its parks one per day.

Queues are a fact of life in both parks, sadly. But if you're only going to hit Florida once with your family, the best money you'll ever spend is on fast passes (they're called Lightning Lanes at Disney World and Express Passes at Universal).

They are a game-changer, and they'll make the difference between emotional tantrums and zippy, efficient days so well planned that you may even get some hotel pool time before sunset.

Take packed lunches; say no to impulse merchandise; refill water bottles; and whatever extra cash you have, spend it on fast passes.

As for hotels, those owned by Disney and Universal all include early entry to the parks (one hour, usually). Early entry is almost as good as a free fast pass, because you can rush straight to your favourite attractions and ride them as much as possible before the crowds arrive.

Disney's hotels range from Safari Lodges at Animal Kingdom to Polynesian Villas and Wilderness Campsites.

If you want to stay in the heart of the action, without gimmickry or Mickey Mouse serving you breakfast, the stylish Four Seasons Orlando is one of the only hotels on the Walt Disney Resort Estate that isn't owned by Disney.

It offers early park access and has the handy location, but it provides a proper "off" switch when you leave the parks, with a Michelin-starred restaurant, serene spa and gorgeous pools.

Every family holiday needs downtime, and I've discovered some beautiful destinations to pair with the theme parks, such as Anna Maria Island (for bohemian beach vibes on the Gulf coast) and the Florida Keys (if you find road trips relaxing).

Even staying on in Orlando can be restful, thanks to the Central Florida Everglades and a flourishing food scene.

But our best find has been New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic coast. Instead of high-rise hotels, you'll find clapboard beach houses painted every colour from cherry red to peppermint, with low-key apartment blocks in between.

It's the sort of beach town where you can walk everywhere, with seafood restaurants, happy-hour terraces and farmers' street markets just minutes apart.

Because New Smyrna is a barrier island, linked by causeway, the intracoastal waters are filled with thriving wildlife such as manatees and dolphins.

Herons, egrets and cormorants put on a free show while you eat conch fritters or sip a margarita. Since everyone is on vacation or retired, there's a slow pace to life here that's hypnotic.

If the kids get antsy – they won't – Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is under an hour away, as well as famous surf spots Daytona and Cocoa beaches.

We simply slowed down after Disney, cycling the boardwalks through sand dunes, hunting down the tastiest fish tacos and watching the sunrise from our beach-condo balcony.

It's taken me 40-plus years to curate the perfect Floridian family trip, and I think I've finally cracked it.

Find out more at Visit Orlando

GETTING THERE

Fly direct from Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Newcastle to Melbourne Orlando with Tui.

Go packaged and one week in a Disney World hotel starts from £900pp at Tui, including flights but not park tickets.

ATTRACTIONS

The best-value ticket to Walt Disney World is a 14-day Magic Pass from £438pp.

Universal also has a 14-day pass from £444pp. One-day entry to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex starts from £58pp.

WHERE TO STAY

On a budget, Universal's Cabana Bay is a retro-themed stay next to Volcano Bay water park. With mid-level rates, we like Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort near Epcot and Coronado Springs near Animal Kingdom.

For a splurge, check into Four Seasons Orlando.

On New Smyrna Beach, see Casago for holiday lets. For more:visitflorida.com