Dikwella with kids, a calm family day at Turtle Beach

Turtle Beach in Dikwella is a calm, round bay away from big waves and traffic, and families are the heart of Ohana. This is how a day with children works with us: the water, the shade, the food, the dogs and the sunbeds.

What is the water like for children?

The bay is round, with a reef on the horizon, away from big waves, and the water in front of us is a sheltered basin. This is not a surf beach. On calm days a child can still touch the bottom up to about five metres from the shore.

Calm water is still the sea, and children need an adult with them in it, every time. The south coast is usually calmer from about December to April. From about May to September the sea is rougher: swim only on calm days, and some days are for sandcastles only.

Two things to tell children before they run in:

• Sea urchins live in the rocks. Walk in where the sand is clear and stay off the rocks.
• Turtles are for looking. Wild sea turtles often feed on the reef. We never touch them, chase them or feed them. We lend snorkel masks free, in children's sizes too.

A child who sees a turtle's head come up to breathe will talk about it for a week.

Where do you sit, and where do they play?

Ohana has its own private stretch of beach inside its grounds, in front of the public bay. For a family that means a garden with an edge, away from tuk-tuks, noise and crowds, with tables on the sand.

There is shade under the palms and in the cabanas, and there are hammocks and a lounge. The two swings under the palms are usually found within a minute. Sand does the rest. We have high chairs and a changing table, and plenty of games for children and for grown-ups.

No alcohol is served at Ohana, which helps the afternoon stay gentle.

What do children eat?

Food at Ohana is not spicy unless the dish says so, and the menu marks every dish that is. The Little Ones menu is short, and real:

• Kids Fish and Fries, 2,800 LKR. Real snapper, cut into fingers here and coated in crunchy crumbs, with fries and our own mayo.
• Kids American Pancakes, 1,800 LKR. Small and fluffy, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and our own chocolate sauce.
• Kids Toast and Eggs, 1,500 LKR. Firm boiled eggs, halved, with sourdough toast cut into little triangles for small hands.
• Little Watermelon, 800 LKR. Fresh watermelon juice in a child-sized glass with a straw.
• Babyccino, free. Warm frothy milk in a small cup, with no coffee in it, so they can join you for yours.

The Little Ones are served all day, from 08:00 to 21:00, and the kitchen leaves the chilli out of any dish on request.

For the whole table there is the Ohana Family Breakfast, 21,900 LKR: a little of everything for two grown-ups and one or two children, with nothing spicy, a jug of iced tea and two pots of Ceylon tea. The Royal Fruit Platter, 7,900 LKR, is mango, papaya, pineapple, watermelon and banana on one big tray for two or three.

From the main menu, two dishes that are not marked spicy and are easy to share are the Grilled Catch of the Day, 7,900 LKR, and the Coconut Calamari, 5,700 LKR, with Steamed Basmati Rice at 800 LKR. Filtered water is on the house. The full menu lists the allergens of every dish. Ours is one shared kitchen, so please tell us about any allergy and we will answer honestly.

How should children meet the dogs?

Five beach dogs live here. Nero is black and the big one. Baby is black and tan. Avena is fawn with a green collar. Malakai is the smallest, a blue merle. Cappuccino is the puppy, tan with white paws. They chose us, and now they are Ohana. A jar at the till pays for their food, their vaccines, their care and their anti-parasite treatment.

A few rules make the meeting good for both sides:

• Let the dog come to you. Do not run at a dog.
• Offer a hand first, low and open, and stroke the back or the side, not the top of the head.
• Leave a dog that is sleeping or eating.
• No hugging and no pulling of ears or tails.
• Feed them love, not your plate. Our food is not good for them.

Stay near when a small child meets a dog. The dogs are gentle and relaxed, but they live free here and we have no place to keep them apart, so if your child is truly afraid of dogs, it is fair to know before you come.

How do the sunbeds work?

Sunbeds are free for the whole day, one for each person, when each person spends 10,000 LKR on food and drinks; otherwise they cost 1,000 LKR an hour each. They can be reserved, one of our towels comes with every sunbed, and there are a shower, a changing room and toilets close by.

More about a family day is on our families page.

Good to know

• We are at Turtle Beach, Dikwella, less than five minutes by road from Hiriketiya. Directions are on Find us.
• Breakfast is served from 08:00 to 11:00, lunch and dinner from 11:00 to 21:00.
• Prices are in LKR, plus a 10% service charge. Filtered water is on the house.
• Snorkel masks are lent free. Ask at the bar.
• On Sundays at 6 PM there is a free Bonfire Circle on the sand, and children are welcome.