Tucked into Sri Lanka’s misty central highlands, Kandy stays the nation’s cultural and religious coronary heart. As soon as the ultimate capital of the island’s impartial kingdom, it nonetheless attracts pilgrims to the Temple of the Tooth, the place a sacred dental relic of the Buddha himself is claimed to be stored.
Town of Kandy is an intoxicating mix of colonial echoes, historical rituals, and road life that feels unmistakably Sri Lankan. Monks chatting on cellphones jostle with hawkers promoting greens picked that morning, whereas tuk-tuks buzz round them like caffeinated bees. Kandy is chaotic, charming, and totally compelling.
Kandy additionally makes an outstanding base for exploring the broader area. Hikers can escape into the misty Knuckles Mountains for rainforest trails and sweeping views, or take a day journey north to the traditional fortress of Sigiriya, rising sheer from the plains like a legendary folktale. Meals lovers can be part of cooking courses to excellent coconut sambol and the elusive spice stability that makes a curry sing whereas cultural performances reveal the area’s vibrant music and dance traditions.
Kandy won’t attraction you at first look, however give it two days (and this Kandy journey information) and also you’ll be underneath its spell, understanding precisely why it stays the soul of Sri Lanka’s highlands.
Let’s tuck into one of the best issues to do in Kandy, we could?
When to go to Kandy, Sri Lanka
Kandy’s gentle hill-country local weather makes it nice year-round. The very best time to go to Kandy is December to April,when days are dry and skies clear, however we visited in September and located it comparatively cool and nice. August brings the spectacular Esala Perahera pageant, assume elephants in elaborate costumes and streets alive with drums and dancers. It’s unforgettable, if extraordinarily crowded.
No matter while you go to, hold a light-weight waterproof or further layer helpful; mountain climate can – and does – flip in minutes.
Credit score/debit card acceptance is rising in Sri Lanka however you’d be nicely suggested to have a provide of native forex (rupees – LKR) with you. ATMs are plentiful in Kandy, cash changers much less so.
Attending to Kandy, Sri Lanka
· By practice: The scenic journey from Colombo (about 4 hours) or Nuwara Eliya (additionally 4) ranks amongst Asia’s nice rail journeys. Sit on the proper aspect from Colombo or left from Nuwara Eliya for one of the best views. Tickets are launched 30 days forward through Sri Lanka Railways, reserving forward is smart.
· By automobile: Round 3½ hours from Colombo or 2½ from Sigiriya. Permit further time for hairpin bends and inevitable picture stops. Hiring a personal driver is surprisingly reasonably priced – round $700 for 2 weeks – and ultimate for {couples} or small teams wanting stress-free journey. You possibly can nonetheless add a practice journey with out the trouble of dragging suitcases on and off.
· Bus: By far the most affordable method to journey, with bus journeys from Colombo beginning at LKR 200. Search out air-con ‘tremendous luxurious’ buses. Minibuses additionally go direct from Colombo airport.
Getting Round Kandy, Sri Lanka
· Most of Kandy’s highlights: the Temple of the Tooth, Central Market, and lakeside resorts, are inside straightforward strolling distance of lakeside or central resorts.
· For longer hops, together with to Kandy Lake Membership, obtain PickMe, Sri Lanka’s ride-hailing app. It provides automobiles, tuk-tuks, and bikes and is dependable and speedy. Funds are often in money, so hold small notes (LKR 100 and 200) helpful; drivers hardly ever carry change.
The place To Keep in Kandy, Sri Lanka
· Inns dotted across the lakeside supply nice views and easy accessibility to the town (we stayed at SWP Ecolodge (c. $65 per night time) which had glorious breakfast and comfy rooms).
· Hillside guesthouses are quieter and barely cheaper – Magnificence Hills (c. $50 per night time) will get rave reviewed for its rooms and views however would require common Pickme journeys into the town.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover in Sri Lanka. Merely open the Google Map in your gadget and have all my suggestions on the contact of your fingertips.
1. Go to the Temple of the Tooth
Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is without doubt one of the most sacred Buddhist websites on the planet and probably the greatest issues to do in Kandy. The temple homes a relic mentioned to be the Buddha’s tooth, dropped at Sri Lanka within the 4th century AD. Daily, pilgrims arrive bearing putting purple lotus flowers (stalls across the temple promote them if you wish to be part of) and incense, and the rhythmic drumming of the puja ceremonies fills the air. Even for non-believers, it’s a sight (and sound) to behold.
You possibly can’t see the relic itself, it’s encased in a sequence of ornate gold caskets, hidden from view. The expertise lies within the ritual: the regular circulate of worshippers, the scent of incense, the murals and carvings that hint Kandy’s proud historical past as each Buddhist stronghold and impartial kingdom till 1815.
Costume modestly (cowl legs and shoulders), take away your sneakers, and go to early morning or late afternoon to keep away from the most important crowds. Entry is 2,000 LKR, and guided excursions (which frequently embody different websites round Kandy) are nicely price it to decode the symbolism and ritual earlier than your eyes.
Even for non-Buddhists, it’s a serene and engaging glimpse into the religious coronary heart of Sri Lanka.
2. Hike within the Knuckles Mountain Vary
Simply an hour’s drive from Kandy lies a world that feels much more distant. When you love climbing and out of doors journey that is completely probably the greatest issues to do in Kandy.
The Knuckles Mountain Vary, named by the Victorians for its resemblance to a clenched fist, provides cool air, cloud forests, and climbing trails winding via tea estates and tiny villages.
Mountain climbing right here should be performed with an area information (we used Nipuna Mountain climbing, who had been glorious). Your information won’t solely steer you thru the unmarked trails but in addition level out the astonishing number of vegetation, fruits, and spices that make this UNESCO-listed area one in all Sri Lanka’s most biodiverse. In three hours, we noticed – and sampled – mango, nutmeg, three sorts of bananas, pepper, turmeric, aubergine, cocoa, chilli, tamarind, ardour fruit, soursop, espresso, and at the very least three sorts of beans. You’ll by no means discover a tastier hike.
Trails vary from mild day walks to multi-day treks with in a single day stays in eco-lodges or homestays. Most guides present leech socks and disinfectant spray – a lower than delicate trace at who else enjoys the local weather. Anticipate all 4 seasons in a single afternoon, and pack your waterproofs accordingly.
3. See a Cultural Dance Present at Kandy Lake Membership
Kandy’s wealthy historical past is distilled into an hour-long crash course each night time on the Kandy Lake Membership above the town. It’s unquestionably touristy but it surely’s informative, joyous and downright enjoyable in equal measure
Drummers pound out hypnotic rhythms as dancers in elaborate headdresses carry out rituals as soon as reserved for royal courts and temples. The agility and ability of the performers – to not point out the flowery costumes – is outstanding and guests are supplied with an interpretation sheet to elucidate precisely what you’re watching and its cultural significance.
Performances embody dances to drive out evil spirits, choices to native deities and stylised battles between eagles and cobras – miniature variations of the masks utilized by performers are a few of the most eye-catching Sri Lankan souvenirs
The hearth-walking finale – barefoot males crossing glowing embers – feels an acceptable climax, fortunately with out viewers participation.
Guide on-line (4,500 LKR) upfront to get an honest seat close to the stage or simply pay on the door. It’s a few 30-minute stroll uphill from the town centre, we used a Pickme tuk-tuk who was solely too joyful to return on the finish of the present to choose us up. Drinks and snacks out there via a (surprisingly environment friendly) at-seat ordering service.
4. Be a part of a Sri Lankan Cooking Class
Taking a cooking class in Kandy is without doubt one of the greatest methods to know the colourful, advanced and deeply regional flavours of Sri Lanka and take a few of its secrets and techniques residence. There are a bunch of excursions supplied on-line – we did a night class, booked through Viator, and would extremely suggest. Price begins from round $35-40 per individual.
Lessons often start with a visit to Kandy’s Central Market [PHOTOS 10-11], a chaotic two-storey jumble of fruit, greens, and spice stalls. Distributors stand above their produce like medieval city criers, shouting costs that appear absurdly low…till you bear in mind most of it’s grown inside an hour of the town. The higher ground, a relative pocket of calm, can also be probably the greatest spots in Sri Lanka for memento purchasing. Deliver your greatest haggling face.
As soon as the purchasing’s performed, you’ll head to a house within the hills above Kandy, the place the kitchen, or open-air pavilion, is thick with the scent of cardamom and curry leaves. Underneath the watchful eye of a Sri Lankan matriarch (who will go away you in little doubt who’s in cost), you’ll study to arrange staples like dhal curry, coconut sambol, and brinjal moju (sweet-and-sour aubergine), stirring clay pots over open flames.
You’ll pattern the fruits – and vegetables- of your labour earlier than heading again to your lodge, fuller, happier, and newly fluent within the flavours of Sri Lanka. Lessons usually final round 4 hours, together with the market go to, and run at each lunch and dinner occasions.
5. Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
A brief tuk-tuk journey from the town centre, Kandy’s Royal Botanic Gardens supply a peaceable antidote to the city bustle and one other of one of the best issues to do in Kandy.
Unfold throughout 150 acres on a lazy curve of the Mahaweli River, the gardens had been as soon as reserved for Kandyan royalty and later polished in colonial type by the British.
At the moment, it’s a riot of tropical color and a well-liked place for Sri Lankan households to spend a lazy weekend. Royal palms line the principle avenue, orchids bloom all over the place you look and large (severely, get a photograph subsequent to them for the dimensions!) bamboo groves creak gently within the breeze. Maintain an eye fixed out for the resident bats slumbering within the higher branches and remember to take a look at the avenue of cannonball bushes, whose blooms odor divine however whose fruit can concuss the unwary.
Plan at the very least two hours to discover, extra when you fancy a picnic beneath the palms. Entry is round LKR 3,000 (no must ebook upfront), and mornings are the good time to go to. There are many shaded spots so deliver a picnic to decelerate from extra energetic pursuits.
Bonus – Take A Day Journey to Sigiriya
Kandy might be the guts of Sri Lanka however Sigiriya is its showpiece outfit: a colossal rock fortress that rises 200 metres above the plains, about 2½ hrs north of the town – a comparatively straightforward day journey.
Constructed within the fifth century by the formidable – and greater than somewhat paranoid – King Kashyapa, it’s half palace, half stronghold, and half historical artwork gallery, with frescoes of celestial maidens nonetheless glowing on its partitions. The climb itself is average in problem – round 1,200 steps, however with a number of locations to take a seat and catch your breath and admire a few of the best views in Sri Lanka. Deliver smart sneakers, snacks and an honest provide of water.
By far the simplest method to do that is through a gaggle tour (from $30 per individual) or with a personal driver (from $60 per individual) – most itineraries additionally embody the spectacular Dambulla Caves en route, the place the Buddhist frescoes defy gravity and the resident monkeys eye up your pockets (severely, hold your valuables in your hand or tucked away in your bag!).
When you favor to go south from Kandy, choose up your itinerary from right here for a improbable double dose of mountains and seashores.
Have you ever been to Kandy?
What are one of the best issues to do in Kandy? Something you’d add to this Kandy bucket checklist?
World Traveller Phil Thomas is a contract journey author, based mostly in UK, with over 110 nations underneath his belt. You possibly can observe Phil’s adventures via his weblog, Somebody Else’s Nation and through his Instagram, Fb and Blueskychannels.
Get lifetime entry to my countless hours of analysis and time spent on the bottom discovering one of the best locations to eat, drink, calm down and discover in Sri Lanka. Merely open the Google Map in your gadget and have all my suggestions on the contact of your fingertips.