Kandy
ASIA · SIESTA SIDE
A lake, a misty ring of hills and the temple that holds the Buddha's tooth. Sri Lanka's cultural heart, and it takes itself seriously.
The plan
Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Open 5.30am-8pm; time it for a puja at 5.30am, 9.30am or 6.30pm. Foreigners pay Rs 2,000. Knees and shoulders covered, shoes off.
📍 Map & photos · € · Website ↗
Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya
A vast garden of giant bamboo, an avenue of royal palms and a fig that shades half a lawn. Around Rs 3,540. Bring water.
📍 Map & photos · €
Kandy Lake loop
A flat circuit of about 3.5km past the temple, monitor lizards and old walawwa walls. Best in the last hour of light.
📍 Map & photos · €
Kandyan dance and fire walking
Kandy Lake Club stages a nightly show at 5pm: Ves dancers, mask dance, drums and a fire-walking finale. About an hour.
📍 Map & photos · € · Website ↗
Bahirawakanda Buddha viewpoint
A white seated Buddha on the ridge above town with the best overview of lake and temple. Steep walk or short tuk-tuk.
📍 Map & photos · €
Getting there
Road from Colombo
The expressway and A1 take about 3 hours by car. AC buses and tourist shuttles run all day from Colombo.
Trains stop short of Kandy
Cyclone Ditwah damage in Nov 2025 closed the line above Rambukkana. Kandy has no through train service; check before you plan.
Onward to Ella
With the rail gap, most people take a car or shuttle to Nanu Oya (2.5-3 hrs) and pick up the reopened train to Ella there.
When to go
Best time to go
Jan-Apr and Jul-Sep. The hills catch both monsoons, so nowhere is bone dry.
Cheapest months
Oct-Dec, the wettest stretch here, when mist sits on the lake most afternoons.
Priciest & busiest
Esala Perahera in Jul or Aug, when rooms triple and sell out months ahead.
If you've got one day
Morning
Be at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth for the 9.30am puja, when the drummers start and the relic chamber opens.
Late morning
Walk the lake to the old Ulpange bathhouse, then browse the Kandyan Art Association for real craftwork.
Lunch
Rice and curry near the municipal market, or something lighter at The Empire Cafe in the old town.
Afternoon
Tuk-tuk to Peradeniya's Royal Botanic Gardens for two unhurried hours, then back in time for the 5pm show.
Evening
Drums and fire walking at Kandy Lake Club, then dinner and a drink at Slightly Chilled above the water.
Nearby & day trips
Pinnawala - think twice
The famous elephant orphanage allows bathing and close contact. On welfare grounds we point people to Udawalawe instead.
Knuckles Range & Hunas Falls
A UNESCO cloud-forest range an hour northeast, with village walks, tea estates and cool, empty trails.
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