Kandy, the second-largest city of Sri Lanka, is surrounded by mountain ranges and tea plantations. Due to its 3-hour distance from the capital Colombo, Kandy is a crowd favorite for travelers wanting to spend a day or two visiting its colonial buildings and religious sites. While most guidebooks mention Kandy city as the main attraction, there are more remarkable sights to see outside the city in the rainforest area.
Chapters
- How to arrive at Kandy
- Places to visit in Kandy
1. How to arrive at Kandy
Kandy has a strategic location in between all the major sites. The train station is connected to the central highlands, north to Jaffna, east to Trincomalee, and to the capital Colombo.
If you have started your journey from Colombo, you can reach Kandy in around 2-2.5 hours ( depending on traffic)
1. Car: You can use Uber journey, which cost around 6000 LKR without luggage and 7000 LKR with luggage
2. Train: The train journey from Colombo to Kandy takes 2.5 hours. The cost should be around 180-1,450 LKR (depending on the class)
3. Bus: You can also catch a bus from Colombo to Kandy. It will take around 3-4 hours and which cost about 187 - 400 LKR.
4. Three-wheel: You can rent and drive your Sri Lankan three-wheel to go around the whole island
2. Places to visit in Kandy
Apart from Sri Lanka's stunning beaches, it is also famous for its religious sites and spectacular train rides. This is where Kandy's role in your Sri Lanka Route comes in, as the gateway to one of the most epic train journeys in the world and host to a myriad of cultural exhibits. Plan to spend one or two days in Kandy.
1. Temple Of The Tooth
Commonly known as the ශ්රී දළදා මාළිගාව (Glorious Tooth Temple), is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an essential role in local politics because there is a belief that whoever holds the relic holds the country's governance. Sinhalese kings historically held the relic. The temple of the tooth is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple and the relic.
2. Peradeniya Botanical Garden
The gardens display over 4 000 different species of plants, regarded amongst the most superior in Asia. The highlight is the spectacular Orchid collection and a powerful avenue of palm trees. In addition to a plethora of flowering plants, there is also an extensive collection of medicinal plants and spices which can be spotted on your meander across the gardens. Encompassing over 60 hectares of sublimely designed lawns, pavilions, and plant houses, the extraordinary array of Sri Lankan, Asian and international flora is a fragrant, colorful view on the eye. Gorgeous avenues lead on to sections exploding in bursts of tropical color and vast lawns dotted with enormous trees.
3. Walk Around Kandy Lake
One of the best things to do in Kandy at night is having a walk around Kandy lake. Kandy Lake is one of the most iconic areas of the city. The lake itself is pretty manic with traffic during rush hour, so if you want less beeping, then head early in the morning.
There are some bench areas for you to stop and take in the surroundings.
4. Udawatta Kele Sanctuary
Perched atop a hill behind the iconic Temple of the Tooth Relic is the Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, also referred to as the Royal Forest Park of Kandy, one of the most important places to visit in Kandy Sri Lanka. A leading tourist destination in the city, nature lovers is more than welcome to take a stroll into its verdant depths, exploring the many beauties that it hides within.
5. Kandy National Museum
This building established during the Sri Wickrama Rajasingha era was then known as "Palle Vahala" This is known as the palace where the Queens of the king lived. This building was build according to the architectural features of the Kandy period. This Pallevahala building was a place to deposit the various items of historical value made by the Kandy Art Association established in 1832 and technicians of the Matale district. This place opened for the public as a museum in 1942.
This museum has over 5000 museum objects depicting various aspects of historical and cultural events of the Kandyan period. (17-19 century A.D.)
6.Explore War & Garrison Cemetery
War and Garrison Cemetery are two beautiful cemeteries in Kandy, offering an interesting contrast. The War Cemetery is serene and incredibly well-maintained and celebrates lives known and unknown lost during the war. The older Garrison Cemetery honors the history of men, women, and children buried far from home.
7.Ceylon Tea Museum
The museum consists of four floors. The ground floor and the second floor exhibit ancient items of machinery, and the first floor consist of a library and an auditorium with facilities for audiovisual presentations. The third floor is allocated for a tea sales outlet. You can choose Sri Lanka's fine tea selection, which is available. The entire top floor is a tea cafe.
A panoramic view of the Kandy town surrounded by the beautiful Hunasgiriya, Knuckles Range and the Matale range of hills can be viewed through a telescope mounted on the fourth floor. The grounds surrounding the Tea Museum are landscaped with different varieties of teas.
8.Kandy Viewpoint
Kandy City View Point is a place to capture the picturesque view of the Kandy city. It stands overlooking the Kandy Lake with the Temple of the Tooth Relic in the background. It is a good place to visit during sunrise or sunset for an amazing panoramic view of this city surrounded by mountains. It is a popular place to take photographs. This view point is situated in Rajapihilla Mawatha. It is also called Arthur's Seat and is supposedly the highest point in Kandy standing 550 meters above sea level.
9. Hulu River Waterfall
It lies approximately 30 kilometers away from the town of Kandy. Rising to a height of around 75 meters, the surging falls are known to scatter a fine sprinkle of water over the nearby villages of Elliyadda and Aratthana. The location has also seen a rise in popularity with locals in recent years because of a popular television show ("Mansion by the Fall") that was filmed in the area.
10. Hanthana Mountain Range
The hanthana mountain range in Kandy is popular among those who like to camping,hiking & bird watching.in the mountain range there are seven individual peaks,the highest being ura kanda.
