Kandy Hotels

The history of the Central Province city of 110,000 people mirrors that of other independent kingdoms throughout South Asia, which one by one, fell under the yoke of colonial rule. Kandy is a notable case, however, in that for hundreds of years, the local sovereigns kept first the Portuguese and then the Dutch, at bay. The British finally broke the grip of Sinhala dominion in the early 19^th Century and, over time, brought the usual bellwethers of highlands colonial rule, from tea plantations to hill station estates.

The ensemble of Kandy’s ancient monuments, however, is spectacularly intact. Temples, shrines, royal palaces and pinnacles of Sinhalese design grace the compact cityscape and together, offer a cultural panorama without peer in dynamic Sri Lanka.

Kandy’s Top 10

Kandy Local

One of Kandy’s fortes is ease of access. A curious and active person can conceivably, in clement weather, cover quite a bit of ground in the city on foot. Most of the popular landmarks reside within close proximity to each other and, indeed, the core part of the city is rather small. It behooves visitors, however, to look past central Kandy and explore the Central Highlands and Hill Country of Sri Lanka as a whole. This is where the island nation’s most precious assets unfurl, from pockets of brilliant biodiversity and awesome, photogenic scenery, to enclaves of indigenous culture.

Kandy Lake is a scenic epicentre of like in the Sacred City. The man-made body of water, dredged at the behest of King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha in 1807, lies at the heart of Kandy. According to local legend, the island in the middle of the lake was connected to the Royal Palace via secret tunnel.

As an indelible component of Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands, Horton Plains National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010. Some 105 km south of Kandy in the upper saddle of the island, the remarkable protected area unfurls a panoply of wildlife and standout attractions like Baker’s Falls and the dramatic World’s End precipice.

Ratnapura is the tidy provincial capital of Sabaragamuwa Province and a worthwhile 135 km journey from Kandy. The allure is a singular gem trade which inordinately supports a local population of under 50,000 people.

Sinharaja Forest Reserve was Sri Lanka’s first natural UNESCO World Heritage inscription for good reason. The incomparable biosphere teems with rare fauna and flora not found anywhere else on the planet. Just mind the pit vipers.

Haputale is a high-altitude town that acts as a gateway point between Sri Lanka’s highlands and southern plains. Tea terraces, waterfalls and misty mountain scenery reward those who make the 120 km trip from Kandy.

Ella is an exquisite village in Uva province that marks the northeast terminus of a scenic drive from Haputale. A great base for trekking the highlands.

Samanalakanda, or Adam’s Peak, is a distinctive conical mountain in the Central Highlands that serves as a holy site for Sri Lanka’s Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians. The best time to make the ascent is from December to May.

Kandy Eat & Drink

While not exactly profuse with choice, Kandy has a decent, if small, assortment of restaurants that cater to locals and tourists alike. Sri Lankan cuisine, itself a hodgepodge of various culinary influences, figures prominently of course, but Chinese, Indian, Thai and Western fare is ever-present as well. From unpretentious, casual, quasi-fast food dives to more upscale restaurants with prim service and a view, Kandy has enough variety to please.

Kandy Events

Esala Perahera is the undeniable number one event in Kandy. The “Festival of the Tooth” centres on, of course, the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and takes place in either July or August. Uniquely Sri Lankan, the event features elephants festooned with colourful costumes, lively processions and days and nights of drumming, music and Buddhist rituals.

Cricket is the national passion of Sri Lanka and has two crucial homes in Kandy in Asgiriya International Stadium and Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium.

Nilambe meditation centre, not far from Kandy, offers ashram-like repose, yoga, vegetarian and spiritual nourishment in a rustic, get-back-to-nature setting.

Kandyan Art Association & Cultural Centre puts on regular performances of dance, music and theatre and displays expertly-made handicrafts.

Nature trails proliferate in and around Kandy and range from simple strolls to more invigorating treks deep into the highlands.

The Victoria Golf & Country Resort maintains one of the best 18-hole courses in South Asia and a smart, plush clubhouse with beautiful views of the countryside.

Vesak, rather informally known as “Buddha’s Birthday”, is celebrated with verve every year in Kandy. The important Buddhist holiday falls in April or May.

When To Go

The cooler climes of hill country Sri Lanka have drawn appreciative visitors for some time. While still firmly ensconced within the island’s tropical belt, Kandy’s verdant, highland environs make for decidedly more comfortable conditions than, say, urban Colombo.

That aside, monsoon season can wreak havoc from May through July, as well as the months of December and January. Conditions can be rough and unpleasant throughout these periods and, as such, not amenable for tourism.

The best time to visit Kandy is between monsoon seasons, from March to the middle of May, when the only bothers are a little rain and some humidity. Temperatures, for the most part, run between 73°F (23°C) and 86°F (30°C).

What To Miss

Various “spice gardens” in and around Kandy have a reputation as tourist traps but do hold some inherent fascination for some. Exercise the utmost prudence if you visit to avoid the usual “look at this, now come tour the gift shop” racket.

Kandyan dance is an elegant artform but much less so in the opportunistic presence of a coach bus convoy brimming with hordes of photo-snapping tourists. Try to arrange a more intimate performance, if you can.

Souvenir and curio shops abound in Kandy and though worthwhile finds are spottily on offer, many carry little more than tacky, counterfeit stuff. As always, you get what you pay for and, moreover, a little honest, local counsel helps a great deal for anyone with specific items in mind.

The Bahiravokanda Vihara is a long, uphill and viewless walk for what is, in essence, a massive, concrete Buddha sculpture. Understandably, not everyone’s cup of tea as a result.

Getting Around

Rail travel in Sri Lanka is exceptionally scenic, with few finer examples than the route from Colombo to Kandy. A first class ticket is well worth the extra expense.

If you fly in to Sri Lanka, as most do, you can hire a taxi from Bandaranaike International Airport for the three hour trip to Kandy. Likewise, private cars and coach buses ferry tourists quite regularly to the Sacred City from Colombo. The traffic-choked journey, in stark contrast to Kandy itself, is infamously disorderly and turbulent.

Three-wheel tuk-tuks provide quick and efficient transport within Kandy but with a compact, easily traversable city plan, enthusiastic pedestrians have it good.

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