Best Things to Do in Kandy, Sri Lanka

Kandy sits in the central hills of Sri Lanka, 115 km northeast of Colombo, in a natural basin surrounded by hills. The things to do in Kandy are anchored by the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa), which according to Buddhist tradition houses the left canine tooth of the Buddha, brought from India in the 4th century AD. The temple complex adjoins the royal palace; the tooth itself (stored in a gold casket inside a series of nested reliquaries) is revealed only during the Esala Perahera, the 10-day festival in July-August when the relic is carried through the city on the back of a ceremonially decorated tusker elephant, accompanied by acrobats, drummers, dancers, and 100+ elephants — one of Asia’s most extraordinary public spectacles. The Kandy Lake (an artificial lake built in 1807 by the last king of Kandy) is the center of the city; the Cloud Wall on the lake’s southern shore was built to obscure the king’s bathing pavilion. The Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya (5 km from the city) are among the finest in Asia, with giant Java fig trees, an orchid house, and a bamboo grove large enough to create a temporary tunnel effect. Dambulla Cave Temple (80 km north) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 153 Buddha statues and 2,100 sq m of cave murals dating from the 1st century BC.

Best time to visit

December through April is the best season for Kandy: the northeast monsoon affects the east coast but leaves the central hills largely dry. The Esala Perahera (July-August) is the most compelling cultural event but coincides with the wetter months in the hill country; accommodation books up months in advance. May-June is wetter (southwest monsoon). October-November is transitional.

Getting around

The Kandy-Colombo train (2.5-3 hours, scenic) is one of the best rail journeys in Sri Lanka and preferable to the bus. For the continuation to Ella (the celebrated highland train through tea country), trains from Kandy depart for Nanu Oya (Nuwara Eliya) and Ella — the highest section (above 1,800m) between Nanu Oya and Haputale is the most dramatic. Within Kandy, tuk-tuks and taxis serve the main sites; the lake and town center are walkable.

What to eat

Kandyan cuisine is hill-country Sri Lankan: rice and curry with multiple dishes, string hoppers, and fresh tropical fruit from the surrounding hills. The Kandy market area (near the bus station) has the densest concentration of cheap local eating. Hotel restaurants surrounding the lake have views but charge accordingly. Devon Restaurant on Dalada Veediya is a reliable local choice for rice and curry, hoppers, and short eats. Curd and treacle (buffalo milk yogurt with palm syrup) from the central market is the hill-country specialty dessert.