Overview
Kandy is a large city in central Sri Lanka. It’s set on a plateau surrounded by mountains, which are home to tea plantations and biodiverse rainforest. The city’s heart is scenic Kandy Lake (Bogambara Lake), which is popular for strolling. Kandy is famed for sacred Buddhist sites, including the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) shrine, celebrated with the grand Esala Perahera annual procession.Explore the administrative and religious city of Sri Lanka, Kandy City which is surrounded by magnificent mountain ranges. Travel the city in an air-conditioned mini-van or car with an English-speaking guide. Visit major tourist destinations like Royal Botanical Gardens of Kandy, Buddha statue, Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy View Point, Tea Factory, etc. Enjoy your lunch at a local restaurant in Kandy.
Kandy view point -. Kandy is the heart of Sri Lanka and watching the gorgeous hill station from a height is not something everyone gets to witness, so don’t miss out on exploring the most beautiful places to visit in Kandy on your vacay. The day Kandy City tour start off with a visit to the Kandy view point, where you will drive up a hill situated close to the Kandy Lake where you can enjoy the spectacular views of the lake and surrounding town.
The viewpoint is located at a distance of 1.7 km from the city centre and the route to the viewpoint is equally mesmerizing. Carry your camera along for some instagrammable pictures at this point which is one of the best places to visit in Kandy.
Kandy Lake – The Kandy Lake was artificially constructed by the last king of Kandy – King Sri Wickrama Rajasingha. Adjoining most of the popular tourist places in Kandy and eateries with lake view, the Kandy Lake is certainly among the best places to visit in Kandy, Sri Lanka. An ideal place to spend hours during your lazy vacation, the lake offers stunning nature views around it and is a perfect romantic sojourn for a romantic couple visiting the place. The lake, existing since 1807, has a flurry of idyllic places and historical structures around.
The lake is also known as the Kiri Muhuda or the Sea of Milk and is an artificial lake. Being in the heart of the city and beside some of the famous attractions of Kandy, it is a popular tourist site.
Temple Of Tooth Relic – The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a world-renowned place of worship, where the left Canine tooth of Gautama Buddha is enshrined. The temple which is venerated by thousands of local & foreign devotees and tourists daily was named as a world heritage by UNESCO in 1988.The temple which carries a lot of value to Buddhists all over the world also has immense cultural value. The architecture is of unique Kandyan architectural style with a combination of the unique style used to build “Dalada Mandira” the shrines which housed the Sacred Tooth Relic previously in other kingdoms.
Peradeniya botanical gardens – Walk through the botanical gardens in Peradeniya, which is home to over 4000 species of plants that’s mostly the orchid flower, medicinal plants and palm trees. You can take pictures of the gardens and all the different types of flowers you will see. The garden is also an ideal place to plan a picnic with family and friends. However, romantic couples can be mostly seen hanging around the garden area. The cab drivers in Kandy mostly offer to cover Botanical Garden along with Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage or the Kandy temple to make it a Kandy sightseeing tour. The park remains open from 7:30 AM to 5 PM.
Ceylon tea factory Visit – a tea factory in Kandy that processes tea leaves that make the famous, Ceylon tea. After the British converted a vast majority of land into tea plantations, tea is now one of the key export commodities of the country.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage -This one’s considered amongst the best places to visit in Kandy for those who are fascinated by the wildlife! Plan a day out with wild Asian elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. This is a -popular breeding ground of 90 plus elephants who stay in their natural habitat. Watch these adorable elephants bathe, play around, and feed them fruits. Tourists can see them when they take a tour around the orphanage to see the majestic animals. If you are in Kandy visiting places, then this spot is perfect if you want to have a small picnic along with your friends or family.The elephants are kept quite well and you may definitely see that while at this place. The orphanage also accepts elephants that are donated to them and they bring them back to their health. The elephants have mahouts for them who give them baths and proper food on a timely basis. If you’re looking for natural bathing places in Kandy, then this is it!
Bahirawakanda Temple– Just 1 km away from the Kandy city, the Bahirawakanda Temple is a major attraction and a distinct structure. The place is a popular attraction for Buddhists and there are quite a few international Buddhist relations meetings that are carried out here. This makes it one of the popular things to see in Kandy. The magnificent structure is huge and can be spotted from anywhere in the city. The place is also an important monastery where many Buddhist events do take place. The statue was started in 1972 and ended in 1993. You can take the steps to reach the top of the hill or you can take a tuk-tuk ride is all it takes to get to the temple premises. If you are traveling places in Kandy, don’t miss this architectural wonder when you are in the city.
Ranweli Spice Garden – Enough of talks about spotting wildlife in their natural habitat! Time to spot greenery and exquisite plant varieties in their natural habitat. This Kandy tourist attraction is located in the close proximity of Peradeniya Royal Botanical Garden. Turmeric, Peppercorns, Cloves, Cardamom, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Cocoa, and Aloe Vera are the main plantations that are the-highlights of this place.
Common Wealth War Cemetery- The Kandy War Cemetery, formerly known as the Pitakande Military Cemetery, is a British military cemetery in Kandy, Sri Lanka, for soldiers of the British Empire who were killed during World War II as well as a soldier who died during World War.
Ceylon Tea Museum – The Ceylon Tea Museum is located in the former Hanthana Tea Factory, which was originally constructed in 1925. It is situated 3 km south of Kandy. Hanthana was one of the first successful areas to cultivate tea following the failure of coffee production on the island.
Giragama Tea Plantations – Tea plantations are the common things about Sri Lanka. Kandy is no less when it comes to tea plantations and one of the best places to visit in Kandy is Giragama tea plantations. Giragaram is a pretty little town in Kandy that is known for its tea plantations. It offers the much needed peace and tranquility along with picturesque views that will leave your soul stirred. There are estates wherein you can walk and soak the views. Keep this in your list of places to see in Kandy for a refreshing experience as this place is one of the best visiting places in Kandy.
International Buddhist Museum -Located close to the Temple of the Tooth, inside the royal palace complex, The International Buddhist Museum is a complete knowledge base and a showcase of the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia. It is one of the famous religious places to visit in Sri Lanka.There are separate rooms dedicated to different countries illustrating Buddhism in that location. There are photographs, models and gigantic statues which portray the spread and influence of Buddhism on people in various places.
National Museum of Kandy – The building that houses the National Museum of Kandy was earlier known as the Palle Vahala and was home to the royals. The building’s architecture is pure Kandian and it stores about 5000 artifacts from the Kandian era including weapons, utensils, jewelry, etc. This is the best place to learn about the history of Kandy, the hidden gems and resources of Sri Lanka.
Natha Devale – Natha Devale is the oldest extant structure in Kandy city. The structure was built in the 14th century by King Vikramabahu III. Today, it stands firmly on the terrace opposite the Palace Complex of Kandy. It also has jakatas, pavilions and stunning room drums around the structure that make this place all the more beautiful.The delicate architecture and the religious importance that this place holds for the locals and Buddhists make this place one of the best tourist places in Kandy. Make sure you respect their rules as you visit the temple
Kandy Clock Tower- The clock tower is built in the center of the city and serves as a landmark. This beautiful, paperwhite clock tower was designed in 1950 by Shirley de Alwis who was one of the best architects of Sri Lanka.The clock tower was built by Haji Mohamed Ismail in the memory of his son Mohamed Zacky Ismail. The Kandyan style architecture and the integrated elements of the Palace of King of Kandy and Temple of the Tooth are an absolute treat to the eyes and make this tower one of the most popular tourist places in Kandy.
Peradeniya Sangili Palama : Hanging Bridge – Sangili Palama is a type of a narrow suspension bridge (hanging bridge) which lies across rivers in various part of Sri Lanka. The ancient Sangili Palama’s were built using large ropes but now steel cables are used in building these bridges. These bridges are so narrow only pedestrians can use them and most of the time barely 2 people can pass each other.
Kataragama Devalaya of Kandyan Kingdom – The Kataragama Devalaya at Kandy is run by Hindu priests unlike the other 3 devales in Kandy. The entrance to the main shrine faces the main street through a colorfully ornamented vahalkada. The devale building is more or less the same as the others and has the upper stories square like lantern or tower over the sanctum, with a balcony. It consists of four compartments, the innermost or western one forming the sanctum with an image. In the next compartment also is an image where the officiating priests perform their rites. The third has the palanquin used in the Perahara, and the fourth is the drummers’ quarters. To the north is an extra building attached to the main shrine and dedicated to the planetary gods.
Pillaiyar Kovil in Kandy – At the entrance to the Kandy city as you travel form Colombo we see near the Kandy Police Station, a Hindu Temple popularly known to the Sinhalese as Pillaiyar Kovil dedicated to God Ganesh, the elephant headed son of Siva Unlike the Hatara Maha Devala in Kandy dedicated to Kataragama, Vishnu, Pattini and Natha, which lies close to the Temple of Tooth, this is a subsidiary Devalaya within the city which is deified by Tamils and Buddhists a like.
Historical Queens Hotel in Kandy – The Queens Hotel in Kandy is one of first hotels to establish in Sri Lanka as well one of the very few renowned internationally hotels for over 100 years.
Coffee Planters Fountain in Kandy– Kandy, the last capital of Sri Lanka, was declared as an world heritage city in 1988. With 2500 years of flourishing buddhist heritage and British architecture since 1815, it a city you will find little jewels everywhere you turn. Walking pass the car park of Dalada Maligawa towards the Natha Devalaya, you will come across this beautifully crafted fountain reminiscent of the British architecture.
Queen’s Bathing Pavilion – The Ulpange or the Queen’s Bathing Pavilion is situated partly in the waters of the Kandy Lake and the other part on land near the Temple of the Tooth Relic. This was part of the palace complex of the last king, Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe and as the name implies it was used by the queens for bathing. After the British invading forces capture of the city, this was converted to a library and today this building has become a police post.
Cultural show – you will witness a cultural show that features traditional Kandyan dancing that represents the heritage and history of Sri Lanka. It is the national dance of the country – and it is indeed a spectacular sight.
TAKE A TOUR OF THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS
- Kandy Lake
- Kandy view point
- Peradeniya botanical gardens
- Tea Factory Visit
- Gem museum
- Kandy Market
- Temple of tooth
- Cultural Dance show
- Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
- Ranweli Spice Garden
- Common Wealth War Cemetery
- Ceylon Tea Museum
- Giragama Tea Plantations
- National Museum of Kandy
- Natha Devale
- Kandy Clock Tower
- Kataragama Devalaya of Kandyan Kingdom
- Pillaiyar Kovil in Kandy
- Historical Queens Hotel
- Coffee Planters Fountain
- Queen’s Bathing Pavilion
- Bahirawakanda Temple
