Kandy

Kandy was the last Sinhalese Kingdom ruled by Sri Vickrama Rajasinha who was the last of four Kings. He was eventually deposed in 1815 by the British and absorbed into the British Empire under the reign of King George. Kandy was also known as British Ceylon, thus ending 2300 years of Sinhalese monarchy on the Island.

Kandy’s’ proud heritage and being a UNESCO world heritage site has a lot to offer the visitor. The lake setting in the midst of the city was built in 1807 and surrounded by delicate green hills and gentle breezes that lift the morning mists to reveal colourful homes on the gentle slopes around the hill country capitol. Kandy lies on a plateau surrounded by towering hills such as Bible Rock, Balloon Rock and Camel Hill. The city is located in-between multiple mountain ranges including the Knuckles mountain range, Hunnasgiriya Mountains and the Hanthana mountain range, giving the city an elevation of 500 metres (1,600 ft) above sea level and surrounded by the Mahaweli ganga (river) which is the longest river in Sri Lanka. Kandy is the beginning of the hill country and gateway to Nuwara Eliya, little England!

Kandy has to offer the visitor a whole raft of cultural and pleasurable attractions, these include the Sri Dallada Maligava (temple of the tooth) one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist World. The Royal Palace of Kandy, Peradeniya Royal botanical gardens, deemed to be one of the finer landscaped gardens in Asia. Many spice gardens are located in and around Kandy, which will offer you a glimpse of the cultivation of spices such as pepper, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom and other herbal plants used in Ayurveda and where you may purchase these spices, herbs, oil and potions. As an alternative, you can visit the many Gem museums, Batik factories, wood carving workshops or a spot of Golf, enjoy a trip to a few large dams or watch a Cultural show which includes a variety of traditional folk dances, fire walking, fire eating and drumming.

In the month of July/August the fascinating and majestic Esala Perahera, also known as The Festival of the Tooth takes place. A grand festival celebrated with elegant Kandyan costumes and other provincial cultural dancers, fire dancers with elephants adorned with lavish and colorful garments. Finally you have the Pinnawala elephant orphanage to visit.