Kandy: The Hill Capital and the Temple of the Tooth
Kandy was the last kingdom to fall to colonial powers, and it still feels like the country's cultural centre. Wrapped around a small lake and ringed by green hills, it is cooler than the coast and easy to explore on foot.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
The Sri Dalada Maligawa houses a tooth of the Buddha and is the most important Buddhist site in the country. Visit during a puja (around 05:30, 09:30, or 18:30) when drummers play and the inner chamber is opened. Dress modestly and remove shoes at the gate.
Around the lake
The walk around Kandy Lake takes about an hour and is best in the early evening. Above the town, the Big Buddha statue and the Udawatta Kele forest reserve give you quiet and a view back over the temple and rooftops.
Dance and gardens
A Kandyan cultural show (nightly, around 17:00) packs drumming, costume, and fire-walking into an hour. Just outside town, the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens are a huge, calm space of avenues and an orchid house.
Getting there
The train from Colombo takes around three hours and is scenic. The onward Kandy to Ella line is one of the most beautiful rail journeys in the world, so book a reserved seat ahead.
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