Things to Do in Kandy

The Temple of the Scared Tooth Relic constitutes the premier Buddhist Institution of Sri Lanka and remains the cynosure of the world Buddhist and is a great tourist attraction. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and has been a political epicenter since centuries. The temple claims to enclose the tooth of Lord Buddha after his cremation In India.

There are a number of structures and monuments in and around Sri Dalada Maligawa or the Temple of the Tooth building complex like Mahawahalkada (The main entrance), Moat, Pattirippuwa (Octagon), Handun kunama, Golden canopy, New Palace, Royal Palace of Kandy, National Museum of Kandy, Old courts building, Kandy Lake, Biso ulpen ge (Queens bath), Diyathilaka mandapaya and the Udawatta Kele Sanctuary.

The annual pageant (Esala Perahera) constitutes the greatest religious festival of Sri Lanka which attracts thousands of pilgrims as well as tourists from all over the world.

The UNESCO heritage site of the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic set at the prime of Sri Lanka is constantly buzzing with tourists. If you are on a lookout to buy tickets for the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic, you will find none and the tickets for the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic listed in the tours section come with a guided tour. While the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic tickets are free, booking tickets for Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic along with a guide comes with a nominal price but offers you an amazing experience complete with information. Go through the Temple of Sacred Tooth Relic ticket prices before booking.

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is an orphanage, nursery and captive breeding ground for wild Asian elephants located at Pinnawala village, 13 km (8.1 mi) northwest of Kegalle town in Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka The orphanage was originally founded in order to afford care and protection to the orphaned wild elephants found wandering in and near the forests of Sri Lanka. It was established in 1975 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation. The orphanage has round about 70 elephants that are nurtured and taken care of and it is amazing to see their routine and how various programs like recycling the poop to paper are carried out. Each animal is also given around 70 kg of green matter a day and around 2 kg from a food bag containing rice bran and maize. The orphanage which boasts to have the largest herd of captive elephants in the world is very popular and visited daily by many Sri Lankan and foreign tourists. The main attraction is clearly to observe the elephants bathing which is quite a spectacle. A must visit place for all the animal lovers.

These gardens that attract over 2 million visitors annually display an exotic collection of orchids. Its assortment of flora includes more than 4000 species of plants. Spread over 470 hectares, the collection included variety of orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palm trees. The classical Avenue of Palms is located in this garden and this garden was also used as headquarters of south East Asia command in World War 2.

A major attraction is the giant Javan fig tree on the great lawn. Covering 2500 sq metres, it’s like a giant, living geodesic dome as imagined by Escher or Hundertwasser. There is a huge section of trees planted by famous people which is worth observing.

The hodgepodge of spice plantation like nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves will interest your nose buds. Cannonball trees and cabbage palms punctuate a couple of the elegant avenues, and the avenue of double coconut palms (coco de mer) has massive fruit up to 20kg.

The Udawatta Kele is a lush tropical rain forest reserve on a hill ridge in the centre of Kandy. It has a long history dating back centuries. It was a Royal, forbidden forest by the Sinhala kings who ascended the throne when Kandy became the capital city. Located above the Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa) and the royal palace, this verdant jungle is home to many kinds of animals and birds, trees and creepers. There are several Buddhist monasteries in and around the forest as well as a few Buddhist cave dwellings. Near the main entrance there is a large pond, the Raja Pokuna, or Royal Bathing Pond. The forest is popular with bird watchers.

North of the lake, this forest has huge trees, birds and loads of cheeky monkeys. This sanctuary is famous for bird watching and shutterbugs who love to take a glimpse will be delighted.

This beautiful water reservoir is the heart of the Kandy city and the scenic ecosystem around it enhances its presence. Initially believed to serve as a personal Harem for the king Sri Wickrama Rajasinha, the lake has many folktales around it. The lake is said to be connected to the royal by a secret tunnel.

The fortress-style parapet around the perimeter of the lake was a British addition and it is a pleasant spot to just breathe and observe the peaceful beauty of the hill station.

An essential stop on any Sri Lankan tea tour, this museum occupies the 1925-vintage Hanthana Tea Factory, 4km south of Kandy on the Hanthana road. Abandoned for over a decade, it was refurbished by the Sri Lanka Tea Board and the Planters’ Association of Sri Lanka.

The Ceylon Tea Museum at Hantane, three kilometres from Kandy city is served by a motorable road that circles the museum tourist coaches. This four storeyed museum consists exhibits very old items of machinery used in tea brewing, a library and an auditorium with facilities for audio visual presentations. The third floor is allocated to tea sales outlets, where a selection of Sri Lanka's fine tea is available.

A panoramic view of the Kandy town surrounded by the beautiful Hunasgiriya, Knuckles Range and the Matale range of hills can be viewed through a telescope mounted on the fourth floor.

The grounds surrounding the Tea Museum are to be landscaped with different varieties of teas. Kandy is a mandatory stop virtually on every tourist's itinerary and the location of the Ceylon Tea Museum at Hantane enhances the attraction of the hill country to visitors.

This colonial find is a peacefull place to visit. This cemetery is a short walk uphill behind the National Museum. There are 163 graves of youngsters and elders who came to Sri Lanka from England and north Britain. The most striking aspect of a visit to this melancholy place is just how young most people were when they died – if you made it to forty you were of a very ripe old age. Some of the deaths were due to sunstroke, elephants or jungle fever. The Cargills of supermarket fame lie here.

This UNESCO world heritage site is characterized by its striking landscapes often robed in thick layers of cloud but in addition to its aesthetic value the range is of great scientific interest. The large diversity of flora and fauna is striking and appealing and shows the natural heritage of the country.

The adventure activities like mountain biking, rock climbing and caving and pot holing are also available. These can be arranged or conducted by various companies in Kandy. The Wagomuwa and Maduru Oya National Parks, Sorabora Lake, Rathna Ella Waterfall, Victoria Reservoir and Sanctuary, Vaddha the aborigine village are easily accessible from the mountain range.

This hotspot of biodiversity is a must visit. It is ideal for a hike and camping is also a good idea.

An amazing view point of the Kandy town, you can walk up the stairs to view the Buddha statue located up hill.  The gigantic Buddha statue is about 88 feet in height. Bahiraviokanda vihara Buddha statue is one of the tallest and beautiful Buddha statues in Sri Lanka. The hill where the statue was built called bahirava kanda; in Sinhalese it means the devil’s hill. A stairway besides with the statue can be climbed for a greater height. In fact it will be well worth to see the statue lit up at night. A good getaway from the busy streets of Kandy and pleasing panoramic view can be observed from here. The small gallery inside displays a collection of some magnificent pictures of Buddha’s life from baby to manhood. One of the best features is the souvenir shop where you can get goods cheaper than in the city.

Formerly known as “Palle Vahala” this place was used as the palace where the Queens of the king lived. This building has been built according to the architectural features of Kandy period. This pallevahala building which is now converted as a museum for the public exhibits various items of historical value made by Kandy art association. This museum has over 5000 objects depicting historical and cultural events of Kandyan period.

This museum once housed Kandyan royal concubines and now features royal regalia and reminders of pre-European Sinhalese life. The tall-pillared audience hall hosted the convention of Kandyan chiefs that ceded the kingdom to Britain in 1815.

The National Museum, along with four devales (complexes for worshipping deities) and two monasteries – but not the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic itself – make up one of Sri Lanka’s Cultural Triangle sites.

This is a part of the Sri Dalada Maligawa or the temple of the tooth. The museum is located on the upper two floors of Alut Maligwa, just behind the main tooth shrine of Sri Dalada Maligawa.

The museum displays a stunning array of gilded gifts to the temple. Letters and diary entries from the British time reveal the colonizers’ surprisingly respectful attitude to the tooth relic. More recent photographs reveal the damage caused by the truck bomb in 1998.

The oldest building in Kandy, Natha Devale dates back o the 14th century. This is a double shrine and is a place of pious importance to the locals.  The alluring porch pinnacle, the jakatas, beautiful room drums and the pavilions with reclining Buddha make this place worth visiting.

This bustling temple is a mark of unification of two religions Buddhism and Hinduism. The Hindu God Vishnu has his own shrine n the temple as he was considered to be the protector of Buddhism.

It is considered to be the structure prior even to the historical tooth relic’s entrance in the country.

The annual Natha Devale procession is of immense importance and is worth watching.

The principal viharas (Buddhist complexes) in Kandy have considerable importance – the high priests of the two best known, Malwatte and Asgiriya, are the most important in Sri Lanka. These temples are the headquarters of two of the main nikayas (orders of monks). The head monks also administer the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The Malwatte Maha Vihara is across the lake from the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, while the Asgiriya Maha Vihara is off Wariyapola Sri Sumanga Mawatha, northwest of the town centre. It has a large reclining Buddha image.

If you are looking for a club that is rocking, you should pop in at the Le Kandyan hotel and see what happens. The only way you will be able to get here is with a Tuk-Tuk or with a taxi. Located on your way to Perediniya.