Also dubbed as Sri Lanka’s cultural capital, Kandy continues to attract a large number of tourists both local and foreign. Perched on the hills at an altitude of 488 m, it will take about 115 kilometers to reach here from Colombo, the country’s main capital. Drive along that 115-kilometre journey to taste the cultural richness of Sri Lanka.
1. Royal Palace
This was the royal residence of the Sinhalese monarchy of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka. The last king to have occupied here was King Sri Vikrama Rajasinha until the British conquered the kingdom in 1815 with the strategic assistance of Kandyan chieftains. Here you can see many alcoves such as Royal Audience Hall (Magul Maduwa), Queen’s Palace (Meda Wasala), King’s Harem Quarters (Palle Vahale) and Queen’s Bathing Pavilion (Ulpange). Close to the palace you can see the Victorian era building that was used as Kandy High Court.
Kandy is home to many attractions starting from Royal Palace. The best way to enjoy all of them to first lodge in a hotel Kandy can offer. Earls Regent Kandy is one of the hotels with easy access to most attractions.
2. Kandy Lake
The lake was built by King Rajasinha to beautify the surrounding of the Temple of Tooth. So to say, this is a man-made construction marking a remnant of the last ever Sri Lankan kingdom. Earlier it was known as Kiri Muhuda or the Milky Ocean, and you can see an unfinished wall called the Valakulu Bamma or clouds wall. It remains unfinished because the king was arrested in 1815 as the British conquered the land. At 2060 feet, the cloud wall remains standing today in its unfinished state; the triangular holes in it are used to light oil lamps.
The lake has an island at the centre, another creation of the king. It was originally a part of a dam, which King Rajasinghe had built across the lake. However, it was destroyed from both ends, leaving just the island in the middle.
The locals would tell you that this island was actually used by the King’s helm for bathing, and was connected to the palace through a secret tunnel.
You can see many protections put in place for Kandy Lake. At one place it is not allowed to fish. The lake has reduced considerably over the years, to having a perimeter of just less than 3.5 kilometers, though it used to be much bigger.
3. Temple of the Tooth
As you approach north of the lake, you will come across a golden-roofed Temple of the Sacred Tooth that shelters a tooth of the Buddha. If you visit here during the pooja time, you can access the otherwise guarded room housing the Holy Tooth. But that does not mean you can actually see the relic, for it is kept in a gold casket shaped like a dagoba (stupa), which contains a series of six dagoba caskets of diminishing size.
The whole site of the temple covers a numerous other temples and museums.
4. Hanthana Mountain Range
It is another stunning attraction perched in Kandy. Also known as Hanthana Conservation Forest, this mountain range introduces you to Sri Lanka’s bio diversity in essence. The forest is governed by Department of Forest Conservation. Under the National Environmental Act, the Hanthana mountain Range is declared as an environmental protection area. You can see seven other mountains in the range with the maximum height as 3800 ft. The highest mountain is Uura Kanda.
If you have a passion for mountain hiking, choose this and you won’t regret. It is quite popular among the mountain hikers. Even if you are not a hiker, the mountain will add a lovely memory to your life journey. Hiking or not, do not forget to bring your camera. You will get to set sights upon birds, butterflies, many types of wild flowers, insects, wild trees and many others.
Located close by is the University of Peradeniya which is dubbed as the most beautiful university of Sri Lanka. The university is blessed with the touch of Hanthana Mountains and its attractive environment. This environment manifests the ideal environment for the students to focus on their academic activities. If you are interested on touring the university, do not forget to visit its faculties: Medical, Engineering, Bio, Physical, Art, Management and IT. The university also has a natural theater where you can watch the dramas in the open air.
