Top 05 Reasons to Visit Kandy – The story of Sri Lanka’s pride-and-joy!

Nestled away in the dreamy hill-country of Sri Lanka midst the hills making the 'Kandy plateau', this is without a doubt a city that all visitors, Sri Lankan and otherwise, aspire to come back to time and time again. This laidback ancient capital is only 72 miles inward into the country but sets out an entirely different ambience to the rest of the island. While, perhaps, the reason for which this city is wildly famous among international communities is the vibrantly festive Kandy Esala Perahera - better known as the Festival of the Tooth that happens to be a 10-day long celebration in August, there is still plenty of attractions to be witnessed throughout the year- and are as below.

The Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya is the largest botanical garden in all of Sri Lanka and attracts approximately 2 million visitors annually. Formerly established under the British rule and reserved purely for royalty, its mentions date as far back as 14th century scriptures. Its covers around 60 hectares of garden housing a colourful variety of flowering plants, trees and even giant bamboos and is the perfect spot for a picnic and spend-a-day.

The Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic tops, perhaps, the list of most sacred, religious destinations within Sri Lanka and stands an invaluable monument for the Buddhist community. It is said to be the holy destination which houses the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha following his cremation after a full-life of preaching the Buddhist philosophy- a relic that happens to be one of the only four remaining in the world today. Make sure to visit the temple at crack of dawn to beat the crowd and peacefully explore the premises.

Right next to the Temple of the Tooth Relic lies the beautiful Kandy Lake – perhaps one of the most glorious views in all of the city. While there are numerous controversial stories as per the origin and building of this iconic landmark, it is truly a beauty that is worth your time visiting. It makes for a very peaceful place during most times of the day – specially if you are the kind to enjoy a walk around the promenade, or even a boat-ride on the lake!

This impressively noble statue of Buddha is one of those attractions that you possibly cannot miss out on, literally. The statue and its temple are both located atop a small hillock overlooking the city and comes with some impressive panoramic views of the city!

As perhaps one of Sri Lanka's most touristy cities, there is no denying that Kandy is in fact, a melting hot pot of different cultures and cuisines. Among the many things to do in Kandy, therefore, hotels and restaurants are countless and come with impressive facilities, for instance such as at Hotel Topaz. Not to mention the numerous continental cuisine-based restaurants that are spread out throughout the heart of the city!