Essential To-Do List in your Kandy trip – Explore the best of Kandy

This is also commonly known in English as The Temple of The Sacred Tooth Relic and was built in the early times when kings once ruled Sri Lanka. The temple was built to house the tooth relic of Lord Buddha that arrived in the country in the 4th century. To the local devotees, this place is a significant historic and religious site that they hope to visit at least once in their lives. The structure has beautiful architecture and is adorned with a golden roof and intricate carvings on walls and wooden pillars. It is definitely the first place you should be visiting once you arrive.

This garden offers much more than the one in your backyard! It was once the place where only the royals of Ceylon could take a stroll to enjoy nature and thus is also known as the Royal Botanic Gardens. Once the British took over however, things changed, and more species of flora were planted. The gardens were then open to the public to view as well. The massive 60 hectares of land hold over 10,000 species of plants and small animals like squirrels and birds call this place home. The landscaping is extravagant too, there is just so much to see here. Also, it has some of the best insta-worthy spots in Kandy.

While Sri Dalada Maligawa would be your first choice on places to visit, it doesn't mean that Kandy has no more temples to visit. You could take a tuk-tuk for the fun of it and head over to the nearby village of Gampola where more ancient temples exist. Namely, Gadaladeniya Temple, Embekke Dewalaya and Lankathilaka. Gadaladeniya Temple is a cave temple with archaic murals that depict the historic stories of Buddha. Embekke Dewalaya is known for its baroque carvings on the pillars of the temple and Lankathilaka is a half Buddhist half Hindu temple that stands from the 14th century.

Overlooking the amazing city of Kandy is a massive Buddhas statue which can be seen from pretty much anywhere in the city. You could simply take a tuk-tuk here and you will be rewarded with stunning views that are sure to take your breath away. The statue was built in 1972 and is one of the only structures that is at a higher elevation than the Temple of the Tooth Relic. This attraction is easily reachable from hotels in Kandy the likes of Earl's Regent Kandy.

Not far from the Temple of The Tooth Relic, the Kandy Lake is yet another attraction that you must visit. The Lake looks serene and calm with little ripples of movement in the water. It looks absolutely beautiful, but not in your wildest dreams would you imagine that the lake was once associated with gruesome deaths!