5 Things to Do in and Around Kandy – The Gateway to the Hills

Among the top things to do in Kandy, visiting the temple of the tooth relic is the front runner! The temple is known as the dalada maligawa amongst locals and is a popular tourist attraction for its cultural and architectural signific as well. Bear in mind it's not just a mere temple, you will visit, rather an entire royal complex around this relic. This impressive complex, with gilded roofs, houses the most revered and sacred relic in Sri Lanka which is a tooth of Buddha. This relic was brought to Sri Lanka as far back as the 4th century. The temple itself was commissioned by the ruling royal family and was completed in 1707 specifically to honour this sacred relic. Many locals and Buddhists consider this place to be holy and visit the temple to pay their respects so bear this in mind when visiting as well. Within the walls of the temple - you'll be privy to intricate and ornate carvings of a by-gone era along with colourful depictions of Buddha in various poses in his serene and meditative state.

Kandy town is bustling in a quiet, sleepy sense especially in comparison to Colombo. You find the meandering streets interspersed with old colonial buildings and street vendors selling fresh fruits and juices, pickled vegetables, and sweets. We suggest picking up a refreshing and delightful king coconut and taking a walk around the Kandy Lake, which is also fondly referred to as the Sea of Milk.

The Victoria dam is located in Theldeniya which is a short drive from many of the hotels in Kandy such as Hotel Topaz. The dam is a hydropower marvel as is Sri Lanka's largest engineering feat as well as being completely state of the art. We recommend visiting the dam for the stunning views of the plains of Theldeniya and even Digana which you can glimpse from the two observation points on either side of the dam. Afterwards, we suggest driving to the Digana golf course for a spot of tea and an afternoon snack and maybe even a quick round of golf, before heading back to Kandy.

A short drive from Kandy, you can expect the ultimate escape from all your troubles in the form of a serene, stunning botanical garden known as the Royal Botanic Gardens of Peradeniya. This is the largest botanic garden in Sri Lanka and is replete with stunning lawns, bamboo forests, and an unrivalled orchid collection. The sprawling grounds which are over 60 hectares are home to over 10,000 trees! Now, that's lush! The gardens are also carefully curated to showcase the endemic and unique flora found in Sri Lanka. It also includes some flowers and orchids which are found in other parts of the tropics.

After you've visited the gardens, make a loop to include these 3 temples. Or else you can still make this the ultimate temple-centric road trip visiting Lankatilleke, Embekka and Gadaladeniya Temples all in one afternoon! All three Buddhist temples are still visited by devotees so bear this in mind and dress appropriately and remove your footwear when visiting the premises.

All three temples pay tribute to the artistic and archaeological styles of the Gampola era. Whilst the Gadaladeniya Temple is renowned for its beautiful stone carvings, Lankathilaka has the best views overlooking the Hantane Mountain range! The Embekke Devalaya is a stunning temple that is a masterpiece of intricate wood carving showcasing the talent of ancient artisans.