Joanna James
Kandy is a must-visit city in Sri Lanka. The climate in Kandy is far more accommodating and pleasant and the places you'll visit are imbued with the rich culture and heritage of the country. Kandy is a pretty small place, so all the places you'll need to visit are just a short and lovely walk away.
If you travel to Kandy, you have to visit the Sri Dalada Maligawa – the Temple of the Tooth. It is an important symbol of Buddhism and a symbol of sovereignty to this day. Sri Dalada Maligawa was, once upon a time, the palace of the last kings of Sri Lanka and is now a monument that houses the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. There is a museum as well, which you should have a look at on the premises.
Once you enter Kandy city, you'll be greeted by a giant towering statue of a gleaming white buddha staring down at the city from one of the surrounding hills. You can go right up to this statue, and you'll be quite awestruck by the sheer size of this monument, and you can also enjoy great views of the city.
Peradeniya Botanical Gardens is not the largest of its kind in the world. However, the meticulously maintained lawns include trees and flowers that are curated here and are truly a wonder to behold. The Peradeniya Gardens make for a lovely evening escape.
The Kandy war cemetery is a beautiful cemetery that is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and serves as the last resting place for nearly two hundred soldiers who died in Sri Lanka during World War II. Kandy Escapes and similar other blogs list the Kandy war cemetery as a must-visit attraction in the 'Cultural Capital' of Sri Lanka.
The city of Kandy is built around the shores of this small but lovely little man-made lake. It's bordered by a wall, which is referred to as the cloud wall because of its quite unique design. The whole distance around the lake is paved and makes for the best evening walk in Kandy.
Kandy is quite an oddity for a city, albeit a small one. The city has a lake right at its heart as well as a forest reserve. Udawattakele Forest Reserve is just a 5-minute walk from the city centre and is home to monkeys and even an elusive leopard. However, the wildlife is not the big draw here, instead, the sheer oddity of this urban jungle.
The hill country of Sri Lanka is famous for the amazing teas it produces. A heritage of the bygone colonial era, tea is still a very fond thing for the people of Kandy. When visiting the city, make it a point to visit Giragama Tea estate to get an up-close and personal look at how tea is grown and picked and made into the world-renowned brew that it is today.
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