Information
City: KandyCountry: Sri Lanka
Continent: Asia
Kandy, Sri Lanka, Asia
Overview
Kandy, the cultural heart of Sri Lanka, brims with history, sacred traditions, and lush hills that smell of rain.Tucked into the green hills of the central province, it’s revered for its sacred heritage and remembered as the final seat of Sri Lanka’s ancient kings.Here’s your immersive guide to Kandy-a city cradled in Sri Lanka’s central highlands, about 115 kilometers northeast of Colombo, where mist often hangs over the hills at 500 meters above sea level; the air stays warm, between 24 and 26°C, and rain falls year-round, heavier during the monsoons; once called Senkadagalapura, it rose in the 14th century as a fortified city and later became the last independent kingdom to withstand Portuguese, Dutch, and British forces until it fell to the British in 1815 under the Kandyan Convention, ending Sri Lanka’s monarchy; in 1988, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site for its cultural and historic value; today, it remains the spiritual heart of Sri Lankan Buddhism, home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic-its gold-roofed chambers sheltering one of the faith’s most treasured objects-alongside landmarks like the Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha towering over the city, ancient temples such as Gadaladeniya, Lankatilaka, and Embekke with its intricate wood carvings; for nature lovers, there’s tranquil Kandy Lake at the city’s core, the lush Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, orchid-filled Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, and the wild Knuckles Mountain Range; its historic Kandyan Royal Palace sits near modern Kandy City Center, and the city bursts to life during the July/August Esala Perahera with drummers, dancers, and elephants parading by torchlight; you can sample spice-rich Kandyan rice and curry, sweet Kithul treacle, or crisp kokis, shop for batik, jewelry, and local tea at markets, wander the lake path, tour tea estates like Hanthana, or trek into the hills; arrive by one of the world’s most scenic train rides from Colombo, hop buses or tuk-tuks to get around, and venture to nearby spots like Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, Matale’s spice gardens, or Hanthana’s peaks; though traffic and heavy tourism can press on the city, Kandy’s blend of sacred tradition, vivid festivals, and misty mountain charm keeps it unforgettable.
Landmarks in kandy
