When we planned our trip to Sri Lanka, we were a bit hesitant whether we should really include Kandy in our travel list or not. The reason why we were hesitant was because of the fact that Kandy is known to be a fairly busy city whereas we were planning to spend a few days away from the honks, smog, traffic and the cacophony of a busy life!
But eventually we decided to visit Kandy, at least, for a day as we did not want to miss the other beautiful aspects of this lovely hill-country capital. We are going to point out the top attractions in Kandy and why you should spend at least one day in Kandy to get an essence of the culture and heritage of this small island country.
ABOUT KANDY
Kandy is one of the biggest and busiest cities in Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings’ era of Sri Lanka. This is located in the Central Province and is also the capital of the same. Kandy lies in the beautiful geographical location surrounded by the misty hills, the lush green tea plantations and paddy fields and a glorious lake right in the center of the city.
Kandy is the home to many religious, cultural and historical centers and it also holds a special significance for the Buddhists due to the presence of many famous Buddhist shrines and monasteries within the holy city.
Since this is centrally located in the island country, it is accessible from almost all the major cities. Kandy is around 120 km from Colombo, 220 km from Galle, 80 km from Nuwra Eliya, 90 km from Sigiriya and 115 km from Badulla.
HOW TO REACH KANDY
The easiest and the most common way of reaching Kandy is to travel to Colombo by air (if you are traveling from abroad) and then take the rail or road route depending on your convenience.
BY AIR
The Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo is the nearest airport to Kandy and is about 100 km away. From Colombo airport it takes hardly 3 hours to reach Kandy by road or by train. We traveled from Chennai (India) to Colombo by air and then went to Colombo city by the airport bus. From Colombo, we chose the rail route to reach Kandy.
BY TRAIN
Traveling to Kandy by train is the easiest and the cheapest option. We traveled from Colombo to Kandy by the inter-city train in the morning and it was truly a wonderful and classic journey, exactly the kind of start we wanted! Also, if you are traveling from Ella or Badulla, you should definitely chose the rail route to get the best sights of the country and to make your journey exciting as well as memorable.
You can travel in the 1st class observation car or the 2nd class reserved or the 3rd class unreserved cars depending on your comfort.
Get all the information regarding Sri Lankan rail from here.
BY ROAD
If you prefer traveling by road, there are a couple of options. There are many private and public buses (AC and Non-AC) which run between Colombo and Kandy on a regular basis. Few buses are also available right from the Colombo airport. You can also consider hiring cabs to reach Kandy but they can be little expensive.
TOP ATTRACTIONS IN KANDY
Since we planned to stay for only one day in Kandy, we had an afternoon and an evening to spend and visit the top attractions in Kandy. We are going to list down a few activities which are worth a try.
BAHIRAVOKANDA VIHARA
Visit the famous Bahiravokanda Vihara to see the huge pristine white Buddha Statue. This 26 meters high statue is one of the tallest Buddha statues in Sri Lanka and this statue sitting atop the hill can be viewed from any point in the city.
This is just a few kilometres away from the main city center and can be reached by tuktuk or scooty (if you hire one). This place offers a mesmerizing panoramic view of the Kandy city below. You will definitely enjoy the peaceful and quiet environment of this place.
- Entry Fee: 250 LKR
- Timing: Open 24 hours
WALK ALONG THE KANDY LAKE
The Kandy Lake is a large man-made lake (made in 1807) located right in the center of the city. This can be the perfect spot if you want to spend a peaceful evening admiring the local wildlife and the beautiful greenery of the surrounding.
It would really be a charming experience taking a walk along the lake’s circumference which can be covered in an hour. Best time to visit is early morning or evening during sunset.
- Cost: Free
- Timing: 6AM – 6PM
BOAT RIDE IN KANDY LAKE
You can also go for a pleasant boat ride in the Kandy Lake to soak in the fresh air away from the bustling streets. It’s really good for wildlife observation. We took one in the evening at a price of 2000 LKR.
We watched a wide variety of birds during the ride and took a lot of photos. You also get a panoramic view of the city while you are at the center of the lake. The trip takes around 15-20 minutes to cover the entire lake.
THE TEMPLE OF THE SACRED TOOTH
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth is the most significant and sacred Buddhist establishment in Sri Lanka. This famous golden-roofed temple is just adjacent to the Kandy Lake and looks just fabulous from outside.
This temple is famous for housing an important Buddhist relic- a tooth of Buddha himself which was brought to Sri Lanka during the 4th century. It’s believed that this sacred tooth was snatched during Buddha’s funeral in India and later brought to Sri Lanka.
We visited the temple in the evening after sunset and it was really a nice and pure experience. Many worshipers and tourists visit the temple and so it remains typically crowded all throughout the day.
Note: Entry inside the temple is allowed only on wearing clothes fully covering legs and shoulders. Shoes must be removed.
- Cost: 1500 LKR and 1000 LKR (for SAARC countries)
- Timing: 5:30AM – 8PM
EXPLORE THE KANDY STREETS
To get a feel of the city, you can walk along the streets and markets of Kandy. It will definitely be a good experience to see the local people and their culture and their ways of life. While strolling along the streets of Kandy, we came across many famous eateries and markets selling everything from incense to textiles to beautiful souvenirs.
We visited during the Christmas and the streets were beautifully decorated with lights of different types and colors.
We also found a stunning Red Mosque in one of the streets. The streets are always little busy and noisy but a walk in the evening is worthwhile.
There is also a city center shopping mall in the center of the town where you’ll find a variety of shopping options. There is also a food court in the mall. Many types of cuisines were available there and we ate our dinner there itself.
KANDY TO ELLA TRAIN RIDE
You can end the Kandy trip with an epic train ride on the famous Sri Lankan train. Our next destination was Nuwara Eliya and the Kandy-Ella train ride was the perfect ending to our wonderful stay in Kandy! The journey through the dense forests, green hills and cute tea-plantations makes the experience a remarkable one!
WHERE YOU CAN STAY IN KANDY
There are a lot of staying options available for all budgets in the city. Since Kandy is big and touristy, accommodations are available at every part of the city. However, we recommend you to stay near the main city center to visit the top attractions in Kandy easily and if possible, stay somewhere with a view of the beautiful lake. We put up at Ceyloni Lake View Hotel and we chose a room with a view of the lake.
BEST TIME TO VISIT KANDY
Since Kandy is located in the hilly area of the country, the weather remains pretty cool and pleasant. However, the monsoons can be little wetter and difficult to predict. To get a clearer weather, it is safe to travel to Kandy from December to April.
Let us know in the comment section below if you liked our blog on our visit to Kandy. If you have already been to Kandy, share your experience in the comment section below. You can also contact us if you need any information regarding the visit to Kandy or regarding trip to Sri Lanka. For other exciting adventures in Sri Lanka, click here.
Find more similar adventure stories here. THANK YOU!
