Beyond the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy is a city of surprises. Discover the best local restaurants, hidden viewpoints, and experiences most visitors never find.
Kandy: Sri Lanka's Last Royal Capital
Nestled in a bowl of forested hills at 500 metres elevation, Kandy was the seat of Sri Lanka's last independent kingdom, holding out against Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial powers for centuries before finally falling in 1815. It remains the cultural heart of the island — home to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, the most important Buddhist shrine in the world, and the centre of Kandyan artistic and musical traditions.
Most visitors spend a few hours here on their way between Colombo and the hill country. Those who stay longer discover a layered, fascinating city with world-class botanical gardens, a working spice market, excellent restaurants, and viewpoints that reveal an entirely different Sri Lanka from the beach and jungle experiences elsewhere.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
Sri Dalada Maligawa — the Temple of the Tooth — houses what is believed to be a tooth of the historical Buddha, making it the single most sacred Buddhist site in the world for Theravada Buddhists. The temple complex sits directly on the Kandy Lake, its golden roof and white walls beautifully reflected in the water at dawn.
Puja (offering ceremonies) take place three times daily — at 6:30 AM, 9:30 AM and 6:30 PM — and each is accompanied by the beating of traditional drums and the blowing of conch shells, creating a visceral sensory experience. The 6:30 PM puja, as the temple is lit and worshippers crowd the inner chambers, is the most atmospheric. Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and remove shoes before entering.
Hidden Gems: What Most Tourists Miss
The Kandy market — not the tourist craft market on Dalada Veediya but the working municipal market one street behind — is a revelation of colour and chaos. Stalls selling fresh turmeric, dried Malabar tamarind, enormous jackfruits, pyramids of red onions and barrels of dried fish run in tight rows through the building. Arrive before 9:00 AM for the most activity.
The viewpoint at Arthur's Seat, reached by a 15-minute tuk-tuk ride up into the hills above the city, provides a panorama of the entire Kandy bowl — the lake, the temple, the hills receding into blue distance — that is far more satisfying than the over-visited Bahirawakanda Buddha statue. Sunrise from Arthur's Seat, with a flask of tea, is one of Sri Lanka's quiet pleasures.
Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens
Five kilometres outside Kandy, Peradeniya Botanical Gardens is one of Asia's finest — 60 hectares of meticulously maintained grounds containing over 4,000 plant species. The avenue of royal palms, the giant Javan fig tree whose canopy covers nearly an acre, and the extraordinary orchid collection are the highlights.
Visit in the late afternoon when the light softens and most day-trippers have left. The gardens are also excellent for birdding — parakeets, woodpeckers and large flocks of fruit bats roost in the tallest trees. The on-site café serves reasonable rice and curry and excellent iced coffee.
Where to Eat in Kandy
The Kandy Muslim Hotel near the clock tower is a Kandy institution — wooden tables, no-nonsense service, and the best string hoppers with dhal and pol sambol in the city. Arrive at 7:00 AM for breakfast and expect a queue. The Slightly Chilled Lounge Bar overlooking the lake has the best view and surprisingly good pasta. For a fine dinner, The Empire Café in the Grand Hotel is worth the splurge.
For a unique experience, book a cooking class with one of the families who run cooking demonstrations from their home kitchens — Amishi arranges these privately. Learning to make a proper coconut milk curry, hoppers from scratch, and fresh sambol with ingredients from the morning market is a highlight many of our guests rate as their favourite activity in Sri Lanka.
Kandyan Dance: Evening Cultural Show
The nightly Kandyan cultural dance performance at Kandy Lake Club or the Cultural Centre runs for approximately 45 minutes and covers the full range of traditional Kandyan performance arts — the precision footwork of the ves dance, the athletic fire-walking finale, and the elaborate costumes of the royal court tradition.
It is a performance designed for visitors and acknowledged as such, but it is done with genuine skill and pride. As an introduction to one of the world's most sophisticated classical dance traditions, it is well worth the hour. Ask your guide to arrange front-row seats and arrive 15 minutes early for the drum demonstration before the show.
