Kandy

Kandy was the last independent kingdom on the island and it still carries itself like a capital. The city curls around a man-made lake at five hundred metres, high enough that the air is noticeably cooler than the coast, and its centre is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic — one of Buddhism's most venerated sites, where drummers announce the puja three times a day.

Beyond the temple you will find the Royal Botanical Gardens at Peradeniya, a working market that has not changed much in a century, and viewpoints that catch the whole valley at dusk. Most travellers use Kandy as the pivot between the cultural triangle to the north and the tea country to the south.

Getting there and when to go: Kandy is about 115 km from Colombo, three to three and a half hours by road, or a scenic three-hour train ride from Colombo Fort. It is the natural gateway to the hill country and the starting point of the train to Ella. Evening puja at the Temple of the Tooth is the daily highlight; the Esala Perahera procession in July or August draws the biggest crowds of the year, so book accommodation well ahead for those dates.