General information about Kandy

General information about Kandy

Kandy (Kandy, Mahanuwara) is a city in the center of the island of Sri Lanka, the capital of the central province and the cultural center of the country, the former ancient capital. Kandy is located 120 kilometers from Colombo, and 100 kilometers from the main international airport of Bandaranaike, at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level (Kandy on the map). The population is just over 160,000 people, which by local standards is considered a large city, it is the sixth most populous in Sri Lanka.

Kandy was founded in the 14th century by King Vikramabahu III. In 1592, the city became the capital of the Kingdom of Kandy, as the state that occupied the island was then called. At the same time, the main shrine was placed here – The Tooth of the Buddha, which is kept here to this day, and is a place of attraction for tourists and pilgrims.

Kandy holidays

Kandy is a high-altitude city located at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains and hills covered with green blankets of tea plantations. In 1988, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and since then it has always attracted tourists. Part of the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka.

There are no beaches here, tens of kilometers to the nearest shore from here. Rest in Kandy is a completely different plan – acquaintance with the culture, sights of the city and natural beauty in the surrounding area. Most tourists visit Kandy in the form of a one-or two-day group excursion, more often en route to other attractions of the island in the center of the country. For such a trip you can see only the main attraction-the Temple Of The Tooth of the Buddha (Sri Dalada Maligawa). But the culture of the city during such a visit is not fully realized by tourists, and to feel the spirit of the cultural capital of the country, you need at least a few days. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to come to Kandy on your own for 2-3 days, and see its sights yourself, take a leisurely walk through the streets of the city, markets, chat with residents, attend a traditional dance performance and walk on coals, you will not regret it. If you want to fully get acquainted with the central region of the country, make trekking trips to the mountains, engage in active recreation, practice meditation, it will take at least a week.

In addition to Kandy itself, a very interesting attraction is the road to the city itself through the central provinces of Sri Lanka. It passes through picturesque mountains sheltered by endless tea plantations and filled with natural and architectural attractions. Kandy can also be a starting or intermediate point to visit other tourist places of the center of the island, such as Nuwara-eliya, Ella, Horton plateau, Adam's Peak and others.

In our guide to Kandy, we have collected all the necessary information that will allow you to organize your own trip, learn all about attractions, hotels, ways to get there, Transport and other issues for independent travel.

Tourist infrastructure in Kandy

The main tourist and walking area in Kandy is located around an artificial lake in the center of the city. The main street where the infrastructure is concentrated is Dalada Vidaya.

The infrastructure for tourists in Kandy is well developed, but still do not forget that this is not a resort area, but a city. There are many hotels, excursions and traditional shows are offered, there are restaurants for tourists, but all this is not on every corner.

There are many hotels in Kandy, there will be no problems with accommodation, although it is better to search and book accommodation in advance, since there is no single street or tourist place of concentration of hotels, they are scattered throughout the city. The situation is similar with travel agencies and excursions: here you can not just walk along the street and go to travel agencies at every step, so it can be difficult to find them. Therefore, the distribution of excursions and tickets for traditional dance performances most often occurs through hotels. Learn more about Kandy hotels here...

As for food, there can also be some difficulties with this in Kandy. There are few cafes for tourists, and European food on the street is almost impossible to find. Most often, tourists eat in cafes at hotels, which is not always cheap. Even if your hotel or guesthouse does not have a restaurant, you can easily come to eat at another hotel. Here are good restaurants for tourists: Kandy Muslim Hotel (Dalada Vidiya), Devon Restauraunt (Dalda Vidigya, 11), Bake House (36 Dalada Vidiya), Avanhala (Sangaraja Mawatha, north of the lake). Also north of the lake you can find KFC and Pizza Hut.

There are not very many large shopping centers in Kandy, but there is a very modern and one of the largest shopping centers in the country - Kandy City Centre, located next to the lake in the East. You can find everything in it. The rest of the store is mainly located northeast of the lake, where you can also find supermarkets with food. For tourists, many shops with souvenirs, antiques, jewelry are of interest. There is no shortage of such stores here.

Kandy weather, seasons, when to go

Although for the most part during sightseeing in Kandy it is not very important whether it rains or not, it is better to refrain from visiting the central part during the rainy season, which peaks in October and November. The best time to visit Kandy is the dry season in January – March. At this time it rains very rarely, the sky is always clear, and the surrounding hills and mountains are not shrouded in fog.

Tourist seasons in Kandy by month, when is the best time to go

Current Kandy weather and forecast

Attractions and entertainment in Kandy

Directly in Kandy itself, there are not very many attractions to see everything, one full day is enough. The most important attraction is the Temple Of The Tooth of the Buddha, for which most tourists come here. After the temple of the tooth, it's worth a peek at St. Paul's Anglican Church, contrasting architecture and content with the dozens of Buddhist temples around. Nearby is the Harrison National Museum and cemetery. Well, if you have enough time, you can walk through the park Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, which is a jungle in miniature in the center of the city. In the evening, you should definitely visit one of the traditional dance shows.

A five-minute drive from the center is the most beautiful botanical garden of Sri Lanka-Peradenia. Also in the vicinity you need to visit the Tea Museum, several magnificent and unique temples with a very ancient history.

As for entertainment, there are very few of them in Kandy, or rather, in the city itself there are no tourists at all. But you can go out of town for trekking in the jungle, take a boat ride on the river, do meditation, or go to one of the two elephant nurseries. All this is offered by local travel agencies, but you can go to the elephant kennels yourself. Evening entertainment in Kandy is not much, just a few bars, mainly along the main street Dalada Vidaya. But there is no great variety, besides, everything closes early. In general, after 10 hours the city is almost all asleep, the streets become empty. Learn more about attractions and entertainment in Kandy here...

How to get to Kandy

Most often Kandy is visited as part of Group sightseeing tours. Such tours are one-day, when the group is brought to the city for a day, introduced to the Temple of the tooth of the Buddha and the Royal Botanical Garden of Peradeniya. There are also overnight tours, and then tourists are given free time to walk around the city. You can purchase such excursions at any resort in Sri Lanka.

But if you want to visit the city for a longer period, or just go here for one day with an overnight stay, there will be no problems getting here from anywhere in Sri Lanka. You can come to Kandy by train, bus, taxi, and even fly in by plane. Learn more about all the ways to get to Kandy here...

Useful tips

• Security. Kandy is not considered a dangerous place, but women traveling alone should be careful. There have been several cases of single female tourists being abused during evening walks around the lake and around the Udawatta Kele Sanctuary Park.
• The internet. there are no problems with internet access in Kandy, every hotel has WiFi. There is also access to cafes and restaurants in the center.
• Medicine. The hospital with English-speaking staff is Lakeside Advertiser Hospital at the southern end of the lake.
• Money exchange, ATMs.exchange offices and banks with ATMs can be found on and near Dalada Vidiya Street. By the way, the exchange rate here is not very profitable, even lower than at the airport.
• Motorcycle rental. We were never able to find a motorcycle/Motobike rental in Kandy for trips around the area. But you can rent a motorcycle at the popular resorts Negombo, Hikkaduwa, Etc., and come here on it. If you know about a place in Kandy where you can rent a motorcycle, you can share this information in the comments.
• Scenic routes. if you are planning to travel from Kandy to Badulla (Nuwara Eliya, Ella), then it is best to go by train, as this is one of the most picturesque routes in the world.
• Hotels in Kandy. Upon arrival at the bus or railway station, you will be attacked by "helpers" offering hotels and tours in the city. Under all sorts of deceptive pretexts, they will try to lure you to hotels where they will receive a commission for you. Do not take their word for it that the hotel to which they will take you is located near the center, most often just the opposite. It is best to come to Kandy with a pre-booked hotel.
• Alcoholic beverages in Kandy. Kandy is a sacred city for locals, so there are strict restrictions on the use and sale of alcohol. It is almost not served in restaurants and cafes, the sale is completely prohibited during religious holidays. You can buy alcohol only in a few specialized alcohol markets (Wine shop) in the city center.