Sightseeing in Kandy

1016 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

3/5

Review type

Things to do

Date of travel

January, 2022

Product name

Sightseeing in Kandy

Product country

Sri Lanka

Product city

Kandy

Travelled with

Couple

Reasons for trip

Culture/Sightseeing

Having visited Kandy twice before, and seen its most noted sight, the Temple of the Tooth, on both occasions, we wanted to do something different.

Our hotel, The Ozo, was a short, but steep walk down to the large artificial Kandy Lake, which dominates the city.

Half the lake, known as the Sea of Milk, is surrounded by a distinctive white wall, called Walakulu Bamma or Clouds Wall. The triangular shaped holes in the wall, would in the past, have had oil lamps placed in them on festival days. The wall was built to enhance the lake’s beauty by Sri Wickrama Rajasinghe, the last Kandyan King, who was unable to complete it before the city was captured by the British, and he was forced to relinquish the kingdom.

Walking around the lakeside path is a must. The lake is protected and apart from some regulated boat trips, activities like fishing are banned. Therefore it is a mecca for wildlife, and we saw lots of birds, turtles and fish, with the birds often disappearing during the day and returning to roost at night.

Near the Temple of the Tooth entrance, we took Cemetery Road with the intention of visiting the Garrison Cemetery. But having hiked up there (past toilets donated by the People’s Republic of China), we found the gates closed and had to be content with peering through them. The cemetery contains 163 graves from colonial times, with many dying very young of sunstroke, jungle fever or accidents with elephants. The caretaker, who apparently once guided Prince Charles around the cemetery, is said to be entertaining with stories for nearly every grave and so this was a big disappointment.

We took in a late afternoon performance of cultural dancing at the Kandy Art and Cultural Centre. Tickets costs 1,000 Rupees/£3.60, and our guide had reserved front row seats for us, so we had an excellent view of the stage. The show started with drummers and a man playing a snake charming flute, progressed into girls dancing in various costumes, acrobats, a devil monkey which was a bit of a let-down, masked dancers, and fire eaters. Towards the end of the show, a long tray of hot coals was brought to the front and two of the male dancers walked over them. At this point, everyone was allowed to leave their seats and gather round for a better view, but we were already in pole position. Cold drinks and snacks were available and there were a couple of hawkers selling hand painted fridge magnets and gem necklaces.

We also visited the Royal Botanic Gardens and went on a guided food tour (see separate reviews).

Helen Jackson

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.