KANDY ATTRACTIONS, WHAT TO SEE ON YOUR TRIP TO THE HILL COUNTRY
Kandy City Tour
Kandy is a major city in Sri Lanka located in the central province. It was the last capital of the ancient kings’ era of Sri Lanka. Kandy is located in the mountainous and thickly forested interior of the island. The city is located in between multiple mountain ranges including the Knuckles and the Hanthana mountain range, giving the city an elevation of 500 metres above sea level. The city has a relatively wetter and cooler temperatures than the rest of the country.
THE TOP ATTRACTIONS FOR A FIRST TIMER VISITING KANDY
Nelligala Buddhist Centre: This is a newly built temple on a top of a hill where you can see surrounding regions and mountain ranges on a clear day. It is a well-maintained Buddhist center where you can visit for tranquility and peace whilst enjoying the surrounding views with chilly air. The Nelligala Buddhist center is surrounded by breathtaking views and is best visited in the morning and evening. The top of the hill provides a 360-degree view of the central highlands of the country. Some of the views from the top of the hill are the Hanathana mountain range, Alagalla mountain, Batalegala. It is an amazing and calm place. Gold color Buddha statues are one of the major highlights of the temple which remind the Mahayana Buddhism. The temple includes holy relics of the Lord Buddha. This might be the best place to sooth the mind.
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Giragama Tea Factory: A well-maintained tea factory which offers guided factory tours mainly for the foreigners. Factory tours are available in several languages to make it more convenient for foreigners. The tour itself is very informative, taking you through the tea-making process and explaining the different grades and tea types. You can see the whole process from the tea having been picked to sorting, drying, mixing and processing. The tour takes 30-40 minutes and it is completely free and then you end up in the cafeteria with a good freshly made cup of tea and cookies. No attempts at pressure selling and anyone who wants to buy have to go up to the counter and initiate the process. Tea outlet has a vast selection of Ceylon tea with export quality.
Tiesh Gem & Jewellery Museum And Showroom: Being one of Sri Lanka’s leading contemporary jewellers, Tiesh is not only a jewellery store with a reputation to match. It is also an engaging and hands-on learning experience. A step into the showrooms will lure you to luxuriate in the story of every sparkle uniquely created just for you. The place showcases a video, displays the ancient method of mining for semi-precious stones and showcases various precious and semi-precious stones and also allows you to visit the jewelry making segment where you can see polishing of stones and making of items of jewelry. It is highly recommended if you are looking to buy quality jewellery.

KANDY CITY TOUR WITH SAMAN
Saman Weeratunga is a Sri Lankan travel and portrait photographer based in Kandy, Sri Lanka. He is passionate about travel and aim to visit new places as much as he can. He has traveled and photographed some of the most amazing countries like Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Singapore, Malaysia etc. Besides his own travel photography, he conducts specific photo tours and sightseeing tours in Kandy using his experience in photography and his years of knowledge on local photography and sightseeing destinations.
Kandy Lake Club Cultural Dance Show: This is an interesting Sri Lankan arts, dance & cultural heritage show. Among the attractions are the dances depicting the majestic walk of the elephant, colourful performance of the peacock and the mystical movements of the cobra. There are also dances with traditional masks, traditional mini-drums and flames. Right throughout the show you can enjoy the sounds of drums and other traditional musical instruments of Sri Lanka. There are three main styles of Sri Lankan classical dance: The Kandyan dances of the hill country region, the low country dances of the southern region, Sabaragamuwa dances of Ratnapura region. The three classical dance forms differ in their styles of body-movements and gestures, in the costumes worn by the performers, and in the shape and size of the drums used.
Municipal Central Market: The market is offering the best Sri Lanka has to offer, beautiful fruits and vegetables, tea, spices, herbal oils, silk, batik and everything you can imagine, and all at fair prices. The colours and sounds will blow your socks off, so get your camera ready. At the ground floor you can see vegetables, fruits and some spice shops. If you go further inside on the ground floor you will see a very busy local vegetable market. It is nice because people will never push you and follow you asking to buy things. If you go to the 2nd floor, then you will see all the handicrafts and souvenirs. The Colourful batik stores are also worth a visit. This is a place where you can feel the real beat of the local life.
Bahiravokanda Buddha Statue: The statue of Buddha is depicted in the position of the Dhyana Mudra, the posture of meditation associated with his first Enlightenment, and can be seen from almost everywhere in Kandy. It stands at 26.83 m high and is one of the tallest Buddha statues in Sri Lanka. The place gives a picturesque view to the visitors providing a city view point. During the night the lights of the town gives you a picturesque view. There is a way that you can go up part way but not right to the top of the Buddha statue. It’s recommended to cover your shoulders and knees in any religious sight in Sri Lanka.
Kandy View Point: The viewpoint has spectacular vistas of the city and surrounding hills and valleys. It provides a particularly nice perspective on the temple of the sacred tooth and Kandy lake. It is not too far from the city center.
Temple Of The Sacred Tooth Relic: This is a Buddhist temple which is located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. This is a place full of historical and architectural values as well as religious and traditional values. There is also a very valuable museum that reflects the history very well. As it is a sacred place, clothing is stricter. You need to cover your shoulders and knees, and you also need to take off your shoes.
Commonwealth War Cemetery: This is a British military cemetery for soldiers of the British empire who were killed during world war II as well as a soldier who died during World War I. There are 203 buried, consisting of; 107 British, 35 East Africans, 26 Sri Lankans, 23 Indians, 6 Canadians, 3 Italians, 1 Frenchman and 2 unidentified persons. If you are lucky enough to bump into the head gardener, he will give you a tour, sharing some great stories about the soldiers buried here. The gardens are stunning and the place is well looked after and a real tribute to the soldiers buried here.