Sri Lanka is an incredibly diverse and culturally-rich country. At the heart of Sri Lanka and its culture lies the royal city of Kandy. The “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” boasts no less than eight UNESCO World Heritage sites, including the Temple of the Sacred Tooth. If you can spare a few days in Kandy, you can experience different aspects of Sri Lankan history and culture. I have listed the Top 6 things to do in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
For me, a big part of the travelling experience is to explore handmade crafts. I love to observe and document how skills and craftsmanship go from one generation to another. My trip to Sri Lanka gave me a great opportunity to discover what handicrafts are practised and which quality items to seek. Throughout my trip, I sought the handicraft work of local artisans and I found 5 handmade crafts you must shop for in Sri Lanka.
Kandy is a former royal capital in Sri Lanka, and is therefore an important centre for Arts & Crafts. Following a day visiting the Temple of the Tooth Relic, some exploration of handmade crafts was in order. As a fabric addict, I was keen to discover an ancient yet contemporary technique for fabric transformation: the Art of Batik !
There are many things to see and do on the Road to Kandy in order to discover the secrets of beautiful Sri Lanka. One thing that immediately tempted me when I began reading about Sri Lanka, were the Spice Gardens. I stayed in Colombo in a neighbourhood called Cinnamon Gardens, so I wanted to look into the “spice connection” of Sri Lanka…
If you are travelling from Colombo to Kandy by car, after an educational visit at the Geragama Tea Factory, you can take a relaxing stroll in the Peradeniya Royal Botanical Gardens. The largest botanical gardens in Sri Lanka, Peradeniya is a haven of peace.
Sri Lanka is well known for its tea: Ceylon Tea. It’s readily available in any supermarket and cafe, and we think nothing of dropping a tea bag in hot water to start the day or for an afternoon comfort. Tea comes in many shapes and tastes and, in the coffee-obsessed society we live in, we tea drinkers have something special too… But how is it made? Geragama Tea Factory was built in 1903 and makes an interesting visit if you are travelling from Colombo to Kandy.
The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world, and the most visited in Sri Lanka. Located in the royal palace complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, the temple holds the tooth relic of Buddha, which was smuggled from India in the IVth Century CE. Since ancient times, the Tooth Relic has played an important role in local politics as it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country.