Kandy

                                               ROYAL CITY OF KANDY.................

    Nestled in lush green hills and built around a scenic lake, the Royal City Of Kandy, at 500m above sea level, is the hub of any visit to the hill country. Kandy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the last bastion of resistance to colonial rule. Even today, Kandyans pride themselves on their distinctive architecture, music, dance, and art. The show piece of the city is the Dalada Maligawa Temple of the Tooth, which hosts the Buddha's tooth relic, an item of veneration to all Buddhists. Strolling around the lake or exploring the numerous temples that dot the hills nearby is a great way to get the feel of this historic city. Each year, in July or August, the city holds the Esala Perahera, a spectacular display of medieval pageantry replete with caparisoned elephants, whirling fire dancers, and pulsating drummers.

                                                         

     The journey from Colombo to Kandy is a treat with fine views of the scenery afforded from the road or railway. Not to be missed enroute is the Pinnawala Elephants Orphanage,where visitors can get up close and personal with over 60 pachyderms, ranging from cute babies and mischievous adolescents to majestic tuskers. Just outside Kandy at Peradeniya, the Royal Botanical Gardens contains a bewildering array of local and foreign species set in a tranquil site adjacent to the mighty Mahaweli Ganga, Sri Lanka's most important river.

     For many centuries, traders have been drawn to the island by the allure of its spices. Numerous spice gardens to the north of Kandy allow you to see how cinnamon, cloves,nutmeg,pepper,and cardamom all continue to flourish in the island's fertile soil. Golfing enthusiasts should not miss the stunning Victoria Golf Course, set on the edge of a vast reservoir 20km east of Kandy...........