THINGS TO DO

As recorded in history, the sacred tooth relic of Lord Buddha was brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Kirti Sri Megahavanna (301-328 AD) by Prince Danta and Princess Hemamala from the kingdom of Kalinga, India. The king enshrined the tooth relic in the present day Isurumuniya Viharaya in Anuradhapura. Since then, the legal guardian of the relic was the rulers of ancient Sri Lanka and it was preciously guarded by them in a special shrine built within the premises of the royal place, wherever the capital was located.

The lush greenery lining the sparkling water of the iconic Kandy Lake, the Temple of the Tooth Relic overlooking the city, the iconic buildings and the blue sky dotted with a tinge of white, that add to the mosaic that is Kandy. Situated at 1790 feet above sea level is the Arthur’s Seat, or the Kandy View Point, from which you have an amazing panoramic view of the city of Kandy.

The Dunumadalawa forest reserve, located in the hill capital of Kandy, is also popularly known as Wakarawatte after its original estate name -Walker’s estate. Situated on the edge of the Hantane range just south of the main town this long-abandoned tea, coffee, and cocoa estate encompass the watershed for Kandy’s main reservoir.

The beautiful Kandy Lake is one of the main draws of the city. Constructed by the last King of Kandy, Sri Wickrama Rajasingha, during his reign from 1798 to 1815, it was originally named (by the King) as Kiri Muhuda or ‘Milky Sea’. It is said commoners in the city were against the lake project, as the King enforced, free labour to construct and complete it.

Most of the visitors to Kandy, after venerating the Sacred Tooth Relic at the Sri Dalada Maligawa, walk through the promenade of the Kandy Lake. It is a perfect place to empty your mind and just relax allowing the soothing water to calm your soul.

For that perfect fun time along with your family and friends Wales Park is the best option for you while you are visiting Sri Lanka. For your bucket list this is another best places to visit in Sri Lanka. Situated at the top of a small hill this park overlooks the Kandy Lake, this park is known for its majestic view. This park is also known as The Royal Palace Park.

Udawattakele Forest Reserve often spelled as Udawatta Kele, is a historic forest reserve on a hill-ridge in the city of Kandy. It is 104 hectares (257 acres) large. During the days of the Kandyan kingdom,Udawattakele was known as “Uda Wasala Watta” in Sinhalese meaning “the garden above the royal palace”. The sanctuary is famous for its extensive avifauna. The reserve also contains a great variety of plant species, especially lianas, shrubs and small trees.

The Ceylon Tea Museum is located in the former Hanthana Tea Factory, which was originally constructed in 1925. It is situated 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Kandy.Hanthana was one of the first successful areas to cultivate tea following the failure of coffee production on the island. In 1959 the Tea Research Institute of Ceylon established a sub station on land leased from the Hanthana Estate, similar to the Passara sub station established in the 1920s.

The Hanthana Station was set up to cater to the needs of mid-country tea plantations with regard to the physiology, entomology of tea and in particular the identification of drought resistant clones and the insect pest shot-hole borer.

The Ceylon Tea Museum was incorporated on 9 January 1998, under Section 21 of the Companies Act of 1982, in a move initiated by Clifford Ratwatte (Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board). The museum was formally opened on 1 December 2001.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya are about 5.5 km to the west of the city of Kandy in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. In 2016, the garden was visited by 1.2 million locals and 400,000 foreign visitors.[1] It is near the Mahaweli River (The longest river in Sri Lanka).[2] It is renowned for its collection of orchids. The garden includes more than 4000 species of plants, including orchids, spices, medicinal plants and palm trees.