Top Kandy Hotels

From this hotel we were close to the Pinnewala Elephant reserve, great for families to see these amazing creatures close up. Central Kandy was very accessible with lots of interesting sights and walks. We visited a tea plantation and factory nearby which was very informative and a Batik factory and shop. On the Kandy to Colombo road on the way back we stopped at one of the Spice plantations (no.100) which we toured with a Guide, had a complimentary massage with some of their products and obviously bombarded with sales talk to buy some (quite) expensive products.

Temple of the tooth and cultural show are worth visiting. Evening meal at Madame Helgas although fairly expensive is a must for ambience, fantastic food, and breathtaking views.

The Devon restaurant was cheap and cheerful, the Rams restaurant tended to trade on its reputation within the Lonely Planet guide. Peradeniya Botanical Gardens were worth a visit along with elephant orphanage

Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth) is the highlight, with great atmosphere created by the presence and murmur of many pilgrims praying. The Botanical Gardens are outstanding in a quite different way, allow two hours minimum, a day could easily be filled. We had a car with English speaking driver for six days of seeing the main sights of Sri Lanka at 30Rps per Km plus 300Rps for the driver''s per diem. We covered about 1200Kms.

Kandy is a delightful town nestled in the rolling hills and with its serene lake. Heavy traffic in the center of town during week days is a bit unpleasant, but a stroll to the British cemetery or a visit to the Temple of the Tooth are most enjoyablee and rewarding.

Kandy we were told needed only a few hours to tour, not the case. It''s a small town but a lot to do and see. The "Tooth temple" is great, make sure that you are there for the ''puja'' it''s a wonderful experience, happens twice a day the evening puja is at 7pm. Great walks in the area as well.

Kandy isn''t that nice a place, it serves a purpose - being a base so you can visit the Ancient cities. It is dirty and busy and you constantly get hassled. Some people try to con you - if you get taken by a ''dance teacher'' to see the Orphange School in the grounds of the Monastry - please barter with them when they try to sell you Batiks painted by the children! Very expensive otherwise. There are bargains in the shops if you so wish. We took a tour to some of the Acient Cities with Queen''s tours (based inside Queen''s hotel). It cost R5500 and is well worth it. Put comfy trainers on though!

Kandy is a great base for further travels in the hill country. We also enjoyed Nuwarra Eliya, and some top spots to stay there as well, such as St. Andrews Hotel. Easiest to hire a guide & car/van when you''re heading out to visit other locations around Kandy.

Kandy is a nice location to leave for the hill country. Definitely take the train to Ella if you want a great experience. Old locomotives, open windows, standing out the door and spectacular views. On top of that it takes just about the same amount of time getting anywhere by car or bus due to the winding roads.

Take the train from Colombo to Kandy and back the views and experiences and memorable. Elephant Orphanage and Botanic Garden are also well worth visiting.