Kandy

Even the wind blows in a sacred tune in Kandy. The city is the centuries-old home to the most worshipped relic in Sri Lanka: the holy tooth of Buddha. But there is much more to this nature-blessed city that strikes the imagination. In the last ancient capital of the country, for every building, there are a dozen trees. And, for the curious traveler, a thriving cultural scene pervades from its chirpy marketplaces to the cozy eateries. The city begins to rise gradually from the serene tea plantations and meld into the rainforests, interrupted by the Mahaweli River and crowned by the Kandy Lake.

Before you head to the city’s cultural heartland, a short journey on the common routes around the lake will take you to the epic Temple of the Tooth. With a sublime golden roof providing shelter over it, the tooth of the Buddha rests in a golden dagoba-shaped casket in a room heavily guarded. Every offering season, the sacred chamber invites visitors in for an enigmatic glimpse. You will find that the illuminated expressions on the devotees’ faces are as much an impressive spectacle as the temple itself. The Royal Palace is another site worthy of seeing and a valuable site for the history of the Buddhist tradition. Both lie on the banks of the lake, an artificial piece of paradise created by the last king of Kandy.

No trip to Kandy is complete without a sophisticated food tour at the city’s bustling center. There, the tasting scene is versatile and appetizing. It includes all sorts of Kandyan fried snacks and aromatic teas. So dive deep into the marketplaces and help yourself with Sri Lanka’s finest dishes.