Kandy

Kandy

The last kingdom. Still the cultural capital.

Kandy resisted European colonisation for over three hundred years. The Temple of the Tooth at its centre houses the most sacred relic in the Buddhist world. The lake beside it was built by the last king. The mountains around it make the city feel held --- cooler than the coast, operating at a rhythm that the lowlands do not share.

Experiences at this stop

• Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

Three daily puja ceremonies (6am, 11am, 6.30pm) fill the air with drumming, flute, and incense. The 6am ceremony, before the tourist buses arrive, is the one worth attending.

• Kandy Lake at dusk

Walk the perimeter at dusk --- the cloud wall behind the hills, the reflection of the temple lights in the water, the monks crossing the causeway.

• Kandyan cultural performance

An evening performance of Kandyan dance, fire-walking, and traditional drumming. The fire-walking sequence, which closes the programme, is performed without apparent injury.

• Royal Botanical Gardens, Peradeniya

147 acres containing one of the finest collections of tropical plants in the world. The avenue of royal palms. The giant Java fig whose single tree covers half an acre.