Kandy is the last capital of the ancient kings’ era of Sri Lanka. It is the second-largest city on the island and is both an administrative and religious city and the capital of the Central Province. Kandy houses the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred places of worship among Buddhists, and it was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988. It is approximately 116 kilometers (2 hours) drive from Colombo to Kandy.
Places of attraction in Kandy are:
- Temple of Tooth (houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha.)
- Royal Palace (The Royal Palace of Kandy is the last Royal Palace built on the island)
- Lankatilaka Temple (Built on a rock, the temple is reached by a long series of rock-cut steps)
- Gadaladeniya Temple (has a seated Buddha statue and the remains of some paintings)
- The Royal Botanical Garden ( the largest botanical garden on the island)
- Knuckles Mountain Range ( a world heritage site of UNESCO-famous for trekking)
- Alagalla Mountain Range (famous for trekking)
- The Udawatta Kele (a protected sanctuary)
- The Royal Palace Park (a small park that overlooks the Kandy lake)