How to Spend 48 Hours in Kandy, Sri Lanka’s Royal City, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Before I even got to Kandy, everyone was telling me to avoid it; “Oh, it’s not as nice as Ella”, “It’s too busy, so we didn’t stay long”, “It’s just a tourist trap” and to a certain extent this is totally true.

Kandy is touristy and busy, but it’s also not somewhere that I would take off your list anytime in a hurry. It’s a fascinating city which is full of rich heritage and culture.

It’s also known as Sri Lanka’s royal city and that’s because, in medieval times, ancient kings used to base themselves here. Today, it’s a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most revered places of Buddhist worship in the world due to the Temple of the Tooth.

Kandy has a lot to offer holiday makers as not only does it have a lot of attractions and scenery in the hills, it’s infrastructure provides restaurants, hotels and facilities in abundance. Which may come as a welcome change from the more remote areas of the island.

As Sri Lanka’s most touristy town, the transport networks to get here are vast with the option of trains and buses from all over.

From Colombo airport, you can enquire about a direct taxi to Kandy which will save you a rather dreary day in the capital city. But, these don’t come cheap. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).