Our second time in Kandy, Sri Lanka

As our first stay in Kandy was very short, we left a bit sad for not having stayed a bit longer, but at that time we did not know that we would come back soon again.

Why did we come back then? Well, our plan was to go to Arugam Bay, on the east coast of Sri Lanka, for a volunteer project after visiting Ella, but the project was canceled, so we decided to travel more north to explore Dambulla and after go to the seaside in Trincomalee, where we were supposed to meet with my cousin, that was coming to Sri Lanka for holiday. The best connection was via Kandy and therefore, after a few days in Ella, we took the train back to our previous destination. Again, we couldn’t reserve any seat, but on the morning of the departure we were told that there were places available, so for a second time, we could enjoy the scenery along the way without being in a crowded carriage.

Sri Dalada Maligawa

We stayed during our 2nd time in Kandy in a lovely homestay, a bit outside the city but easily reachable by walking. Our host recommended us to go to the ceremony in the Tempe of Tooth, which houses the relic of the tooth of Buddha. It plays an important role in the country, as it is believed that whoever holds the relic has the governance of the country.

Due to the importance of the temple, every day a ceremony is held to show that important relic, but taking part in the ceremony means sharing the experience with large crowds, especially during the evening. The visiting hours are 6.30am, 9.30am and 6.30pm. We went to the one in the evening and after buying the most expensive ticket (7,99 € for foreigners) that we ever bought in Sri Lanka, we entered and took off our shoes while we were welcomed by drums and music. It was extremely crowded with locals and tourists.

We followed the line like everybody else, but the moment when we passed the relic was so short that we did not even have time to realize what we just saw. Honestly, I kind of regret going there as it has high importance for the many local people who come there beautifully dressed in white clothes to witness the ceremony and to pray, but we didn’t feel very festive inside the temple. There were already many locals and on top of that having also the tourists really felt like being surrounded by too many people, not to mention that the entrance price was very high.

The Big Buddha

One of the things we enjoyed doing in Kandy was visiting the White Big Buddha statue overlooking the city. It is a short hike to the top of the hill where the Buddha stands and at the entrance, you have to take off your shoes and leave them there for a little price, which is considered a donation. We found it a bit much paying for shoes and the entrance, but note that in Sri Lanka it is normal to pay at the entrance in any temple.

There is a lot to do and to discover in Kandy, but we decided to skip some of the „attractions“. We did not visit any of the tea plantations as we visited one in Ella. We also heard that the botanical garden would be nice but we’re much more overwhelmed by the natural beauty and the tea fields, which we considered enough not to go to the garden.

Food in Kandy

As we already mentioned, at the Hela Bojun Hala food stalls we found a lot of delicious food for fair prices, compared to Ella, but there were also plenty of other restaurants around We also found good local coffee places and tons of fruits and fresh vegetables at the local market.

When we were in Sri Lanka in August, it was the season for all kinds of fruits and in no other country we found such cheap and delicious fruits like here. The only thing that we always found stressful was that in Sri Lanka (except Colombo) almost every place closed early, around 09.00pm

Here you will find more pictures from Kandy.