Kandy is an important element of any visit to Sri Lanka. In the surrounding area you will find the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage, the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens and the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred sites of Sri Lankan Buddhists.

The best place to stay is the elegant Kandy House where you can sit on the terrace drinking Sri Lankan coffee while spotting exotic birds and chatty monkeys.

From Kandy you can travel up by car or train to Nuwara Eliya in the heart of the tea country and Central Highlands where you can play golf, explore Adams Peak and Horton Plains and wander in the markets of the town. Take tea on the lawns of the colonial Hill Club and visit the small botanical gardens at Hakgala to really gain an insight into its colonial past.