Arriving in Kandy can be overwhelming, especially if you've come from the much more relaxed alpine areas of Ella. It can be difficult to know where to start when faced with the whirring wheels of Kandy City. Fortunately, one of the most popular ways to see all of the major attractions is to hire a tuc-tuc for the day (which should cost around 2000 rupees) which will take you to:
Elephant Park
Tea Factory
Spice Garden
Stone Museum
Batonical Gardens
Bahiravokanda Viharaya Buddha Statue
Temple of the Tooth
We decided to give the elephants a miss because we heard that they are often chained up, forced to be ridden and most likely ill treated - and we didn't want to feed into that. Regrettably, we also missed out on the Temple of the Tooth because the entrance fee of around £15 for the two of us was more than our budget could afford, though we have since heard it is worth it!
Tea Factory
So, our first stop was at the tea factory. This was probably the highlight of the whole day for me (I am a typically British tea-aholic). The tour itself is free and we were guided through the processes of how the tea is made and how it is different for each type of tea, which was really interesting.
It was amazing to see how basic the machinery they used was - some of it was over 100 years old! At the end of the tour we were treated to a free cup of freshly made tea and there was an opportunity to buy pretty much every tea variety under the sun! Although there wasn't any pressure or obligation to buy, it's well worth getting something here. Our driver said that most of the locals purchase tea directly from the factory because it is much cheaper than going to the supermarket or anywhere else.
Spice Garden
Next up was the spice garden, which unfortunately was a disappointment. We were expecting a large colourful garden with buckets of vibrant and exotic spices but instead it was a big tourist trap, aimed at making you spend money above anything else. Although entrance to the garden is free of charge, there is definitely pressure to buy something from the shop at the end of the tour which was a shame. The tour itself lasted about five minutes and was actually really interesting, we were shown how different plants and seeds are used as natural remedies for common ailments like arthritis, acne and migraines but it was all a bit rushed. Our guide missed out many of the plants because he was too anxious to get us into the shop and give us a 'menu' of medicines made from the plants in the garden.
We felt as though calling it a 'spice' garden was misleading and that it was more a 'homeopathic' garden which would have changed our expectations.
Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens were a perfect place to let our lunch go down and relax away from the beeping horns and mania of the city. The resident monkeys are amusing to watch as they play with eachother and harass other visitors. The Gardens are pretty and tranquil but we felt as though the entrance fee was unjustifiably high at 1100 rupees and if you have to cut out something in your budget, this should be it.
Look out for the huge colony of bats if you visit in the late afternoon, there are hundreds of them and they're huge! It is recommended you take at least an hour and a half to explore all the Gardens have to offer before setting off to your next attraction.
Stone Museum
The stone Museum was a free added extra to our tour which our driver gave us the option of, and despite the voices in our heads saying "gems madame, good price for you" we thought we were wise enough and confident enough to refuse to buy anything if it panned out that way. Unforutnely it did, and we had to leave with a sour taste in our mouths when they made it clear they weren't happy with us not buying anything - to the point where they locked us in! Eventually they gave up and we were on our way but the experience was severely tainted.The museum itself was interesting and informative but overall not worth the hassle.
Bahiravokanda Viharaya Buddha
This giant Buddha at the top of Kandy City was thankfully included in our tour, though you can take the arduous steep trek up to the temple. The Buddha itself is gigantic and inspires an omnipresence of Buddha as the statue overlooks the whole city. It serves as a great place to get panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains which are particularly beautiful in the warm light of a late afternoon. It is also worth admiring the intricate designs of the hand painted ceilings and wall carvings on the inside. The entry fee is only 250 rupees with an additional donation to be made (minimum 20 rupees) so it's definitely something you can do on a tight budget.
Kandy Lake
We concluded our tour at Kandy Lake which is nice to walk around, buy a drink and watch the city whir around you. Whilst walking around the lake be prepared to be asked to buy "Sri Lanka Dancing tickets for tonight" half a dozen times, though saying no a couple of times usually gets the message across. If you do want to see the dancing, go through your hotel and they will advise where to buy tickets from a reputable seller. Despite the busy polluted backdrop, Kandy Lake is home to some wildlife including some of the most unnaturally large ducks I've ever seen and turtles which you can spot just poking their head out of the water.
