THE BEST KANDY ITINERARY

Kandy is the cultural home of Sri Lanka and is considered one of the most sacred places in the world amongst the Buddhist community. Home to the Temple of the Tooth Relic and famous botanical gardens, Kandy has been hailed as one of the top destinations in Sri Lanka thanks to its historical value.It's certainly an interesting city with everything wrapped into one: It's chaotic, noisy, and vibrant, yet you don't have to go too far to find peace and serenity.
WALK THROUGH UDAWATTAKELE FOREST RESERVE: THE MOST UNCOMMON PLACE TO VISIT IN KANDY
Situated in the center of Kandy, and overlooking Kandy Lake, lies Udawattakele Forest. It's a beautiful lush urban jungle at the heart of the bustling city. It was once the King's personal garden but has since been made open to the public, offering one of the best places to visit in Kandy.
You only need 2 hours to explore the forest, where you'll walk beneath a thick canopy of trees and come across numerous monkeys and native bird species. There's a viewpoint that overlooks Kandy Lake but most interesting was the cave I discovered by following a narrow path leading off the main trail.
VISIT BAHIRAWAKANDA VIHARA BUDDHA STATUE: THE BEST VIEWS OF KANDY
The Bahirawakanda Vihara Statue is an iconic site in Kandy and dominates the city's skyline. At 27m in height, it's one of the tallest Buddha statues in Sri Lanka and can be seen in all its might from just about anywhere in Kandy. The views from the site itself are just breathtaking and overlook the Kandy cricket stadium, Udawattakele Forest, and Kandy Lake.
HANG OUT AT KANDY LAKE IN THE HEART OF KANDY
Built in 1807 by orders of the last King of Sri Lanka, Kandy Lake is an artificial lake sitting in the heart of the city. You can purchase fish food from one of the vendors and feed the many fish that call the lake home. If you're lucky, you'll even spot huge monitor lizards swimming in the lake or basking in the sun. If you're up for some more walking, why not take a stroll along the path that encircles Kandy Lake. But, the main road runs alongside the walking path so it can get noisy with buses and tuk-tuks honking consistently.
TEMPLE OF THE TOOTH RELIC: THE MOST SACRED PLACE TO VISIT IN KANDY
Right next to Kandy Lake lies Sri Dalada Maligawa or Temple of the Tooth Relic. It's a World Heritage site and one of the most spiritual places to visit in Kandy, if not the whole country! The stunning golden roof temple is home to the famous tooth of Buddha which is housed in the Royal Palace Complex.
Well, it was initially smuggled into Sri Lanka way back when and was moved around the country before finding its new home in the famous temple in Kandy. It's a spiritual place with religious fame and you need to show respect by covering your shoulders and legs.
EXPLORE TEA PLANTATIONS
There's no arguing that Sri Lanka is one of the biggest tea producing nations in the world and a visit to the county isn\t complete without exploring one of the many tea factories set amongst the lush green hills. There are several tea plantations you can visit near Kandy, but if you plan on visiting Nuwara Eliya (which was my favorite place in Sri Lanka), I recommend that you rather tour the tea fields there as your Kandy itinerary is already jam-packed.