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Voykit pocket guide · Sri Lanka
Kandy
මහනුවර
Give Kandy one to two nights for the Temple of the Tooth and as the gateway to the hill country; travel there by train from Colombo if you can book seats early enough.
Kandy was the capital of the last independent Sinhalese kingdom, holding out against colonial powers until 1815, and its historic centre around the lake is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic (Sri Dalada Maligawa) is the country's most important Buddhist shrine. Kandy is also where the scenic hill-country railway to Ella and Nuwara Eliya begins.
- Country
- Sri Lanka
- Local name
- මහනුවර
- Best months
- Jan–Apr (drier in the central highlands)
- Avoid
- Oct–Nov (inter-monsoon rain brings the wettest, most unpredictable weather)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- LKR
- Money
- LKR in small notes for tuk-tuks, buses, tea and entry tickets.
- SIM and data
- Dialog, Mobitel (SLT-Mobitel) and Hutch sell tourist SIMs at the airport; passport required.
- Emergency
- Police 119 · Ambulance (Suwa Seriya) 1990 · Fire 110 · Tourist hotline 1912 · Disaster Management Centre 117
- Plugs
- Types D, G, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Old three-round-pin (D and M) and UK three-flat-pin (G) sockets both appear; bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Nothing extra if 10% service is on the bill; otherwise 10%.; Driver: Rs 2,000–3,000 a day at the end.; Safari jeep driver and tracker: Rs 1,500–3,000.; Guide: Rs 1,000–2,000 for a site visit.; Hotel staff: Rs 200–500; many hotels have a tip box.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels provide filtered water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants, with a hose; squat toilets in bus stations. Carry tissue.
Get around
Walk the lakefront and temple area; three-wheelers and buses reach outlying sights like Peradeniya. Trains from Colombo Fort take about 2.5–3 h, and the onward scenic route to Ella and Nuwara Eliya is one of Sri Lanka's best-known train rides.
See and do
Known for
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
- Kandy Lake
- Royal Botanic Gardens Peradeniya
- Esala Perahera festival (Jul–Aug
- elephants and dancers)
- Hill-country railway to Ella and Nuwara Eliya
- Traditional Kandyan dance shows
Sleep
- Around Kandy Lake
- Walkable to the Temple of the Tooth and the town centre.
- Hillside above the town
- Quieter, with lake and valley views, but needs a tuk-tuk into the centre.
Language
Sinhala is the language of the majority, Tamil of the north, east and hill-country plantations; English is widely spoken in tourism, business and among younger people.
- 'Isthuthi' (Sinhala) and 'nandri' (Tamil) mean thank you.
- WhatsApp is how drivers and guesthouses stay in touch.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Ayubowan' (Sinhala) or 'Vanakkam' (Tamil) with palms together; avoid: Kissing on the cheek
- Temples: White clothes, shoes off, walk clockwise; avoid: Posing with your back to the Buddha; pointing feet at statues
- Hands: Right hand to give and eat; avoid: Left hand for food or money
- Head wobble: A side-to-side nod means yes or OK; avoid: Taking it as no
- Dress: Swimwear only on the beach; shoulders and knees covered in towns; avoid: Topless bathing
- Buses: Leave front seats for monks, the elderly and pregnant women; avoid: Sitting next to a monk (women)
Scams and watch-outs
- Dress modestly (shoulders and knees covered) and remove shoes and hats before entering the Temple of the Tooth.
- Reserved seats on the scenic hill-country trains sell out weeks ahead: book online through the official rail booking site as early as possible.
- Touts near the temple sometimes steer visitors to overpriced 'gem museums' or shops: politely decline unsolicited offers.
- Hill roads are winding and slow, and can see landslides in heavy rain.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kandy yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic
- Kandy Lake
- Royal Botanic Gardens Peradeniya
- Esala Perahera festival (Jul–Aug
- elephants and dancers)
- Hill-country railway to Ella and Nuwara Eliya
- Traditional Kandyan dance shows
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Sri Lanka Tourism: www.srilanka.travel/
- Wikivoyage — Kandy: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kandy
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/kandy). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.