Kandy

Kandy is the old capital of Ceylon and the seat of the last Singhalese kingdom. It is a charming city with the most important Buddhist temple in the country and is set around an ancient artificial lake amongst rolling hills that are covered by forests and tea plantations. Set in the mountainous area of the island, there are fantastic views over the city from some of the hotels. The Botanical gardens are fantastic with an excellent orchid house and a wide variety of plant species from all over the world. For keen gardeners I would recommend at least a morning to visit the gardens, possibly longer. There is also a local dance performance which is a little touristy but entertaining none the less.

Kandy is a great place to buy gemstones, although the prices are higher than in Ratnapura, further south. Sapphires of all colours, rubies, tourmalines and spinnels can all be found here.