Kandy & Hill Country
Top Tips
Here are some of our favourite things to do in this region.
back to topKandy
Kandy is the geographical, cultural and religious heart of Sri
Lanka and the last stronghold of the Sinhalese kings, falling to
the British in 1815. It's a laidback town built around a peaceful
lake and surrounded by lush green hills, which makes an excellent
base for exploring both the Hill Country to the south and the
ancient cities to the north. But unless you're there during a
festival, don't expect buzzing nightlife. Stay at the peaceful
Villa Rosa or, if you want a more rural setting try
The Kandy House, just outside the town, or
Ellerton, half an hour to the south.
Be sure to visit The Dalada Maligawa, aka Temple of the Tooth, a
temple which houses Sri Lanka’s most important religious
relic - the sacred tooth of Buddha. As such, it has a constant flow
of both tourists and pilgrims.
In July/August the town hosts Sri Lanka's most important festival
(and one of the most famous in Asia), the Kandy Esala
Perahera - a 10-day event culminating at full moon with a
spectacular procession of dancers, drummers and decorated elephants
(one of which carries a replica of the tooth relic shrine).
The town centre houses a jumble of old shops - including the well
resourced Waruna Antiques at 761 Peradeniya Road.
Fancy something arty? Check out the Bombyx Mori Craft House,
which offers interesting 1-5 day courses teaching a range of
crafts, from raku pottery to making your own paints and dyes.
There are a number of lovely scenic walks around Kandy. There's
also the 60-hectare Peradeniya Botanic Gardens, a few km outside
the town, which are becoming slightly neglected but have an
interesting orchid house, flower gardens a royal avenue of palm
trees - it's a nice place to hire a bicycle and take a
picnic.
115km/2.5 hours east of Colombo, driving or by train
Further afield
Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage is a government-sponsored refuge which
cares for over 60 abandoned and orphaned wild elephants. Only 38km
from Colombo, it's a must for elephant lovers. Get there for
feeding/bathing times; they all trek down to the river and wash
themselves and roll in the mud.
Day trips can be made to explore the Buddhist temples, rock
sculptures and ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle to the north
- most are within about 2.5/3 hours drive of Kandy
back to topNuwara Eliya
Sri Lanka's highest town (nearly 2,000m) was once the favourite
hill station of the British and still retains some distinctive
colonial features. However, because it's featured on the itinerary
of every tour of the hill country, it has rather lost its charm and
is a favourite haunt of touts. It's probably better to make your
base one of the beautiful tea estates nearby such as
Ceylon Tea Trails - luxurious plantation houses spread
out around a lake and connected by walking and cycling
trails.
To get to Nuwara Eliya from Kandy either drive (3 hours) or take
the scenic train journey (3.5 hours) - the nearest station is Nanu
Oya, 9km away, from where you can get a taxi or bus.
Nearby attractions
If you want to look around a working tea estate, a good one is
Labookellie, which is about 15km before Nuwara Eliya if approaching
from Kandy.
For a taste of the past have a drink or a game of billiards at the
old colonial Hill Club or Grand Hotel. Another remnant of the
British era is the golf course - the best in Sri Lanka.
In need of rejuvenating? Have an Ayurvedic treatment at the Tree of
Life.
Adam's Peak
This is good hiking territory and there are countless walks. The
most well known is the walk up Adam's Peak (Sri Pada) which for
over 1,000 years has been a place of pilgrimage. At its summit
(2,224m) is a huge 'footprint' which according to Muslim legend is
the place where Adam first set foot on earth. Buddhists believe it
be the mark of Bhudda, while Hindus ascribe it to Lord Shiva,
Christians to St Thomas and Muslims to Adam.
During the pilgrimage season (December to April) a large number of
visitors make the ascent. It's a 3-4 hour (7km) climb from the town
of Dalhousie and is usually done at night. The steep path, which is
mainly up steps, is lit in season and there are plenty of teahouses
on the way. The view from the peak at dawn is spectacular (note: if
you go out of season the peak is usually obscured by cloud). Make
sure you take warm clothing as it gets very cold. And don't expect
a peaceful experience - it can get very crowded, particularly on
weekends and poyas (full moon days), loud speakers emit
anything from Buddhist chants to contemporary music and there's a
rather unpleasant trail of litter. Despite this, it's still the
highlight of many a visit to Sri Lanka.
If you don't have your own car, buses run in season to Dalhousie
from Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Colombo. Alternatively, you can take
the train as far as Hatton, followed by a 2-hour bus to Dalhousie.
back to topHaputale & around
Situated at 1,400m, this small market town is perched right at the
southern edge of the hill country with a breathtaking view of the
south of the island. Haputale makes a good base for visiting tea
plantations and walking in the cool mountain air. All the trains on
the Colombo-Kandy-Badulla route stop at Haputale - it’s about
2 hours from Nanu Oya (Nuwara Eliya).
Nearby attractions include Horton Plains, Sri Lanka's highest and
most isolated grass-covered plain. Paths lead you to the precipice
known as World's End, where there’s a sheer drop of 700m. To
avoid wandering around in the mist, go between January and April
and get there before 10am. You can go by train, but the nearest
station is Ohiya (40 minutes from Haputale), from where it's an 8km
uphill walk to the entrance. World’s End is a 40-minute walk
from here. Instead we would recommend hiring a car with a driver so
you can get up there early without having to set off in the middle
of the night. The entrance is about 25km away from Nuwara Eliya (a
1.5-hour drive).
Ella Gap
Ella Gap on the edge of the Hill Country has one of the best views
in Sri Lanka - on a clear day you can see all the way to the south
coast. To best appreciate the scenery, stop for tea in the garden
at the village resthouse. All trains on the Colombo-Kandy-Badulla
line stop at Ella (it’s a beautiful 1-hour journey from
Haputale). Ella also makes a great base for walkers and is drier
than more western areas of the Hill Country.
Waterfalls
The Dunhinda Falls (60m) are set in a tightly wooded valley and are
one of Sri Lanka's most spectacular. They're 6km from Badulla (the
end of the railway line - 2 hours from Haputale/1 hour from Ella,
followed by a 20-minute walk). Less magnificent but worth a visit
if en route are the Diyaluma Falls, 170m high. If you're heading
down to Wellaya from Haputale they're about half way down (1 1/4
hours) and 5km past Koslanda.
back to topRatnapura & Sinharaja
Ratnapura (3 hours south west of Haputale) is set on the
southwestern edge of the Hill Country, and is Sri Lanka's gem
centre - sapphires, amethysts, aquamarines and moonstones are just
some of the many precious stones mined. You can visit the mines,
but it’s the most expensive place in the country to buy gems.
This is not somewhere to come and relax - it's buzzing with touts
and is one of Sri Lanka's wettest towns. But the 3-hour drive here
from Haputale, along the southern edge of the Hill Country, is
beautiful - and you'll probably want to at least try on some of the
beautiful gems...
Sinharaja (30km south of Ratnapura) is Sri Lanka's last major area
(8,800 hectares) of virgin rainforest, and it was designated a
World Heritage Site in 1989. There's an abundance of birdlife,
tropical foliage, small mammals, monkeys and leopards (rarely
seen). Nearby Uda Walawe National Park is a 308 sq.km park of
mainly grassland, which is less visited than Yala. In addition to a
variety of birds and snakes, the wildlife here includes elephants,
sambar deer, wild buffalo, crocodiles and the occasional leopard.
You need your own transport to get here.