Things to do around Kandy

Royal Hideout: The ‘forbidden jungle’ of the kings in the city centre in Kandy may be a bit expensive at $6 US, but it is well worth spending a morning in this mysterious 257-acre sanctuary known as Udawattekele. Walking through this ancient forest, one has the feeling of being in the Amazon and not a major city. In the King’s time, the villagers were not allowed to go to this area.

Udawawtakela was deemed so special that it was completely off-limits and even the royal medicine men could visit just once a year to collect special plants for medicinal purposes only. There are over 150 different types of birds, a cove where King Vickramabahu hid when his palace was under siege and an ancient pond full of gold coins, guarded by a mythical serpent that many compare to the Scottish Loch Ness Monster. Although yearly sightings are made with some very strange footage and amusing tales to back it up, it is probably the murky water that puts most people off checking out the real truth of the matter.

Dancing with fire: This incredible live cultural show is the best and most energetic musical and dance production in Sri Lanka. The shows are nightly at 5.30pm at the Kandyan Arts Association Hall, 321 Ampitiya Road, just behind the Temple of the Tooth. The programme features thirteen dances, including the world famous Kandyan drumming, acrobatics, masked devil dancing, snake charmers (more scary than charming!) and, as a grand finale, fire eating and walking. If you are sitting in the front row, make sure that you are not wearing anything flammable as the flames leap ten feet in the air and sparks fly everywhere. The performers show no fear as flamed torches cross their naked bodies, and they look almost demonic as they lick the live blazened torches and walk barefoot across the red embers.

Loolcondera Estate: Take a picnic of goodies and Sri Lankan short eats, bought from the bakeries in Kandy high street, and then rent a van or hire a three-wheeler and venture up into the Hewaheta Mountains to Loolcondera in Deltota, Sri Lanka’s first tea estate. On the way, you will drive over bridges left from the British period, as well as a solitary furnace at Galaha, which is the only aspect remaining from an old tea factory. You may notice the terraced paddy fields and the clumps of blue mishnucranti flower, originally from India. It is used as a local medicine and boiled to make kanji, a herbal drink which can bring down burning fever. 

In 1865, James Taylor built a bungalow in the virgin forest of Loolcondera and on his veranda started experimenting with growing and processing tea with some seedlings that he had obtained from Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, near Kandy. Enjoy wandering around the estate, chatting to the friendly pickers, and wondering at the incredible view over to the Knuckles Mountain Range from Taylor’s seat.