We spent four days exploring Kandy and left feeling the warmth of Sri Lankan hospitality. But let me start at the beginning. We arrived in Kandy via private van and were surprised (and a bit dismayed) to learn that our next accommodation was a) quite far from the city center and b) had no record of our reservation. There was a woman at the house who let us in and asked that we wait for the manager. After quite a long wait (by which time we were all pretty hungry), he arrived and said we could stay the four nights and use the four bedrooms. Which was great news! We then started the lengthly process of finding a way to get into town. We downloaded the “PickMe” app (Sri Lankan version of Uber) and eventually two tuk tuks arrived. It was a long, bumpy ride into the city center! We ate some pizza, picked up some snacks at the grocery store and headed back up the hill to our accommodation. The place we stayed was nestled in a beautiful forested area with lots of greenery.

On Saturday, we did some schoolwork and then headed back into town to do some sightseeing. This time we thought we ordered a minivan to pick us up but what arrived was a very mini van! We squeezed in and headed off. As we approached our destination up a large hill, the driver had to turn the AC off so the car could make it! But we did make it. And found ourselves at a delicious restaurant with gorgeous views.

From there we slowly walked down the hill, towards the city center. We stopped at a viewpoint, then a small garden (Royal Palace Park) and finally made our way around the lake to the main attraction, Sri Dalada Maligawa, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

“Sri Dalada Maligawa, commonly known in English as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a Buddhist temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the Royal Palace Complex of the former Kingdom of Kandy, which houses the relic of the tooth of the Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is believed that whoever holds the relic holds the governance of the country. The relic was historically held by Sinhalese kings. The Temple of the Tooth is a World Heritage Site mainly due to the temple and the relic.”

Then it was time to head back to our accommodation. We had a very nice driver through PickMe that brought us home.

The next day we had another sightseeing day. First we visited the Nelligala International Buddhist Centre which offered beautiful views and a serene atmosphere to walk around and explore.

From there we drove down the hill to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya (just outside of Kandy). I loved it there! It is a huge park with big, beautiful trees and plenty of space to breathe fresh air, relax and appreciate the beauty of Sri Lankan nature. There were a few intense downpours as the rainy season is just beginning, but we enjoyed them from the cafe with the doors and windows open. It felt great!

Our next stop was to the Sri Maha Bodhi Viharaya temple on a hill overlooking Kandy. Something that I absolutely loved about Kandy was how it was nestled in these beautiful hills. The city itself was not my favorite, but I really liked the surrounding nature.

Then it was time to go see the traditional Kandyan Dance Show. There were mixed reviews regarding how much everyone enjoyed it (LOL) and I will say, the music wasn’t to my taste, but I really enjoyed the costumes and getting a chance to learn a bit more about the culture here. I took a few photos, but videos are the best. It is hard to post videos up here, so this is a YouTube link to give you an idea of what it looks and sounds like.

That evening we got a message from our driver from the day before, inviting us all to his house for dinner the following evening. We excitedly accepted! On Monday, we spent most of the day working on schoolwork, playing badminton and relaxing before our evening out. The driver came to pick us up and brought us to his home where his wife, his son (age 17), daughter (age 15), niece, nephew and mother-in-law were waiting for us. We chatted a bit and then they served us this delicious meal! Something that is different from our culture is that they served it just to the six of us. They did not eat with us but rather waited outside as we ate. In Sri Lankan culture, it is customary to let guests eat first so that they get the best food. Very interesting! We are so grateful to be welcomed into someone’s home to see what life really is like while traveling. It is the main reason we have gone on this trip–not to visit every tourist stop in the places we go but rather to experience the places from the local’s point of view. It was a very special experience!