Kandy was was first established by King Wickramabahu in the 14th century and was the last stronghold of the Sri Lankan kings when the country finally succumbed to the British in 1815. Its present name is an anglicised version of Kanda Uda Rata which means ‘the land of mountains’. The city lies at an altitude of about 500 m above sea level and is developed around two open spaces: an elongated square at the end of which are the administration buildings of the old capital, and an artificial quadrangular lake. There is plenty of open space and a large public garden.

Kandy is famous for being the resting place of the Relic of the Tooth of Buddha, which is kept in the Temple of the Tooth. This is supposed to be one of the Buddha’s teeth that was recovered from his funeral pyre. It still incites much worship and the city is an important place of pilgrimage for Sri Lanka’s Buddhist community. The Peradeniya Botanical Gardens are well worth a visit, renowned as they are for their orchid collection.