Kandy

Kandy is where Famico began, and after three decades we still think it’s the best introduction to Sri Lanka. The last royal capital of the island sits in a bowl of green hills around a calm lake, with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic at its centre, the most important Buddhist site in the country.

The city moves at its own pace. Mornings belong to the temple and the lake walk, afternoons to the botanical gardens or a batik workshop, evenings to the drummers and dancers of a traditional cultural show. In July and August the city explodes into the Esala Perahera, ten nights of fire dancers, whip crackers, and lavishly dressed elephants, one of Asia’s great festivals.

Because we live here, our Kandy days come with the kind of detail you won’t find in a guidebook: which temple entrance to use, where the locals actually eat, and when the lake light is at its best.