This trip is utterly amazing on every level and most importantly, it provides an immersive experience in the very best Sri Lanka has to offer.
Kandy
Kandy Trips
Full of character, in Kandy memories of times gone by seem to hang in the air. Wander through the streets and you see fruit vendors with coconuts, jackfruit and pineapples piled high. Peeling paintwork clings to ramshackle buildings. Women in bright saris sell tasty treats from roadside stalls. Old boys chatter away on street corners as clapped-out cars honk their way round town.
Kandy is the laid-back centre of Sri Lanka‘s hill country and was once the capital of a powerful Buddhist kingdom. It’s home to the country’s most sacred Buddhist relic – a tooth of the Lord Buddha. Said to have been snatched from the flames of his funeral pyre, the tooth is housed in a golden casket inside the Temple of the Sacred Tooth. Every day there are ceremonies at the temple, where barefoot worshippers carrying lotus blossoms and frangipani file past the casket in reverence to this important religious relic.
Kandy Holidays
Douglas Williamson Cycle the Back Roads of Sri Lanka
Kristen Whitla Discover Sri LankaThis action-packed cultural trip ticked every box imaginable for me. We saw incredible wildlife including leopards, water buffaloes and caimans on game drives in Yala National Park. We got the chance to taste the famous tea in lush tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya and find out more about the process from leaf to cup. The group also got to see fire-dancing performances in Kandy one evening, which gave us a real insight into the country’s fascinating customs and traditions. The hotels on this trip are also incredible – we were lucky enough to have unobstructed views of Sigiriya Rock from Hotel Sigiriya and breathtaking sunset views overlooking the lush islands in Giritale. The last hotel, Hotel Cinnamon Red, also had a brilliant affinity pool – taking in the skyscrappers of Colombo! For the adventurous, this itinerary doesn’t disappoint either as you can go on whitewater rafting excursions, rural cycling trips and whale watching (in season). Visits to colourful temples, fresh fruit markets and the Udawalawe Elephant Transit Home were other cultural pitstops that gave you a real flavour of what the country was like. Once I arrived home, I wanted to do it all over again. It was an incredible trip with a great group of people that I’ll treasure forever.
Jane Cousins Discover Sri LankaJust back from this trip, it was our first trip to Sri Lanka and our second trip with Exodus. It was a really great trip, really varied, we saw so much and yet the pace was just perfect. A beautiful country and very friendly and safe.
The Adventure Begins Here
Get regular inspiration straight to your inbox from Exodus’ experts.