The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy is commonly known as Tooth Temple. It’s also called Sri Dalada Maligawa by locals. It enshrines a canine of the historical Budhha Shakyamuni, one of the most venerated relics in the entire Buddhist world. Since the 4th century AD, this relic has played a major role in local ceremonies and became a kind of national palladium, as in the Middle Ages and modern period it has been believed that the holder of the  Tooth Relic is the chosen guardian of the faith and rightful ruler of the island and the city safekeeping the relic is the capital of the Buddhist nation. The Kandyan kings became the protectors of the Tooth Relic in the late 16th century. Kandy has therefore been regarded as the Sinhalese capital and the Tooth Temple formed a part of the royal palace.

The buildings of the Tooth Relic Temple in Kandy are mainly from the late 18th century, except from the wooden hall in the very centre, which keeps the Sacred Tooth and is crowned by a gilded canopy. This hall is from the 17th century, its two storeys are known as "Palle malaya" (lower floor) and "Udu malaya" (upper floor) or "Weda hitina maligawa". The entire complex of the Tooth Relic Temple together with the nearby Hindu Devales is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The best times to visit the temple are the three daily puja ceremonies. Foreign guests are welcome to join the celebrations taking place mainly in front of the upper floor of the wooden hall, if they are dressed properly and behave in a respectful way. Taking pictures of the ceremonies is permitted.

Asked where to see the best instances of classical Sri Lankan woodcarvings from the Kandy period, the answer has to be Ambekke Devalaya (also spelt Embekke Devale or Embekka Devalaya). The wooden hall in front of the main shrine deicated to Lord Kataragama (alias Murugan alias Skanda) is younger than the inner sanctum, which is from the Gampola period (14th century), built by the King Vikramabahu III. The wood of the front hall is said to have come from the audience hall of the abandoned royal palace in Gampola. The hall now famous for the wood carvings at its pillars is a so-called Digge, which translates to drummers hall. It was in a Digge that dancing rituals were performed. The splendid wood carvings depict typical scenes of later Kandyan art and also some extraordinary sujets such as a Portuguese soldier on a horse. The Ambekke Devalaya is a combined Hindu and Buddhist shrine, with a separate shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha. The small village of Ambekke surrounding the temple is still famous for woodcarving manufacturing. Day-excursions from Kandy usually combine a visit of Embekke with detours to the nearby Gampola-period temples of Lankatilaka and Gadaladeniya.

One of Sri Lanka most scenic hotel locations is right in the centre of the Hunasgiriya Tea Estate. The Hunas Falls Hotel, opened in 1971 and once operated by the Tea Estate, the Government, then by Jetwing Hotels, now belongs now to the Amaya Resorts and Spas.

The resort is situated in the hills high above the village of Elkaduwa, 26 kilometres away from Kandy. This area is the western edge of the “misty mountains”, that’s the translation of the original Sinhala name of Knuckles Range, Dumbara Kanduvetiya.

This mountain hotel is a haven of peace and tranquillity an an ideal starting point for trekking tours in the Knuckles Range and day trips to Sigiriya or Dambulla in the Cultural Triangle to the north as well as to Nuwara Eliya in the central highlands to the south. In particular, Hunas Falls has become a hideaway for honeymoon couples, both Sri Lankan and foreign.

The 28 A/C bedrooms of the Hunas Falls hotel are spacious and comfortable and well equipped with a range of a modern facilities, all of them have a private balcony with magnificent views to the northern parts of the hillcountry and to the well-kept hotel garden in the foreground.

Mathale or Matale is the capital of the district of the same name in Sri Lanka’s Central Province. Travellers cross Mathale on their way from Dambulla or Sigiriya in the Cultural Triangle to Kandy in the hill country. Mathale is situated in a valley in the northern foothills of the highlands. In Sri Lanka’s colonial history, Mathale is famous for of a major battle fought in 1848, when the Mathale Rebellion started and the British garrison in the local Fort MacDowall came placed under siege by Sinhalese freedom fighter. The place of the former fort is marked by the Christ Church established in 1860.

The three main attractions of Mathale are to the north of the town center. The great Muthumariamman Kovil, built in the typical colourful style of Southindian temples with a tall gateway tower called Gopuram, is the largest Hindu temple in central Sri Lanka. It’s located in the northern outskirts of Mathale city and can be seen from the mainroad A9.

Further north is the village of Aluvihara. It’s famous for the cave temple of the same name. The Aluvihara is famous in all Theravada countries as the location of the 4th Buddhist council, the place where the entire canon of Holy Scriptures was recorded in written form for the first time. This occured in the 1st century BC. Today’s visitor can see a palm-leaf manuscript museum co-sponsored by the former Cambodian king and a picturesque ensemble of rocks and painted caves. In the Aluvihara area, there are plenty of Herbal and Spice Gardens, where Ayurvedic plants can be studied with the help of professional guides.

‚Kaludiya Pokuna‘ means ‚dark water pond‘. There are at least two very lovely places in Sri Lanka called Kaludiya Pokuna, one in Mihintale near Anuradhapura and one in a bird sanctuary of the same name, which is located just to the east of Lake Kandalama and one more about 10 km south of Sigiriya. The latter is the one we are talking about here. Kaludiya Pokuna, also known as Kalupokuna, is more than the namegiving pond. Actually, it’s an archaeological site of an ancient monatic complex, which was erected in the Anuradhapura period. Remnants of a stupa and a chapter house with massive columns can be seen in the sanctuary and also some ancient caves. Kaludiya Pokuna is famous for rock and slab inscriptions which can still be seen in situ. They are important sources for historians. For today’s visitors, the main attraction of Kaludiya Pokuna is its „ruins in the jungles“ feeling. This is a real picturebook heritage site. The jungle atmosphere is breathtaking. As mentioned, the area known for its variety of dryzone and also highland bird species is a nature reserve, too. It’s also well-known for the biodiversity of butterflies. Though not far away from the famous Kandalama Heritance hotel and in excursion distance from Sigiriya and Dambulla, Kaludiya Pokuna is still not crowded with tourists but a silent place, very charming. If you are looking for an impression of the authentic ancient Sinhalese civilization ans have enough time left in the Sigiriya area, don’t miss Kaludiya Pokuna.

Hakgala is a rock at the southern edge of the highland valley of Nuwara Eliya, the village of the same name is famous for the scenic Hakgala Botanical Garden, which is the highest of Sri Lanka’s  five botanical gardens. Second in size only to the famous Peradinya Botanical Garden, it‘s also one of the largest gardens in Sri Lanka. Hakgala it’s famous for ist orchid garden in particular. The place is perfect for birdwatching, too, as the adjoining Hakgala Strict Nature Reserve, which is not open to the public, is one of the most important habitats of Sri Lanka’s typical highland bird species, besides Horton Plains National Park further south and Galway National Park near Nuwara Eliya further south. The Hakgala garden was established in 1861 as an experimental cultivation of chinchona and later on of tea. For Hindu pilgrims, Hakgala Rock surmounting the Botanical Garden is a sacred place as it is believed to be one place of special significance for Ravana, a main character from the sacred Ramayana epic. The nearby Sita Eliya is believed the place where the abducted Sita, consort of Lord Rama, was held in captivity during most of the time she was held in captivity on the island of Lanka.

Asked where are the best examples of classical Kandy paintings, the answer must be Dambulla, of course. Concerning the beauty of the painted caves, Ridigama comes second. However, high quality Kandy paintings second only to Dambulla, we assume, can be seen in Degaldoruwa. The cave temple of Degaldoruwa Rajamaha Viharaya is located only 4 km north of the Mahaweli Bridge to the east of Kandy (Mahiyangana Road), where the Earl’s Regence, Kandy’s most renowned 5-star-hotel, is situated, too. Nonetheless, Degaldoruwa is still not a crowded destination. Sometimes it’s difficult to find someone in charge of the key to open the caves. The murals are breathtaking. Some paintings can be found at the rock surface of the inner shrine room, which is the Degaldoruwa cave in a more narrow sense. The most amazing Paintings illustrating Jataka stories can be seen at the wall in front of the inner shrine room, which is called Buduge.  Several elements are portrayed in great detail, particularly the garments and adornments.

The construction of the Degaldoruwa Rajamaha Viharaya in it’s final form commenced in 1771 under the famous King Kirti Sri Rajasingha and was completed under his successor Rajadhi Rajasingha. A monk by name Moratota Dhammakkanda Maha Nayaka Thera, who was the king’s teacher and advisor, was in charge of the Degaldoruwa temple. Four artists are credited with painting the Degaldoruwa murals, their. The name of the craft of painters decorating caves and temples during the Kandyan period is Sitaras.

Siri Pada is Sri Lanka’s iconic mountain. It was known by Arab seafarers, because its conic shape can be seen from the ocean, clear sight provided. Muslims settling down in Sri Lanka regarded the Holy Mountain of Buddhists and Hindus as sacred, too, giving the footprint („Siri Pada“ means „Sacred Foot“) at the top a new meaning: According to Muslims,the giant footprint was left by Adam, the first human being, when he had to leave paradise. This means, the top of Siri Pada is believed to be the place where Adam first touched the surface of the earth, the spot on our planet that is closest to paradise. This is why the mountain got ist Western name „Adam’s Peak“, later on also used by European colonialists, though Christians from India had a different explanation: The footprint was left by St. Thomas, their apostle.

Besides being a place of pilgrimage for four major religions, Siri Pada is definitely Sri Lanka’s best vantage point, offering an unforgettable 360 degree panorama. There are two flights of steps leasing to the top. The shorter though also exhausting one is from the highland side, the older and longer one starts in the lowlands in the Ratnapura region.

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Nalanda Gedige between Matale and Dambulla is Sri Lanka‘s only complete stone temple from the Anuradhapura period. The temple built in the 8th or 9th century is situated in the geographical center of the island, presumably on a much earlier place of worship. The temple that can be seen today is not at the original site any more, since it has been shifted to a new location due to the consruction of a reservoir in the 1980s. That’s why Nalanda Gedige is called „Sri Lanka’s small Abu Simbel“. The building is influenced by the classical Southindian style of temple architecture which had been developed in the 7th century by the Pallavas near Chennai. The temple consists of a temple tower called Sikhara sheltering the sanctum and a ceremonial hall in front of it called Mandapa on a shared platform, which is the typical arrangement of all Indian temples. Nalanda Gedige seem s to have been dedicated to a Tantric version of Buddhism. Nalanda Gedige is the only temple in Sri Lanka decorated with erotic depiction. Though this kind of sexually explicit carvings is typical of North Indian temples, it’s quite rare in Southern India and Sri Lanka and seems to indicate foreign influence.

Danture is not a major attraction and it’s rarely visited by foreign tourists indeed, thought the village is situated in only 6 km distance from Gadaladeniya, which is the northernmost of the three so-called Western Temples from the late medieval Gampola period. Among historians, Danture is famous for being the battleground in 1594 when the Portuguese attempt to occupy Kandy finally failed.  Danture‘s main attraction for today’s traveller is nothing more than a typical village temple. However, this one is worth mentioning and maybe worth visiting for lovers of ancient art due to one of the best example of a Tampita temple. „Tampita“ means „pillars“. Tampita temples are small shrines built on stilts to protect them rats and vermins. The mainly wooden constructions are typical of the Kandyan period. More about Danture...