Visiting Hakgala Botanical Garden: Its History and How to Get There from Kandy
Roughly two and a half hours from Kandy, in the cool hills near Nuwara Eliya, the Hakgala Botanical Garden carries two very different stories at once: a documented history as a colonial-era research station, and a local legend that ties it to one of Hindu mythology’s best-known tales. This piece covers both, what there is […]
Esala Perahera 2026: A Visitor’s Guide to Kandy’s Grandest Festival
Every August, the streets of Kandy fill with drumming, torchlight and the slow procession of decorated elephants carrying the city’s most sacred relic. The Kandy Perahera is one of the oldest continuous festivals in Asia, held in honour of the Sacred Tooth Relic of the Buddha, and 2026 brings confirmed dates and a clear structure […]
A Self-Guided City Tour of Kandy from Queens Hotel
Kandy is a city best explored on foot. Its compact historic centre allows visitors to move between royal landmarks, sacred sites, colonial architecture and bustling local streets without spending much time in transport. Around every corner is another chapter of Sri Lanka’s last royal capital, where history and daily life continue side by side. Staying […]
The History of Queen’s Hotel Kandy: A Heritage Hotel at the Heart of the City
Queen’s Hotel Kandy is one of Sri Lanka’s oldest hotels, with a history that stretches back more than 160 years. Located in the centre of Kandy, the building has been part of the city’s changing story from the final years of the Kandyan Kingdom to the British colonial period and the development of modern […]