The Temple of the Tooth in the hill country
Kandy was the capital of the last Sinhalese kingdom until 1815, and its heart is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic on the edge of Kandy Lake, where drums and offerings mark daily ceremonies. Each summer the Esala Perahera brings torchlit processions of dancers and decorated elephants. Nearby, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya are full of orchids and giant bamboo. Kandy is the gateway to the hill country, and the scenic train to Ella through tea estates starts here or at nearby Peradeniya.