Kandy

Where to stay

Most budget guesthouses cluster along Upper Lake Drive and Rajapihilla Mawatha on the north shore of Kandy Lake, a 10-minute walk from the Temple of the Tooth. If those fill up, Anniewatte, a quiet residential hillside about 15 minutes on foot from the train station, tends to have cheaper family-run places that the aggregators miss.

Getting around

• Book the Colombo-Kandy train seat (the first-class observation car, or reserved second class) directly on the Sri Lanka Railways site or at Fort Station. Tuk-tuk drivers near the Kandy bus stand offer to 'arrange tickets' and add a cut.
• Breakfast from the stalls inside Kandy Central Market off Market Row runs about a third of what guesthouses charge. The roti and dhal counter near the main entrance opens before 7am.
• Tuk-tuk drivers outside the Temple of the Tooth will offer a city tour that reliably ends at gem shops and batik stores where they earn a commission. The lake circuit, Udawattakele forest reserve entrance, and the Kandyan Arts Association cultural show on Sangaraja Mawatha are all walkable or a short metered ride without a packaged detour.

When to go

Rooms are easiest to find and cheapest from April through early June. Book well ahead if your dates overlap with the Esala Perahera procession, typically late July into August, when Kandy fills up fast and prices jump across every category.