Due to its easily defensible location amidst steep, jungle swathed hills, Kandy was the last Sinhalese kingdom to fall into the hands of the European colonialists. Also known as Maha Nuwara or the ‘Great City’, Kandy dates back to the fourteenth century and is often referred to as Sri Lanka’s cultural capital, its inhabitants proud of the city’s independent roots. Home to one of Asia’s most venerated Buddhist shrines, the Temple of the Tooth, which hosts the island’s most famous festival, the Kandy Perahera (annually in July or August) there are many other notable temples both in the city and hidden within its picturesque hinterland, such as Embekke, Lankatilake and Gadaladeniya near Gampola that make up the famous Three Temples Loop. At an altitude of more than 500m above sea level, the Kandy area has a distinctly cooler climate where frequent rain showers and hot sunshine result in a region bursting with colour; villages tucked on hillsides and between deep valleys are adorned with constantly blooming plants ranging from English roses to hibiscus and tropical bougainvillea. In Kandy itself there are a range of banks plus a selection of restaurants, the best of which are found in the city’s hotels. Many attractions are to be found in the countryside surrounding the town such as the lush Royal Botanical Gardens at the University town of Peradeniya on the banks of the Mahaweli River, Sri Lanka’s longest, as well as the Udawattekele Sanctuary and the Hantana Forest Reserve with its interesting Tea Museum. To the south of Kandy are acres of rolling tea fields and at Loolecandera you can visit the site of Ceylon’s first commercial tea plantation and the remains of the home of its pioneer, James Taylor. To the east of Kandy is the expansive Victoria Reservoir that along with the rugged Knuckles Mountain Range – one of the island’s last great wilderness areas popular for trekking and bird watching - provides an exceptional setting for the International Golf Course. Kandy, the gateway to the Hill Country, is a wonderful place for enjoying the great outdoors!