Sri Lanka | Mountain City Kandy
The Maldives is less than 700 kilometers from Sri Lanka, with a 1.5-hour flight. After landing, you can buy a data card next to the Buddha statue—about 6 dollars for 20GB. Right across from the customs exit, there’s a dedicated counter for exchanging Sri Lankan rupees, with an exchange rate of around 1:40 💴. Day 1: Negombo ➡️ Lion Rock It’s a 3-hour drive. We went to Pidurangala Rock, opposite Lion Rock. The ticket is 25 The mountain isn’t tall but is a bit tricky to climb. From the top, you can overlook the entire jungle—it’s like a scene from The Lion King 🦁. Across from us was Lion Rock, magnificent and grand. There aren’t many people here, so you can find a spot to sit and watch the sunset 🌅 slowly. But don’t stay too late—the path is rough. Day 2: Kandy’s Temple of the Tooth Relic - Kandy Lake - Royal Botanical Gardens Kandy, Sri Lanka’s second-largest city, is surrounded by mountains and rich vegetation. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese kings and a globally significant Buddhist sacred site. In gaming culture, Kandy holds such high status that it’s jokingly said, “Whoever holds Kandy holds the world” 🌍. Kandy Lake, next to the Temple of the Tooth Relic, is an artificial lake. You can walk along its banks and watch the big ducks 🦆. 🌟 I highly recommend the Royal Botanical Gardens—it’s worth a visit. No wonder it’s one of the world’s famous tropical botanical gardens! It’s so large that we spent 2.5 hours and only explored a small part. Zone 31 is the Memorial Tree area. I found the Friendship Tree planted here by Premier Zhou 67 years ago 😭! Next to it is the tree planted by his wife, Madame Deng Yingchao. After 67 years, both trees are thriving. Touching the trunk felt like shaking hands with Premier Zhou. Accommodation: Earl‘s Regency Hotel The hotel is built on a mountain with good location and views (the last two photos are of the hotel). However, the room facilities are outdated and the hygiene is just so-so—I don’t really recommend it 🛏️. Food: Devon Restaurant (pvt) ltd, next to KFC. We went there after doing research. It’s clean, affordable, and the seafood rice is delicious—quite suitable for Chinese tastes (though a bit spicy 🌶️). #Kandy#Kandylove#Kandytime#Kandynice#Kandygood#Kandyfood
