Asian Institute of Technology Bangkok brought us together when we did our Masters Degrees during 1986-87. Since then, we have been scattered across the world. This is Part 4 of our reunion trip in Jan 2026. It is in Sri Lanka and covers our journey from Kandy and back to Colombo.
After the Cave temple Visit and the climb up Sigiriya Rock, we set off for Kandy around 5 pm. We reached our hotel Grand Kandyan set on top of a hill. Our large van with a high roof took up most of the road’s width. It made its way up the windy road and into the hotel. The hotel was huge and easily the most luxurious we had stayed so far. We were met by a hotel staff, all suited and booted, and welcomed us with a thick East European accent.
Kandy Botanical Gardens
We spent a good half day wandering through the very spacious garden. It has a great collection of trees (all labelled). The grounds are very well-maintained. There is a nice café serving food and drinks and provides a welcome break. There is a modest entrance fee to get in. Here are some select pictures from Kandy’s Botanical Gardens – Immaculately maintained. There is a nice restaurant and ice cream place inside the gardens for a welcome break.
We stopped by a local liquor store to get ourselves some Sri Lankan Arrack. Someone in our group was celebrating his birthday. We fully utilized our private 6th floor accommodation. Every evening, we set up our own little bar there. We discovered arrack with some sprite and soda and lime juice makes a great drink.
Udawattekale Royal Forest Park
This royal forest park had several treks and seemed quite close to the hotel we were staying in. So one early morning we set off to go for a walk before breakfast. As an afterthought I slipped in 2000 Sri Lankan Rupees cash into my pocket. After many wrong turns and almost 30 minutes of walking, we reached the gate. There was a proper sign and ticket office. For the 6 of us we need 6000 Rupees. We pleaded with the ticket counter person to allow us to continue the walk. We promised to pay at the end of our walk. We had asked our driver again to come with cash. Finally, we were allowed to go in and enjoy the serene forest walk. It was a perfect way to build up some appetite for breakfast
The Pekoe Trail
We did not go to the Temple of the Tooth Relic since we had been there earlier. We wanted to just take in the other aspects of what Kandy had to offer.
One of our group members had planned the 14 km Pekoe Trail Trek. It starts at the Ceylon Tea Museum and traverses through tea estates. The trek ends up in another part of Kandy. We asked the driver to drop us at the Ceylon Tea Museum. Then we agreed to meet at the other end of the walk.
The walk involved some moderate climbing at first and then flattened out for most of the trek. We met up with some other tourists. They mentioned that around the halfway point (7 kms), we pass through a small village. In that village, someone cooks and serves light food to tourists. He was kind enough to call ahead and book some meals for us. It was a welcome relief to eat some idlis and vadas with chutney at Pushpa’s Food Centre.
Kandyan Wedding
It was the wedding season at Kandy. The Grand Kandyan hotel, where we were staying, was the venue for several marriages. They had 4 weddings on 1 day. We could witness the wedding customs and costumes worn by the bride and groom and the welcome party for the groom
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
On the way back to Colombo from Kandy we stopped at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. We arrived before 12 noon. This allowed us to see the elephants getting bathed in the river. The Elephant orphanage hosts the elephants and one can witness them playing and fooling around and getting fed. Certainly worth a visit and it is a marvelous sight to see these large, gentle animals,
Initially, we thought 4 days in Kandy might be too much. However, we spent quality time in Kandy. We managed to do it in a relaxed manner. We spent almost 8 days in Sri Lanka. We returned with great memories. There was a tinge of sadness to leave such a superb country. It offers beaches, wildlife, and great food. You can explore tea estates and enjoy lots of culture, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Islam amongst others. The shopping is nice, and the people are friendly. The place is neat; traffic is not too bad and people with good civic sense. Certainly, worth visiting.
