Sri Lanka’s last royal capital and cultural heart of the Kandyan kingdom, Kandy occupies a bowl-shaped valley ringed by hills, with an artificial lake at its centre and the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic at its edge. The city is the focal point of the Esala Perahera – one of Asia’s most spectacular religious processions, held annually in July or August – and a year-round base for exploring the surrounding hill country, botanical gardens, and traditional craft workshops. Kandy is accessible year-round.