Kandy Full-Day Tour

Excellent trip to Kandy, my guide was very knowledgeable and informed me all about Sri Lankan history and culture along the trip. Would 100% recommend using this tour guide.

Our guide was very polite and friendy and positive, but somehow his knowledge of history, social matters, geography, etc. was limited, as well as English language. Read at least Wikipedia before you go, so that you will know what you are looking at. A tour itself was well organised, I only regret we didn't have time to walk Kandy streets. A mean of transport (a car) was ok.

Kandy - what a picturesque view (from the view point). Deshan our guide extremely knowledgeable of the area, very accommodating /flexible with the itinerary- more than happy to exclude and/ir include items on the itinerary (subject to time commitments). A long day but worth it. Would definitely recommend a visit to kandy and to have deshan as our guide - thank you

Deshan, the driver/guide, was not only a terrific and clearly experienced driver, who made us feel completely safe on the chaotic country roads, he was also extremely pleasant to talk to and be around. We enjoyed the trip immensely as a result, and got a taste of real Sri Lanka on our only day inland, away from Colombo and the beach area. The car was also very nice, clean, and comfortable. We missed some of the itinerary, mostly because we were a bit too relaxed, perhaps, in some spots, but Deshan completely rolled with it, not rushing us and adjusted to whatever we wanted to do, in the end going past the expected hour of return. He was also conversant on a wide range of topics, answering all our questions on the long drive, and also allowing us to be silent when tired on the way home. Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic was really nice with visitors mostly respectful local Buddhists, a more sincere feeling that was missing in temples in Colombo. Plus, it was our luck to chance upon a parade of dancers, entering the temple on the occasion of the First Harvest (? or something). Deshan pointed out that unlike dancers we had seen at an event in Colombo, these were not paid performers, but volunteering their time for the purpose of a spiritual event. The Spice Garden is informative as well as including a shoulder and back massage at the end, plus a store to buy some of the products (all organic and grown right there). Prices are a bit high by local standards, but still a great deal for what they are. Expect the "Gem Museum" to actually be a jewelry shopping experience, but as most Sri Lankans we have met on our short trip, they were knowledgeable, polite and not too pushy. All in all, we were really pleased with this trip, and very grateful to have met Deshan. I highly recommend this trip!

The quality of such a trip, first and foremost, is based on the driver. Deshar, besides being a terrific driver who made us feel safe through the chaotic country roads, was just very pleasant to be with. He shared his knowledge about the places we visited, and much more about Sri Lanka, answering gamely any question we threw at him about culture, history, politics, economy. Since it is quite a long drive, this was great for us, it being our first time in this country. It is a beautiful lush countryside along the way, and Kandy is situated in rolling hills. Because of the higher altitude, it is refreshingly cooler than the coast. Not as developed, you also feel a more sincere feeling of Sri Lanka compared to being in Colombo. The Sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic, for example, was filled with quiet local crowds, many families, mostly dressed in white, making offerings of flowers. There are some tourists, too, but they are mostly respectful and not so many. It is truly worth the visit. We were also lucky to be there as a parade of dancers were entering to celebrate the first harvest. As Deshar pointed out, these are not paid dancers for entertainment; they come of their own volition for the purpose of worship. The Spice and Herb garden was also an interesting visit, learning and seeing the plants of Sri Lankan Ayurveda medicine from a student of Ayurveda medicine, and of course ending with a shoulder massage was terrific! It was my first time tasting real organic, unaltered sweet cinnamon bark. Who knew the stuff we always use for baking has lots of other added spices!? Expect to offer a tip for the massage, and a visit to the store. We also visited a "Gem museum". The owner has collected some antique jewelry, which are on display, but of course, this is primarily a jewelry shopping occasion. I had no intention to buy anything, but in the end I did. The attendants were not pushy, but instead are gentle and knowledgeable. It is a long day, and you do spend a lot of time in the car, but we are so glad we took this trip. Seeing only Colombo or the beach resorts is like not really seeing the real Sri Lanka. Of course, if you have the time, it is better to spend more time in the interior of the country. We will have to do so on a future trip.

This day trip was excellent and Deshan was a wonderful guide, he took us to so many places and was very knowledgable. I would highly recommend this trip where you can see all the highlights of Kandy. I will surely use this company again as it was all so well organised and efficient.

We had an amazing experience, all thanks to Deshan. He was a wonderful guide and made the day very enjoyable. I would highly recommend this tour, you can see the main attractions in a day. Looking forward to booking more tours in my next trip to Sri Lanka

Our guide (Chamika) was informative, respectful and very welcoming. Vehicle was clean and provided driving water. Highly recommend this tour and other tours with this company.

Fantastic trip with lanka tours and Chamika. Find places to see, from elephants to temples and more We recommend everyone to take this tour

Deshan Picked up from Cinnamon Grand Colombo at 07:00 a.m. He was excellent driver guide. Tooth Temple and Tea Factory was Excellent. Specially lunch was traditional Sri Lankan (Rice & Curry). Excellent Tour. Thank you Lanka Tour Host.