Wednesday 13 May 2015

The magic of Kandy

Booking accommodation is always a bit of a lottery, even when you've trawled the Internet and done a good deal of research.  Sometimes you end up in a dump, but every now and then you hit the jackpot, which is exactly what happened to us in Kandy. 

At Sujatha's Homestay, hosts Roney and Sujatha treat you as if you are part of the family, not in the constipated smile when I see you kind of way, but rather with genuine interest and concern, the sort that can't be faked.  I was fortunate enough to have my first (of many) cooking lessons, and dinner, breakfast, tea, and everything else provided was absolute perfection.   

So, with Sujatha's as our little oasis, we set off to discover what the rest of Kandy was all about.  It could well have been that we felt so 'at home' at our accommodation in the calm of the trees, but we felt just as comfortable throughout the city.  The slightly cooler conditions could also have played a part, come to think of it.  We wandered the spectacular Royal Botanical Gardens (next post), hopped, skipped and jumped over leeches at the Udawatta Kele Sanctuary, explored the British Garrison Cemetery, strolled leisurely around the lake and people-watched, with fresh tea and coffee in hand, at the entrance to the Temple of the Tooth.  The place has a real buzz about it and we enjoyed spending time on the buses and joining the lunch-time curry run.

After 3 nights in Kandy we were honestly sad to leave.  Hopefully we'll be back one day to visit our Sri Lankan relatives.

Outside Sujatha's - under the close supervision of one of the 'watchdogs'
 
The beautiful lake

Udawatta Kele

Dinner for 2 at Sujatha's

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