Continued from Sri Lanka – Northern Monuments
Kandy is hilly, with slopes covered by vivid green palms and other tropical plants.
The town central feature is the lake. However, the botanical gardens are the must-see sight, with thousands of visitors including school children in uniform and families picnicking along with international visitors.
During our tour we wanted to stay in a colonial-style, heritage hotel. Hotel Suisse was a former grand home built in the 1800s. It has a billiard room, an old-fashioned bar and a former ballroom that now functions as the dining room and wedding reception hall.
Outside Kandy we visited a spice garden where we saw the plants that produce the spices to which we have all become accustomed, including cinnamon sticks. We were shown the basics of using Sri Lankan spices and learnt about their roles in herbal remedies and treatments.
At Thotupola Residence by the river in Kandy, we cooked lunch under the guidance of the owner, Sulochana. She opened her cooking school several years ago when she found so many of the guests at their small property wanted to learn how to cook Sri Lankan style. Over three hours we were taught the building blocks for making wonderful curries, from light curries that are more suitable for soft vegetables and white meats and seafood, to dark curries for harder vegetables and red meats. The end results were astonishingly delicious given the relatively straightforward methods.
Continued:
For a continuation of our travels, see: Tea Country.