The Perahera in Kandy is one of the oldest and most amazing Buddhist events you can still see today in Sri Lanka. Imagine a colorful display of elephants dressed in full regalia, men cracking whips, dancing, making music, rituals, fireworks and more….culminating in the final night when the longest and most splendid procession takes place.

The tradition goes back as far as the 3rd Century BC, as a means of asking the gods for rainfall – the same reason it takes place today. Another reason for the celebrations (which has no less than five separate peraheras- or parades) is for the local people to honour the sacred relic from the Temple of the Tooth, which was once only seen by the kings. Today though, it is a replica casket paraded through the streets as the relic is no longer allowed to leave the holy temple.

Although I haven’t been to the Perahera myself (I promise myself I will next year!), I have heard that it is indeed an awesome show. A good friend reported it was the most thrillingly amazing festival he had seen in his life, which says a lot considering that he is an octogenarian who has traveled the world extensively!

The Esala Perahera is translated from Sinhalese as “Procession of the Full Moon of Esala”, and takes place annually in July/August. This year, the festival takes place on July 26th to August 5th, 2009, and while the event is free, we highly recommend that you book your hotel and plane/train tickets early as it probably the most popular events in Sri Lanka! If you haven’t yet, you could try some websites like Jetwing Travels or Last Minute.com. Read their description of the parade- wonderful!:

The procession includes fire-juggling acrobats, sumptuously decorated elephants, traditional dancers, oboe-tooting musicians, banners, palanquins, whip crackers, torch bearers and thousands of barefoot pilgrims and swordsmen….The action is made even more mesmerising because it happens at night. The old cannon booms after dusk and the Perahera (paraders) take to the streets for ten nights, with the parades growing ever longer each night until the final night of pageantry, when the parade is at its finest.

For a good collection of photos to see more of this fantastic event, please click here.

In a previous post, we featured Helga’s Folly, our pick for an unusual place to stay in Kandy. However, this is not everyone’s cup of tea and many people do find it lacks the necessary comforts. And so here we feature our second top choice in Kandy: Kandy House. Even if you do stay at Helga’s Folly and have the time, this beautiful boutique hotel is evidently well worth checking out. The hotel is located 12km from the center of Kandy and about a three and a half hour drive from Colombo airport. It is extremely tastefully and elegantly decorated and set amidst an authentic jungle.

Formerly the grand ancestral home of one of Kandy’s most influential aristocratic families, Kandy House sits on 6 acres in a quiet village area close to Kandy. Filled with antique furniture, there are nine suites set around a central two storied courtyard and a ninth room in the garden. From the veranda where guests have breakfast and dinner, the garden descends to a palm fringed infinity pool designed in the shape of a traditional paddy field.

Kandy House was restored in a style that combines classical Kandyan period architecture with Dutch colonial furnishings and a soft, colorful and elegant finish. Large shady verandas, double hammocks and tropical lawns encourage one to find a comfortable and quiet corner to relax or read. Kandy House is a good base to explore Kandy and its surroundings: the botanical gardens, the Temple of the Tooth and the magnificent Victoria Golf and Country Club.

The menu is comprised of Oriental, Western and Sri Lankan specialties. Favorites include sugarcane prawns, juggary-cured tuna, jak seed gnocchi, chocolate-chili-cinnamon pudding and homemade durian ice cream. Everything is bought fresh from local markets each day. Breakfast and dinner is served on your own veranda or in the dinning veranda overlooking the garden. Dinner is always preceded by cocktails in the Butterfly Bar on the courtyard. Madhur Jaffry, the renowned connoisseur of Eastern food, once said: “I could settle down and live here!”

As this is one place that we haven’t actually stayed in ourselves (although we have heard great things from friends), we thought that we’d do a bit of digging up of travel reviews. 90% are excellent, for example this review from Trip Advisor:

The Kandy House is set in the hills in Kandy and is a beautiful colonial house. There is no air conditioning but I do think this would detract from the overall feel of the place if it were there. The fan in the room above the bed should be enough to keep you cool and in the early morning we found ourselves covering up as the area cooled in the shade of darkness. The house only has 8 rooms but each has its own style. We went for the big veranda room with a four poster bed, separate study/lounge area, veranda and victorian roll-top bath with separate shower. the room looks and feels lovely. The whole place has a really relaxed feel and the food is superb. On the day we left we had to be up early to travel to Colombo for our flight. The staff had made up a breakfast pack for us with water, fruit and delicious sandwiches.

There are a few games set up for the guests to play. We discovered one that looked a bit like draughts but involved flicking the pieces into pockets. two of the staff came over and saw we were struggling a bit so they gave us a great lesson in how to play the game. It feels like a family place rather than staff/guests/management. Everyone who was there seemed completely chilled out. Try out the pool, loungers and swing at the back of the house.

Sri Lankans are relaxed, friendly people and both this and the Fortress in Galle had picked the best staff possible. Really enjoyed my stay!

The 10% of negative comments seem to be in regard to two things- firstly that no children under twelve years old are allowed to stay and secondly those guests who missed having an aircon. So either of these two things are prerequisites for you, don’t stay at Kandy House. Many actually liked having no aircons and found the fans ample for cooling, and of course there are those discerning luxury travelers who couldn’t be happier to know that there will be no screaming children about

Rates for the nine suites vary hugely, as each one is different, but approximately you should expect to spend from $200 – $350 per night. As usual, we recommend contacting the hotel directly to make your booking.

Up in the leafy hills of Kandy in the central part of the country, you’ll find the most extraordinary hotel- a technicolor vision of the old-world-meets-Goth, called Helga’s Folly. It’s a hotel and restaurant you’ll either love or hate – where literally every inch of space is painted or decorated with bright colours, fantasy murals, dripping candles and glitzy accessories crossed with the traditional – old paintings, antique furniture, stuffed animal heads and a wind-up gramophone playing Ella Fitzgerald.

Helga’s Folly is presided over Helga herself, a glamorous Anglophile in Jackie O sun glasses, with a tendency towards the eccentric:

“This is my home and I want everyone who visits it to feel at home. That is the point. I call it an Anti-Hotel! We give our in-house guests complimentary afternoon tea and before dinner serve cocktails and canapes. I try to make it feel like home. The main thing is that people must come back! And we are lucky enough to have a few that do return!”

Helga was described by the Times as “a benevolent Cruella deVil, complete with pet dalmatian” and the hotel was the home were she was raised. In those days, guests were people like Sir Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and the Ghandis. These days it is fashion/rock star-types (Paula Yates reportedly loved it) and travellers looking for something different. Very different indeed! Helga comes from an illustrious family, and is the mother of British designer Selina Blow. Her history and exciting life is seen throughout the house, which is full of interesting memorabilia in every room.

But while the hotel rooms are lavishly over-the-top in style, it has been reported that they are in need of a face lift. You can choose from a variety of 40 rooms, all with wonderful balconies with views and air conditioning- from standard to the nutcracker suite, complete with a four-poster bed. A cinema room with DVDs for children was recently added, and parents will also be happy to know that the lovely staff here will entertain their children while they have a romantic dinner under the stars (at Helga’s you can choose to eat almost anywhere you please!). Facilities also include a swimming pool, lush gardens and a spa.

Whether or not this unusual place is your cup of tea, it is definitely worth a visit when you are in Kandy, which is easily one of the most picturesque places in Sri Lanka. Stop by for lunch at the very least as Helga’s now serves “Organic and Innovative” cuisine, and have a look around at this unique property- an unforgettable experience into Helga’s imagination.

Prices begin at $145 for a standard room, with breakfast $155. The Nutcracker Suite costs $440 a night, half board. For reservations, you can book directly thorough the hotel here.