If you’re looking to lavish up your Sri Lanka trip and would like to experience quality at relatively affordable prices, then look no further than the Theva Residency in Kandy. Nestled atop the Hantana Mountains, this boutique hotel is situated just 10 minutes from Kandy’s city centre, which may come as a surprise considering the scenic journey up the mountain to get here.
The Theva Residecy is a great little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the busy city offering fantastic views, rooms decorated with style, taste and not to mention comfort, extremely friendly and accomodating staff, a beautiful and often instagrammed-pool and a phenomenal menu. YES! The food here is great, which is why the Theva Residency is also a restauraunt, among the very few of its kind in Kandy, open to the public under the name Theva Cuisine.
During our stay, which we’re sad to admit lasted less than 24 hours, we managed to try out several items on the menu as we had lunch twice, breakfast and supper from a menu which we highly recommed exploring should you stay here. Theva also has an extensive wine and drink menu so you can sip cocktails as the you watch the sun disappear over the hills.
The Theva Residency offers 15 accommodation units broken down into 4 deluxe rooms, 4 superior ground rooms, 3 superior mountain rooms, 3 suites and one jaw-dropping penthouse. The Deluxe rooms are designed to make the most of the stunning scenery and the artful Kandy Perahera themed décor makes them cosy and welcoming. The elegant Superior rooms are dressed in a cool white from floor to ceiling and have their own private balcony. The Suites are nestled in a private corer of Theva Residency and offer unrivalled views of the mountainside. In addition, spice up your IG-game as theese rooms have a Jacuzzi giving you the chance to enjoy panoramic views of the valley and beyond from the comfort of your room.
When you’re not basking in the delight of your room, you can relax in the sauna and steam room, or cool off from the sun by taking a dip in the infinity pool with a view! Not one to get wet? Well, you can enjoy “pool” by playing it in the entertainment room; or just lounge around, play some board games or read your favourite book.
Tours, activities and transportation can be easily arranged by the staff. In the short time we spent here, we managed to have a lift arranged to visit the Botanical Garden and the Bahariwakanda Temple. Both are highly recommended pit stops on your venture in Kandy!
Theva Residency’s track record speaks for it itself. Having won TripAdvisors Certificate Of Excellence Award 8 times, while Theva Cuisine has pilled onto these impressive feats winning it twice since 2016. We had a great, albeit short, experience at Theva Residency and left wanting more.
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HOW TO SPEND 24 HOURS IN KANDY
Kandy is a lovely city in central Sri Lanka, set on a plateau encompassed by mountains and home to numerous tea plantations and abundance of biodiversity. The city is famed for its sacred Buddhist sites like the Temple of the Tooth and the Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue. We spent just under 24 hours in Kandy, which we feel is more than enough to see what it has to offer! So we’ve compiled the things we did to give you a small itinerary of how to spend just under a day in Kandy, Sri Lanka!
THE BIG BUDDHA – BAHIRAWAKANDA VIHARA BUDDHA STATUE
Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue, otherwise known as the Big Buddha, is a massive Buddha statue that can be seen from almost everywhere in Kandy and by night it is all lit up. Situated high up in the hills of Kandy, the ground of Bahirawakanda also offer fantastic panoramic views of the city below. There’s a small entrance fee of 250 LKR and just like Temple of the Tooth, be sure to dress appropriately!
THE ROYAL BOTANICAL GARDENS
Located in Peradeniya, just 5.5km to the west of the city of Kandy and is renowned for its collection of orchids. The garden is home to more than 4000 species of plants, spices, medicinal plants and palm trees. You can explore the grounds on foot, however, if you’re feeling tired, or potentially lazy, golf carts can be rented. It costs 1500 LKR/person to enter the gardens.
THE TEMPLE OF TOOTH
The Temple of the Tooth is Kandys main attraction, as well as one of the most sacred Buddhist establishments in Sri Lanka. Kandy is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the temple. There are daily rituals carried out at various offering times to the shrine, so be sure to dress appropriately when visiting (covered shoulders and no shorts above the knee). Visiting the temple will run you a cost of 1500 LKR.