Sri Lanka’s holiest shrine holds the most famous surviving relic of the Buddha, whose location for centuries was believed to determine the seat of the country’s power. Join the streams of whiterobed pilgrims who file through the temple’s gates as they purchase frangipani and lotus blooms from the flower vendors, then continue through the incense-filled, lavishly decorated interior to the place where the relic is enshrined – the focus of elaborate rituals.

You can add this experience to any tailor-made itinerary that includes a visit to Kandy.