Arthur’s Seat Viewing Deck – lookout point in Kandy City
By Arundathie Abeysinghe
Arthur’s Seat or Kandy View Point is a mesmerizing lookout point situated in Kandy City. Arthur’s Seat is ranked fifth out of 105 tourist attractions in Kandy. It is situated about 550 meters above sea level, southwest of Kandy Lake, a few meters past Royal Palace Park (Wales Park or Wace Park) at Rajapihilla Mawatha.
According to folklore Mr. Arthur, a British Tea Planter lived in a bungalow during the British Colonial Era above the viewpoint. Planter Arthur had viewed Kandy City seated on a stone seat under a tree and it was his popular viewpoint. He had used this place to view Kandy City and its surroundings seated on a stone seat under a tree in front of his bungalow. The view from this point is superb during the day and night, a bird’s eye view.
This is a popular lookout point visited by a large number of local as well as foreign tourists daily. Kandy City, Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic), Kandy Lake, Royal Palace of Kandy, Kandy City Center, Bahirawa Kanda (Gnome Mountain) as well as the Buddha Statue on top of the Mountain can be seen from this place
According to the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC) about 1500 tourists local as well as foreign visit (per day) this location during the peak season (November to May) and about 500 tourists (per day) during the off season. At present, KMC has constructed a new viewing platform at the location with a concrete deck, with steel railings for protection and a symbolical seat made out of the original rock slab used by Planter Arthur.
Many tourists as well as locals stand on the deck or sit on the bench and look at Kandy City and the surrounding area from this viewpoint.
At night, views of Kandy City are spectacular from this viewpoint with multicolored lights of buildings and the reflection of lights on the waters of Kandy Lake.
The road to the viewpoint is good and there is parking space for vehicles.
Location: Rajapihilla Mawatha, Kandy, about 1.7 kilometers from Kandy City
