The artificial lake at the center of Kandy is a pleasant place to walk at any time of day, but especially at dawn and dusk when the water reflects the surrounding hills and the golden spire of the Temple of the Tooth. The 3.5 km path around the perimeter takes about forty-five minutes at a gentle pace and passes the cloud wall (the ornamental parapet along the temple side), a small island used as a gunpowder store by the Kandyan kings, and several good viewpoints.
Rowing boats can be hired on the lake. The southern shore is lined with the Kandy National Museum and various government buildings from the British colonial period. Tuk-tuks and street food vendors cluster at the main square near the lake's northeast corner.