Photos of a side trip to Matale from Kandy in December 2011.
My guidebook recommends visiting Matale by train from Kandy, and that is what I did, as I especially enjoy unusual and distinctive train journeys.
There are about five trains a day up and down the branch line between Kandy and Matale, yet they are now well spaced throughout the day, so I had only about one and a half hours in Matale itself as I wanted to return on the 2pm train and, as usual in Sri Lanka, boarded it about half an hour before departure to be sure of a window seat - or any seat. The next train was at 5pm but I did not want to spend the whole afternoon in Matale.
Matale is a bustling market town, although not especially distinctive if you are familiar with southern India. The train journey is the real attraction.
Other photos of Sri Lankan train journeys can be seen in my gallery "Riding the Rails" (see link above).