Shopping in Sri Lanka can be great fun, from the traditional village store or ‘Kade’ to outlets with the latest international fashions with bargain prices. Listed below are some noted locations for your shopping activity.
The commercial capital, Colombo, has much to offer:
- Laksala Emporium – A perfect place to buy souvenirs and handicrafts produced all over Sri Lanka.
- Duplication Road, Colombo – a vast collection of men’s and women’s clothing outlets are found on this street
- Odel Department Store – (presently closed for construction work)
- Majestic City – This multi-storey shopping mall is air-conditioned and provides maximum convenience to shopaholics
- Liberty Plaza – Liberty Plaza is a multi-storey shopping complex located in Colombo 03
- Crescat Boulevard – Crescat Boulevard is an upmarket shopping mall in Colombo 03
- House of Fashion – House of Fashion is located in Colombo with a reputation for affordable, ready-to-wear clothing
- The Pettah Market – At the Pettah market you will find all types of things from fruits to clothes to electronics. Great bargains at wholesale prices.
Shop in the city of Kandy, famous for selling antique jewelry, belts and accessories, Batik clothes, various brands of tea and souvenirs.
Shop in the city of Galle, renowned for antiques, works of art and lace items which are primary souvenirs that you can pick up at little shops and stalls in this city. At the Galle Fort you can pick up semi-precious stone jewelry set in silver at a number of Gem shops on Church Street.
What to buy while shopping in Sri Lanka:
- Batiks – As a small scale industry, Batiks are one of the numerous local arts and crafts that employ individual design, talent and creativity. The material created by the batik-makers is used to produce distinctive clothing items such as dresses, shirts, sarongs and beachwear which are well-suited for tropical climes. Apart from clothes, tablecloths, wall pictures, beach clothes, pure cotton and silks, mens and ladies wear and bed covers are popular as souvenirs.
- Gems – Sri Lankan gems are world renowned for their amazing luster, beauty and quality. Ratnapura is the most popular place in Sri Lanka to buy jewellery and gem for this city is the gem-mining capital of Sri Lanka. This town has well known gem shops in the country.
Observe how traditional gem mining and cutting is done. This is definitely a haven for gem enthusiasts. - Woodwork and Masks – Another prominent industry in the country, woodwork and masks have been historically very distinct. The town of Ambalangoda in southern Sri Lanka is a region that is popular for traditional wooden masks and tourists from all over the world visit this area to find alluring and uniquely inspiring products to take home with them as a souvenir.
- Spices – Known as the Spice Island, Sri Lanka was historically attractive to the Western nations for its wealth in spice resources. Spices such as cinnamon, pepper, cloves, cardamoms, nutmeg, mace and vanilla grow abundantly. With the increase in international demand for spices, and the island’s focus on enhancing and evolving its value added range, spices will continue to be a key facet of Sri Lanka’s export income.
- Brassware – For centuries, talented Sri Lankan craftsmen have been working on brass and creating some of the most amazing and distinct art pieces ever to put on metal. Oil lamps, elephants, ash trays and vases are used for ornamental purpose as they add a touch of glamour, value and richness to any interior décor.
Religious denominations like Buddhists and Hindus use brass statues of Lord Buddha and various Gods at worship. - Tea – Popularly known as Ceylon Tea, Sri Lankan tea has become the front-runner of the industry and is much loved for its amazing quality and variety. Ceylon added a new dimension to tea by producing variations in taste, quality, character and appearance.
