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Things to buy in Sri Lanka and buying jewellery in Sri Lanka

Sanjeewa Padmal (Seerendipity)

Table of Contents

If you are wondering what to buy in Sri Lanka, there are many dozens of things to consider with traditional values. Buying jewellery in Sri Lanka, handicrafts, gems, tea, spices…the list goes on. Shopping in Sri Lanka will be a very interesting thing to do and is included in most Sri Lankan road trips because there are many interesting things that one can buy on the island. Gems and jewellery, readymade garments, silk and batiks, tea, handicrafts, ayurvedic products, lacquerware, souvenir, brass object, and furniture are some of the products in high demand.

Shopping in Sri Lanka

Shopping in Sri Lanka will be a very interesting thing to do and is included in most Sri Lankan road trips because there are many interesting things that one can be bought on the island. Gems and jewellery, readymade garments, silk and batiks, tea, handicrafts, ayurvedic products, lacquerware, souvenir, brass object, and furniture are some of the products in high demand.

Shopping in Sri Lanka is one of the favourite national past time, the headquarter is in the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. With hundreds of bustling streets, shopping malls, open markets and eateries Colombo is a very popular playground for shoppers that looking for clothing, leather products, electronic equipment, souvenir, gem and jewellery, tea etc.

Buying jewellery in Sri Lanka

Gems and jewellery are coming under the bucket list of every traveller when they search for authentic things to buy in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is one of the leading Gem and Jewelry exporters in the world and produces some of the most exquisite Jewellery.

Gems and jewellery are the 4th highest foreign exchange earner for the island and a large number of people in Sri Lanka’s workforce are depending on the gem industry. Ratnapura and the suburb is the main source of gems in the country and it is the best-known city for Gems, while Kandy and Colombo are the most popular cities for shopping in Sri Lanka gems and Jewellery.

Kandy is one of the most popular cities for buying jewellery in Sri Lanka and is also a place to buy souvenirs, clothes, and handicrafts. Kandy is the 4th largest city on the island there are thousands of shops in the city and dozens of shops are places to buy jewellery in Sri Lanka. There are specialized shops for various products such as souvenirs, clothes, etc making it easier for shoppers to find the most suitable product. Near Kandy, the village called Kundasale was developed as a craftsman village. Visitors to the village can see the work of the artisans and even it allows for buying products directly from the artisans.

Colombo is also a place to consider if you look for a place for buying jewellery in Sri Lanka. The big players in the Sri Lankan gem and jewellery industry have set up their branches in Colombo. However, Kandy is the most popular place for buying jewellery in Sri Lanka among tourists.

  • Hemachandra Jewellry -Kandy
  • Premadasa and company-Kandy
  • Lakmini Gem bureau-Kandy
  • Isini Gems-Kandy
  • Zam Gems -Colombo
Shopping in sri lanka, buy batik in sri lanka

Important tips for Shopping in Sri Lanka

There are many well-established governments and private shops in all major cities on the island providing convenience for shopping in Sri Lanka. All the products are labelled with prices and other particulars. It is normal to bargain in Sri Lanka while you are shopping in Sri Lanka. You are expected to bargain for products such as souvenirs, garments, gems, and jewellery and tourist resorts are abundant with shops that sell such products. In some places, the prices are inflated for foreigners, therefore, foreigners need to pay extra attention to the prices.

Colombo city tour with shopping in Sri Lanka

shopping sri lanka

In a situation where the prices are inflated, one needs to be friendly and convince the seller that one knows the correct price, and then one can get the correct price. When buying Gems and jewellery one should be buying only from reputable shops with an international certificate on the products. There are many incidents reported pertaining to synthetic stones being sold in the country. National gems and jewellery ministry provides free service for foreigners, where one can check the quality of products.

Village Fairs and Bazaars

The village market is the most suitable place for buying fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and herbs, direct from the farmers. Farmers from the village sell their products in the market and, they usually do not use chemicals to produce agricultural products. One can buy garments, household items, flowers, plants, porcelain, tea, and other essential items need at home.

Reaching outward from the cities, large conglomerates are spreading their supermarkets, while small entrepreneurs are sprouting, groceries stores all over. Yet, the village pola or village bazaar a weekly market bazaar – still holds its own all over the island. This Pola or bazaar is always held on specific days, at a specific place. These village fairs are the means by which farmers sell their excess produce and buy what they need.

Pola has a wide variety of goods on sales such as cell phones and radios, aluminium utensils and colourful plastic ware, clothes and shoes, condiments and grain, incense sticks and handicrafts, as well as fish and dry fish. Immerse your senses in this riot of colour and variety.

Things to buy in Sri Lanka at the traditional boutique

The traditional boutique or Kade is the traditional shop of the villages in Sri Lanka. It was once known as a boutique, a word that derived from the Portuguese word butica or boteca.  Kade is the meeting place for the people in the village and they were once available even in Colombo. Today they are almost disappeared from the leading cities and examples are available in remote areas.

The most simple Kade is a simple structure made of wood. It has a comparatively big window for the small box-shaped structure, through which the transaction takes place between the seller and the buyer. Kade has a wooden boarding and can be moved to another place at any time.

Basically, Kade needs very small spaces, and they are constructed mostly near crowded places such as Bus stands, railway stations, religious buildings, office areas, etc. Normally, the owners of Kade conduct the business. Small restaurants typically sell food and drinks in Kade. But the products are prepared elsewhere, and the shop owner uses Kade to sell his products. Other than food and drinks, some shopkeepers sell some grocery products too.

The owner of Kade is known as Mudalali and a popular figure in the area. Mudalali supposes to be a rich person in the village and He is respected by the customers. Most of the people in the village need to buy goods on credit from Mudalali because of the economic hardships.  Mudalali keeps the record of transactions and collects the money at the end of the month. Kade is the most basic transaction method available today. Instead of money, some customers pay off the debt with their agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables.

The following description is about a Kade written in 1914 by Bella Woolf “the native shop- boutique, they are called in Ceylon, a relic of Portuguese days are open to the winds of heaven. Here the seller sits cross-legged or on his haunches on the floor, while all the day and far into the purchasers swarm around. Strange to European eyes are the sacks and baskets full of curry stuff, chillies, Maldive fish, grains unknown to the west, kurakkan, gingelly, paddy, and gram. The fruit shops brim with plantains, pineapple, rambutans, mangoes, custard apples, papaws, breadfruit, brinjals, and pumpkins. ”

Kade is the place to buy beetle mixture, which is a mixture of betel leaves and areca nuts chewed with lime and tobacco. Beetle chewing was considered a habit of rich people in ancient Sri Lanka. Today, it is the habit of poor people to do some tedious work to earn money. In some regions, astrologers, barbers, and even tailors occasionally use kade.

Today with the economic development and the busy lifestyle people are gathering in shopping malls and supermarkets. Those are proving to be saving time by providing a one-stop shop. Changing lifestyle has been blamed to change the traditional lifestyle of people in the country, in which one can see some advantages as well as disadvantages. But rural areas are still a venue to see scenes from the past.

7 things to buy in Sri Lanka

  1. Gems & Jewellery
  2. Arts & Crafts
  3. Antiques
  4. Batik
  5. Tea
  6. Cloth
  7. Spices

If you’re heading to Sri Lanka on a business trip or on a holiday trip, don’t forget to allocate some time for shopping in Sri Lanka. Because most travellers who visit Sri Lanka never fail to do some shopping in Sri Lanka. One of the very popular questions a large number of travellers ask us is “what to buy in Sri Lanka”. Therefore we thought of making some remarks on what to buy in Sri Lanka and below are some of the unique products available in Sri Lanka. Most of these products are affordable and easy to find on the island.

shopping in sri lanka, handicrafts

Shopping for Arts & Crafts in Sri Lanka

Shopping in Sri Lanka must be included with the arts and & crafts of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is a well-known country for traditional arts & crafts, this industry still exists as a home-based industry. There are special arts and craft villages on the island, which are in the industry for generations. There are many shops selling arts & crafts in resorts and they’re a lot of shops selling arts crafts in cities such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle, etc.

Sri Lanka is one of the best places to buy various types of furniture too. There is a huge demand for antique furniture among foreigners.  Some of the valuable furniture was made in the Portuguese, Dutch, and English colonial times.

Buying Antiques in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has a rich heritage with a combination of Western and Eastern influence and which is visible even in furniture, architecture, lifestyle, cuisines, languages, etc. there are many antique shops around the resorts selling furniture and ornaments from the colonial period of the country. Products such as porcelain, Brass wear, silver items, and pottery can be found often in antique shops. Galle the city in Southern Sri Lanka is the most famous city for antiques in the country.
Christina Souvenir and handicraft Show Room: No 730, Galle Road, Colombo 3.
Origins: No 38, Ward Place, Colombo 7.

Buying Batik in Sri Lanka

Batik is by far one of the best things to buy in Sri Lanka, you can find a large array of batik items in Sri Lankan shops. They make terrific souvenirs and clothes. Choose from batik skirts, shirts, sarees, dresses, kurtas, lungis, sarons, tablecloths, wall hangings, and other fabric items. You get very good Sri Lanka batik as well as imported low-quality batik as well. The prices may vary based on the quality so be cautious about quality when you purchase batik. Batik fabric items are available in most hotel shopping arcades and shopping areas.

Buying Cloth in Sri Lanka

The textile industry is the main foreign exchange earner for the island. Sri Lanka boasts to have a well-developed textile industry among the South Asia countries. Therefore Sri Lanka has become one of the best places, where one can buy the best quality textiles at very reasonable prices. All major cities such as Colombo, Kandy, Galle, and Panadura provide a wide range of Garment products such as kid’s garments, casual clothing, beachwear, men’s wear, ladies’ garments, shoes, and garment accessories.

Buying traditional Sri Lankan dresses

The Sari, which is six yards in length and made of either silk or cotton is the traditional attire of Sri Lanka women. Today sari is more or less only the traditional outfit for women and it is used mostly for special occasions such as weddings, parties, etc. The modern young generation prefers to wear fashionable clothing to traditional clothes. Textile shops in Sri Lanka provide a wide range of choices of clothes for their customers with Western, Eastern, and Traditional touches.

In all major cities and in the village bazaar, there are hundreds of street textile stalls selling a wide range of textile products. They are selling popular branded items to unbranded local manufactured products, most of the branded items are designer dud knockoffs. Have fun wandering through the existing textile collection, but sizing is an important fact because locally manufactured items (for local) are a little bit smaller compared to international standard sizes.

If you are very specific about the size, material, a style you can buy custom-made clothing too but at a bargain price throughout the island. Go wild with pre-manufactured clothing selection in Colombo, especially at Majestic city, uptown Kandy is 2 popular places where you get a large number of textile sellers. If you love to buy things in the street stalls head to Pettah.

Whatever you buy in Sri Lanka, try to bargain in order to avoid the tourist price and avoid getting charged higher. You have to bring your bargaining skills when you are heading to the Sri Lankan shopping area. If you have any questions regarding your upcoming Sri Lanka trip, please contact us at admin@seerendipitytours.com we are here to help!

spices food festival sri lanka
Spices in Sri Lanka

Buying Tea in Sri Lanka (Ceylon tea)

Sri Lanka is the producer of the finest Tea in the world (Ceylon Tea), one can’t forget to visit a Tea centre during shopping in Sri Lanka. Tea can be bought all around the island but the best tea is available in reputable tea centres in major cities. Sri Lanka is the producer of the finest Tea in the world (Ceylon Tea), one can’t forget to visit a Tea centre during shopping in Sri Lanka. Tea can be bought all around the island but the best tea is available in reputable tea centres in Colombo and other major cities.

Sri Lanka is one of the best places to buy Tea in the world. Tea being the 3rd most foreign exchange earner for the country, it provides employment for more than 1 million people in the country. you can sip a cup of world-renowned Ceylon tea in a tea centre. Even one can see the whole process of tea production by visiting the tea factories in the mountains. Since tea is the most favourite beverage in Sri Lanka it can be bought all over the country. But one must be careful to buy trustworthy brands of tea since there are inferior quality teas also being sold in the country.
Mlesna (Ceylon) Ltd: tea shop, no 44, ward place, Colombo 7.

Buying Spices in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an agricultural country, and spices are considered to be one of the most important products for the economy. Sri Lanka earns a large amount of its foreign exchange from the spice trade. One can buy quality fresh spices during shopping in Sri Lanka such as cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, etc. spices are widely used in the Sri Lankan kitchen to make a wide range of spicy foods and therefore spices can be bought in any part of the country for very reasonable prices. Condiments and various other aromatic spices such as chilli powder, curry powder, turmeric, saffron, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and ginger can be bought in all grocery stores.

Popular places to buy things in Sri Lanka

Ratnapura for Gems & Jewellery

Ratnapura is considered to be the best place for buying gems and jewellery in the country with a large collection of well-known gem shops in the city. Most of the shops in Rathnapura are equipped with gem mines and laboratories; thereby buyers are educated on the process of gem production. Sri Lanka is famous for its high-quality gems – from Roman times, through the colonial era, to the present. The gem trade is widespread and blue, yellow or star sapphire, rubies, cat eyes, amethyst, topaz, aquamarines, garnets, zircons, moonstones, and other precious stones are available throughout the island.

Duplication Road, Colombo

Where a vast collection of men’s and women’s clothes are found together with shoes, bags, purses, and even toys are found. There are discount stores here that sell designer items at the very low prices ever!

25 Utuwankanda, Mawanella

A perfect place to buy organic remedies and spices that are used for massages. This is a garden shop that sells fresh herbs and oils that are very relaxing ingredients to use for soothing massages. They accept credit cards here making everyone’s shopping very accessible.

Sri Lanka shopping at Liberty Plaza

Located at Kollupitiya, Colombo where the modern and latest equipment are found. There are also ideal souvenir items found here that will be a perfect gift for your friends and family back home.

Buy handicrafts in Sri Lanka

Laksala is a network of Government-owned retail shops selling various types of items such as handloom, souvenirs, batik, silk, Gems, jewellery, etc. These shops are mainly catering to foreign travellers, who like to buy authentic Sri Lankan products such as souvenirs, gem&jewellty, handloom items, batik, etc.

The Dutch Hospital shopping precinct

The former 17th-century Colombo Dutch Hospital has been restored and transformed into Colombo’s finest shopping, entertainment, and pedestrian precinct. The minister of economic development formally inaugurated it on December 2, 2011. One can experience an exclusive shopping experience, where one can shop, wine, and dine, or just stroll along, marvelling at the Colonial Architecture of possibly one of the city’s oldest heritage sites.

Galle face one

Galle faces one is the newest addition to an upmarket shopping experience on the island. The shopping complex was very recently opened and still, a large number of shops are yet to open their doors. However, there is a large number of places on Galle’s face and many others will open their branches very soon means it will be one of the best places for buying jewelry in Sri Lanka. There are many dozens of shops in the Galle face one selling cloth, cosmetics, jewellery, handicrafts, and many many more…

Duty-free shopping in Sri Lanka

The duty-free shops at the transit & Departure Lounge of the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake has an extensive range of well-known brands of liquor, hi-fi equipment, wristwatches, cameras, films, perfumes, cosmetics, electrical appliances, cigarette lighters, and souvenirs.

Payment is accepted only in Foreign Currency. Passengers arriving in Sri Lanka could also buy their requirements of duty-free liquor from the duty-free counter which is situated after the immigration checkpoint.

10 best shopping places in Colombo

  1. ODEL
  2. House of Fashion
  3. Barefoot
  4. Laksala
  5. Lakmedura
  6. Galle Face 1
  7. Cotton Collection
  8. Leather Collection
  9. Majestic City
  10. Uptown Kandy

Why you should book a Sri Lanka shopping tour with Serendipity tours?

Serendipity Tour is an entirely locally owned travel company with a head office in Colombo. The highly experienced local staff is a key strength of Serendipity Tours, and they can plan your dream holiday to Sri Lanka.

The best price guaranteed for your Sri Lanka trip

When you book a tour with Serendipity Tours, you directly book the tour with the local company, which means there are no middlemen and therefore you can guarantee the best price. Simply get in touch with us and let us know when you travel and what you like to see.

Plan your best Sri Lanka trip with-expert

Our staff makes a personalised program for you, which you can change until you find the best Sri Lanka trip package for you. Visit www.sirilaktours.com to browse our existing tour packages, which you can customise to meet all your expectations. Write to us at admin@seerendipitytours.com, tel. 0094-77-440977, WhatsApp 0094-77-4440977.

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