Colombo
Designer Barbara Sansoni’s beautifully laid out shop, located in an old villa, is justly popular for its bright hand-loomed textiles, which are fashioned…
Must-see shopping in Sri Lanka
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Galle
Beautiful lacework made right here. The shop teaches local women dyeing crafts and ensures them a fair price for their work. Even if you’re not buying,…
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Galle
Super-stylish reproduction posters (Rs 3000) and postcards (Rs 350) covering Sri Lanka through the decades. Many of the beautiful vintage airline images…
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Galle
Specialist tea store with an amazing range of top-quality green teas, white teas, Ceylon garden teas, blended teas and single-estate teas. There's no hard…
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Colombo
An engrossing treasure of a store selling antiques, old photos, art, books and more in a genteel, wood-panelled setting. Also has a busy photo studio.
Colombo
A high-profile department store that combines international and local brands in one glitzy labyrinth. From fashions to homewares to cosmetics and gift…
Kandy
Wacky T-shirts, tacky tourist goods, kitsch flip-flops and some good souvenirs: this shop under the arcades of the Queens Hotel has the lot.
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Colombo
Another massive restoration of a colonial landmark. In this case, the sprawling colonial 'hospital for the insane' has been reborn as an upscale mall…
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The Ancient Cities
This batik factory and showroom is a great place to see the batik-making process, from the drawing of the designs and multistage dyeing of cloth to the…
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Colombo
In addition to a variety of colonial and Sri Lankan collectables, you’ll find a vast selection of original homewares and designer items in this crammed-to…
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Kandy
The Buddhist Publication Society, on the lakeside 400m northeast of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, is a nonprofit charity that distributes the…
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Jaffna
Jaffna’s colourful fruit and vegetable market is west of the bus stand, but the greater market area encompasses several bustling blocks beyond that,…
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Galle
An eclectic, interesting store where most of the clothing, jewellery, bags, toys and gifts are designed in-house, made from locally sourced materials, and…
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Colombo
Fairtrade goods made on local handlooms are the main items for sale here; the inventory spans all forms of housewares and is colorful and stylish. The big…
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Colombo
Colombo's legendary multistorey surplus outlet for the nation’s garment industry is actually a tad upscale. It has unbeatable textile and clothing prices,…
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Colombo
Stocks a comprehensive collection of foreign and local novels, magazines and pictorial tomes on Sri Lanka. There's a second branch in Crescat Boulevard.
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Colombo
Sri Lanka’s top tea brand has its own posh shops, including this outlet in glitzy Odel. A second branch is located in Crescat Boulevard.
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Kandy
Fine batik clothing and homeware (bedspreads and wall hangings) in modern, artistic styles created by designer Upali Jayakody. It's on the upper floor of…
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Kandy
About 2km southwest of the centre, this warren of an antique shop is a fine place to root around for old masks, jewellery, coins, textiles, maps and art…
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Galle
Chic boutique selling colourful local clothing, jewellery, linen and rugs, crafts and gifts. The book section has an excellent selection of Sri Lanka…
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Kandy
Fair-trade textiles, clothing (including saris, sarongs and shirts) and jewellery made of recycled fabric, paper and other materials.
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Colombo
Every Sunday morning the broad avenue Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha south of Viharamahadevi Park comes alive with colour as local artists display their…
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Colombo
Cashews were brought by the Portuguese to Sri Lanka from Brazil in the 16th century. They’ve clearly found the climate agreeable as the nuts are now a…
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Kandy
Has a selection of books on the Ancient Cities for sale. Kandy, by Dr Anuradha Seneviratna, is an informative guide to the city’s heritage. Also available…
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Ratnapura Gem Bureau, Museum & Laboratory
The Hill Country
This reputable place to purchase gems adopts a relatively low-pressure approach to sales. There’s a good display of local minerals and precious stones, as…
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Colombo
Part of a large government-run chain of arts-and-crafts shops popular with groups, Laksala offers cheap carved elephants, well-crafted handicrafts and…
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Colombo
A huge store good for replacing almost anything you left at home. Imported foods (get your Marmite here), cosmetics, sunscreen, a pharmacy, travel gadgets…
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Galle
A vast Aladdin’s cave of antique furniture and perfect reproduction pieces are among the treasures you’ll find in this Dutch colonial house. There’s also…
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Colombo
This stylish designer shop on the trendy stretch of Stratford Ave sells everything from candles to coffee tables. Gift items pegged to the season are…
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Colombo
One-stop tea shopping: this large but unflashy shop has many of the smaller brands of Ceylon tea that can be hard to find. It also has most of the top…
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Colombo
The place for mass-produced carved elephants in bulk so you can show everyone back home you care. Traditional souvenirs are sold in profusion and this…
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Colombo
The fashion branch of the Paradise Road design conglomerate is run by Annika Fernando and is housed with her sister Saskia Fernando's eponymous gallery…
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Jaffna
Great little open-front tailor shop in the heart of the market. The talented guys here will mend clothing worn out by your touring while you wait. They…
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Ella
This fair-trade tea shop (selling leaves rather than cups of tea) helps local tea-estate children. It donates 5% of all money made to community projects…
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Colombo
This high-end tea boutique offers a great selection of top-quality Ceylon tea, house-brand teas and tea-making wares. There's a second outlet in Majestic…
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Kandyan Art Association & Cultural Centre
Kandy
Worth browsing for good-quality local lacquerware, brassware and other craft items. There are some craftspeople working on the spot. Prices are slightly…
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Colombo
There's plenty of goods here made from the namesake material, as well as cool cotton. Refit your wardrobe with a new bright and comfy tropical look.
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Kandy
The works of local and Colombo-based artists are displayed and sold here. It also sells a range of organic jams made in the hills surrounding Kandy.
