Shopping in Sri Lanka: Souvenirs you must buy…

Part of the fun of travelling for many is always the shopping element in local souvenir shops. We have a few delights for you, with our favourites from Sri Lanka.

Gems

The king of Sri Lankan gems are blues sapphires and the most famous place to find these and other gems is the town of Ratnapura.  Ratnapura is the gem-mining capital of Sri Lanka and the best place to buy jewels as home to the country’s most well-known gem shops. Here you can find out how traditional gem-mining and how the stones are cut.

Batik

Batik making is a traditional, small scale industry that has grown up over the last hundred years. It is the island’s most visible craft with many galleries and factories to be found in tourist areas. Batik fabric is made by using a process of using molten wax and colourful dyes. Firstly, your design is applied on a plain piece of material, the next stage is to add molten wax ito the areas of the cloth that are not to be dyed. The cloth is then placed in the dye and washed once the dye has set. If more colours are needed then this process is repeated. Batiks use many colours and motifs, some are traditional while others highly contemporary and individual. Hikkaduwa’s Galle Road strip is full of small stalls selling batiks. The area of Mahawewa is famous for its batik factories. The batik material is used to make a wide variety of clothing such as dresses, sarongs, beachwear and shirts and many tourists in seaside resorts can be seen wearing batik clothes during their holiday. All kinds of batik items: table cloths, wall hangings, bed covers and clothing are popular to take home as reminders of Sri Lanka and make lovely gifts.

Tea

Sri Lanka was formerly known as Ceylon and the name Ceylon tea has remained and is appreciated around the world to this day. Sri Lanka is one of the biggest producers of tea in the world, is a major exporter and provides tourism opportunities with many specialist tours to the numerous tea plantations. The tea itself has a golden colour, a rich flavour and a strong aroma which is greatly favoured by many consumers of tea. Sri Lanka began producing tea in 1867 and it quickly gained a reputation as a high quality tea. Most Ceylon tea is grown in the highlands of the country and some of the luxury brands demand a high price. The Sri Lanka Tea Board brands genuine Ceylon tea with a stamp of a lion carrying a sword. This lion logo is only used

Since Ceylon tea is associated with quality, the Sri Lanka Tea Board brands genuine Ceylon tea with a stamp of a lion carrying a sword. This lion logo is only used on teas grown and packed in Sri Lanka, and the teas are also tested for quality to ensure that they adequately represent the tea heritage of Sri Lanka. Ceylon tea tastes best when brewed in loose-leaf form but tea bags are of course available. So if you want a high quality, luxury item to take home Ceylon tea will be a wonderful reminder of the landscape and history of Sri Lanka.

Handicrafts

Sri Lanka’s artisans produce a range of hand-crafted products using traditional skills to make leather goods, wooden carvings, silverware and jewellery. In the capital city Colombo the state run handicrafts emporium Laksala is a wonderful place to explore to find the perfect souvenir. You can find objects made from brass and silverware, wood, buffalo horn, natural fibres. Other handicrafts are made from coconut shells, cane, and bamboo as well as toys, pottery, artificial flowers and costume jewellery.

What is your favourite souvenir when travelling? we would love to hear about it.