Sri Lanka is a shopper’s paradise. Once upon a time, it was famous with Indians for garment shopping. Odel was a must-visit destination that had to be a part of the Sri Lanka itinerary. However, during my two visits to the island of Sri Lanka, I discovered so many Souvenirs that you can pick up in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Souvenirs come in all price ranges to suit all kinds of budgets.
Let me begin with the most attractive one & potentially the most expensive one. Sri Lanka is home to many gemstone mines, specially moonstone mines. I visited one moonstone mine and it was fascinating to see the gems being mined, sorted, cut, polished and fitted into metal to make lovely jewelry. There was no way I could have come back without picking up some moonstones from there.
You can buy gems anywhere in Sri Lanka. Most tourist areas like Unawatuna and Kandy are full of big and small gem stores. There are many museums where they showcase the mining process through a film and give you basic information about gems. You are then spoilt for choices to choose from.
Bargain hard even at high-end showrooms.
1. Ceylon Tea
The Ceylon tea has always been famous. It is an easy Sri Lanka Souvenir to pick for who does not appreciate some fine tea. You can visit the tea gardens in the central Sri Lanka, visit the tea factories and choose your tea flavor.
Every time I go to a tea growing region, I pick up my supply for next 2 months. In Sri Lanka, you can find nicely packed tea from all souvenir shops or anywhere in the market.
Dilmah is the most popular tea brand from Sri Lanka.
2. Porcelain Tableware
Do you know that Noritake – the world famous Japanese porcelain products are made in Sri Lanka? You can get them at a very reasonable price either at their factory outlet or at their huge showroom at Colombo. You can also find their products at multi-brand showrooms like Odel.
My kitchen still has the dinner set that I picked up in Sri Lanka during my last visit good 12 years back. Legend is that Mrs. Ambani also visited Sri Lanka to pick up her tableware when she was furnishing her new home in Mumbai.
3. Cinnamon Sticks
Sri Lanka grows almost all spices that South India does – for the weather is similar. However, do you know that Sri Lanka is the biggest exporter of Cinnamon? So, my pick of all the spices here is Cinnamon. This time I picked up cinnamon sticks the one that looks like delicate scrolls.
You can pick up lovely packs of multiple spices or just the cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon powder is available too, but I prefer the sticks.
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