When you’re visiting a new country on holiday, your number one priority is to take in as much of the culture, the attractions and adventure that is available in that country. Of course you will try and document your holiday with as many pictures as you can get (or just a few special ones). But once the holiday is done and you’re about to come back home, you realize that your friends and loved ones may not be satisfied with all the Facebook, Instagram or Twitter posts about your trip… they’ll be waiting for a souvenir from this new exotic place you visited! Or YOU might feel like the pictures are not enough and you need something a bit more tangible to hold on to the memories of your fabulous holiday.
Don’t fret, we have put together the 10 best souvenirs you can take home to remind you of the wonders of Sri Lanka, the paradise island.
Tea:
Although this list is not in any order, Tea is definite the number one souvenir you can take back from Sri Lanka. Ceylon, as it was called in the colonial times is world renowned for its tea. There’s various different varieties and flavours to choose from. To make it even more special, you can try to find a tea from a place you may have visited, like for example, Nuwara Eliya.
Where to find it: you can find tea pretty much everywhere in Sri Lanka. I personally tend to buy my tea (even for gifting) from the supermarket. But if you want to buy from professionals, I would suggest places like the Dilma Tea Lounge or the Sri Lanka Tea Board shop.
Spices:
One of the reasons the Europeans and British came to Sri Lanka was in search of the elusive, expensive and very exclusive Ceylon Cinnamon. Spices were therefore a very big deal in this small island and they still are. You will never forget Sri Lankan spices after you have tasted some Sri Lankan food! So how ideal would it to be take some of that flavor back home.
Where to find it: again I would suggest the supermarket, the spice section gives you a wide array of spices you can choose from (ex. Turmeric, Pepper, Chilie, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves etc.). Many of the souvenir shops also carry spices in cute packaging in case all you want is to display the spices. You could also try some of the bigger stores like Laksala or Odel.
Elephant souvenirs:
It would be impossible to not have seen an elephant in Sri Lanka, whether in the wild or tamely being walked on the road by its mahout.
Where to find it: pretty much everywhere. I would suggest Paradise Road shop for funky elephant gifts.
Ceramics:
Sri Lanka may not be world famous for its ceramics but there are some really classy ceramics that are made in Sri Lanka with some interesting designs, incorporating local culture.
Where to find it: the Noritake store from some classy ceramics and the Paradise Road shop for some more alternative products.
Devil masks:
The devil mask is a traditional wooden mask used in rituals in the south of Sri Lanka (mainly Ambalangoda). There rituals are meant to ward off evil spirits, which might be a good reason to take one home.
Where to find it: again, these are pretty popular and you can find it in many places. I would suggest Laksala which has a wide choice of designs.
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