13. Garments
Pay your mandatory visit to Odel and other Sri Lankan stores for world famous garments of Sri Lanka. I picked up a lot of them last visit but this visit there was not enough time for garment shopping.
14. Elephant Art
The elephant is the most popular motif in Sri Lanka. It should be for the country is full of elephants. You can find animals in all kinds of materials to carry back. Across the country, you can meet elephants in the jungles, so they obviously find their way into Sri Lankan Souvenir shops.
15.Gems & Jewelry
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.
- Soft toys in cotton – great souvenirs for small kids
- Elephants in Gem Stones – for the connoisseurs
- Elephants in Elephant Bone – Yes, you can have elephants sculpted from the bones of an elephant
- Wood Carved Elephants – elephant motif is common in wood carving of Sri Lanka
- Elephant Fridge Magnets – There is one sitting proudly on my fridge
- Elephant poo paper is also very commonly available in souvenir shops in Sri Lanka
Shopping Tips for Sri Lanka Souvenirs
- Always remember to bargain hard in Sri Lanka. Rates quoted are manifold of the actual rate. There is no way to know the best rate but try your best.
- Laksala – a government emporium with branches all over the country and specifically at tourist locations is a fixed price shop offering a wide range of Sri Lanka Souvenirs.
- There are stores like Barefoot where you can get lovely designer souvenirs to pick – I found them a bit pricey though.
Most of these Sri Lanka Souvenirs mentioned in this post can be bought at Colombo Airport Departure Lounge as well. Of course, they are priced a bit higher & bargaining is a bit difficult here though do not rule that out.
Recommend you read following Places to visit in Sri Lanka.
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