Souvenirs
The commodity most famously associated with Sri Lanka is tea – or more precisely Ceylon tea. Indeed, the country is the world’s third largest producer of tea. If you wish to purchase the finest, freshest tea – black, green or white – visit an estate and witness how the green leaves are processed to become the product you encounter in the kitchen. Similarly, Sri Lanka’s renowned spices – cinnamon, cardamom, cloves – should be purchased at a spice garden.
There are plentiful traditional handicrafts made of silver, brass, wood, leather and cane. Sri Lanka possesses 45 of the world’s 80 gems – the widest variety of any gem producing country – rubies, sapphires, cat’s eyes, alexandrite, garnets, moonstones, topaz, aquamarines, amethysts, and zircons among them. A visit to one of Colombo’s air-conditioned shopping malls will bring to light fantastic bargains on clothes and shoes manufactured for export.
And there’s much in between. Visit a handicraft shop and familiarize yourself with traditional designs such as the makara (a mythical animal), lion, swan, elephant and lotus motifs which are most evident in brass work (boxes, trays, lanterns, vases) and silverware (ornately carved jewellery and tea-sets) that make excellent souvenirs. In addition, ritual masks, lacquer ware, batik and handloom textiles, lace, and wood carvings are popular.
