Sri Lanka Shopping Tips by llcole

Island Spice Grove: ayurvedic treatments

This place sells ayurvedic oils and spices, and also offers treatments (head massage, body massage, steam). They also tour you around the garden, showing how things grow and what their ayurvedic uses are.

The actual massage facilities are pretty primitive by western standards. The massage was good, though, and I really found the steam treatment relaxing.

What to buy: I loved the flavor of the spice tea they sell here. Also the cocoa tea.

What to pay: You could spend quite a bit at one of these places. They take credit cards.

Address: 25 Utuwankanda, Mawanella

Directions: On the road from Colombo to Kandy (close to Kandy).

Phone: 0094-35-41637

Theme: Bath and Beauty

Matching Centre: Shopping for saris

This was one of about 6 or 7 shops in a row that all sold saris. We don't know if our guide (in the picture, on the left) knew the proprietors of this one, or if he had only been there before.

What to buy: This shop had lots of sari materials of differing quality, along with some other dresses and blouses, etc.

What to pay: The sari material itself ended up costing about US$10-$12 per sari, although there were some materials that were less expensive. Expect to pay another US$3-5 to have a blouse made to order (we had them made at another location, close to our hotel in Negombo).

Address: 162/S. Main Street, Colombo 11, Sri Lanka

Directions: opposite Khann Clock Tower, in the Pettah area

Phone: 424742

Theme: Women's Clothes