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The Best Places to Go Shopping in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Teaeli Tea Experience / Photo by author
Teaeli Tea Experience / Photo by author

Sri Lanka has always been famous for its beautiful handlooms, precious gems and Ayurvedic treatments. Younger generations have taken the knowledge they inherited and have now created beautiful products for visitors and Sri Lankans alike. From colourful and modern house linen to resplandecent sapphire rings, Colombo Sri Lanka has plenty of goodies to take home.

When arriving in Sri Lanka, or on your way out, take a day or two and do some shopping in Colombo. Get some jewellery for your mom, natural skin products for your sister, a sarong for your uncle and much more!

Barefoot Garden Cafe and Shop

The breezy Barefoot Garden Cafe on Galle Road in Bambalapitiya is a favourite in Colombo. Barefoot’s main production consists of handwoven silk and cotton clothing made in classic Sri Lankan styles with some interesting twists. The shop also has a great book section with plenty of literature about Sri Lanka, for both kids and adults. There is also a lovely assortment of jewellery, toys, and home supplies.

Barefoot Garden Cafe and Shop, 704, Galle Rd, Colombo 0112 589 305
Sri Lankan hand loom weavers making beautiful placemats for a tropical wedding ??? . . . . . . . . . . #weaversofinstagram #weavegoals #handloom #weddingtabledecor #colourpop #colour #srilanka #peacockpictures #barefootsrilanka #destinationwedding #destinationweddingvideographer #liveauthentic #loveauthentic #handcraft #supportlocal #momentdriven #storytelling #storytellers #travel #srilankanwedding #bohemian #style #lovelustlist #romance #love #paradise @barefootceylon @srilankastreetstyle @theluxlife.srilanka
A post shared by Peacock Pictures ? ? (@peacockpictures.co) on Mar 29, 2017 at 9:48am PDT

Paradise Road

Shop

Another amazing shop for special home products is Paradise Road. Apart from gorgeous minimalistic house linen, their hand-painted mugs and plates are a favourite. Their canvas bags printed with the Sinhala alphabet and woven pillow covers are also beautiful. On the second floor, you’ll find a room filled with only white dinner plates and bowls.

Good Market

Market, Market, Shop

The Good Market is the best shop in the city as it sells all sorts of organic products, from snacks, to produce and skin and hair treatments. All products are sourced locally and follow strict organic guidelines. Every Saturday, the Good Market sets up a pop-up market at the Colombo Racecourse with lots of vendors, such as small business owners, that sell handmade products from all over the island.

TEAELI Tea Experience

Park

The newest tea experience in Sri Lanka is called TEAELI. Handcrafted blends, like the innovative After Dinner Mint or the Almond Truffle, can be taken home in little jars that are measured and packed on the spot. All jars are signed by the Brew Master who prepares your package. The TEAELI Loose Leaf Tea Bar at Park Street Gourmet has everything you need to make that perfect cup of tea. If you are looking for a more in-depth Tea Experience, TEAELI offers tea tastings and master brewing classes for groups of at least two people. For an unforgettable experience, tea lovers can be flown via helicopter to a tea estate in the highlands for a tea tasting feast. Contact TEALIfor more information.

Dilmah T-Lounge

Dilmah is one of the most famous teas in Sri Lanka and they have a couple of shops in Colombo where they sell all of their tea varieties. From the classic English Breakfast to Earl Grey, Dilmah offers an extensive collection of loose leaf tea and pyramid tea bags. Not only do they have the largest selection of teas in Colombo, they also sell books published by the Dilmah foundation. You can find books about Sri Lankan birds, butterflies and more. The gift boxes are perfect for taking back home, along with their special coloured sand clocks to make the perfect tea.

The Design Collective

Contemporary fashion designers in Colombo are an ever-growing group of talented artists and they are coming together to open boutiques where they can show off their creations. Not only is the Design Collective a retail space that showcases designers from Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, it is also a creative space to experience art and design.

Indi & Co

Shop

Indi & Co is the newest installment of collective shops by fashion designers. Contemporary designer Indi opened ICO as a place to showcase her designs, as well as other designers from Sri Lanka. Find unique pieces and special edition collections at Indi & Co.

Kemara

Natural skin care and hair products are easy to find in Sri Lanka. Ayurvedic treatments are part of the island’s culture and Kemara has taken that into account in order to create a range of wonderful body care products.

Kemara, No. 14 Reid avenue, Colombo 0112 696 498
Relax the mind | Renew the body | Revive the soul Visit us @ no.14, Reid avenue, Colombo 7 And make your lovely day more relaxing ? #Kemara #kemaralife #spa #SriLankan #srilankandiaries #travelsrilanka #spasrilanka #bestspa #wellness #wellnesstreatments #healing #colombolife #colombo #visitus #kemarafamily
A post shared by Kemara (@kemaralife) on Dec 19, 2016 at 9:03pm PST

Jewel Arena

There are hundreds of gem shops in Colombo and Jewel Arena is one of the best. With a large collection of jewellery that comes in many different styles, you can be sure that all the gems are mined in Sri Lanka and turned into beautiful pieces to take back home.

About the author

As Self Proclaimed Renaissance Nomad, I spend my time as a Freelance Writer and Graphic Designer. I Slow Travels the world with my family while Worldschooling our children on the go. I am the creator of the Crazy Little Family Adventure Blog where I share the stories of traveling as a family. I love good coffee and the mountainside. Check out my antics on my website: www.oranavelarde.com

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