Shopping Trip

The traditional Sri Lankan shop, the kade or boutique (a corruption of a Portuguese word), examples are still plentiful in rural areas. The most basic are constructed of wooden boarding, with a window counter through which the proprietor conducts business.

Sri Lanka is known for its spices, its colorful textiles, its timeless antiquities and its marvelous jewelry. Walking along the walled fort area you come across some amazing shops and people selling exquisite stuff. A mind boggling collection of antiques which includes sofa sets, bed, cutlery, furnishing table and glassware. They restore old furniture as well make new one for you. You can have it shipped to any part of the world. While you walk along the main street make a note to step in to Dutch market occupied by fruit stales, flower arcades and just to remember the vegetable market is just a walking distance from there.

Sri Lanka's wide variety of very attractive handicrafts can be found throughout the area in shops, street stalls and government-run stores housing traditional Sri Lankan masks carved from kaduru wood, paintings & batiks with intricate Sri Lankan motifs dyed into the wax-offset fabric. Jewellery fashioned from Sri Lanka's famous gems & moonstones.

Sri Lanka has long been famous for its crafts, particularly lace making and embroidery, much of which is centered on the Galle region in the south of the country. This has traditionally been a lace making area ever since the Portuguese introduced the skill in the 15th century, when royalty and the aristocracy adorned themselves with lace and embroidery as symbols of their wealth and power.

Handlooms with many up to date designs suitable for modern living, include shirting, saris, sarongs, toys and especially upholstery materials. Shopping in Galle is amazing even though you don't buy anything.