Bathik items are some of the most popular buys in Sri Lanka, its cheap, its lightweight, easy to pack and carry and most of all its beautiful. Batik items comes in various forms like shirts, sarongs, wall hangings, table clothes and as ladies wraps and dresses. These are really colorful items perfect for wearing in tropical countries which is why you will find many tourists wearing those. Batik wall hangings are also popular because the capture some of the things most unique to Sri Lanka. Wall hangings of the Kandy Perahera, Kandyan dancers, Elephants and Sigiriya wall paintings are some of the top picks when it comes to Batik wall hangings. These are made out of cotton, washable and durable making it a wise investment.

Most popular furniture among the tourists is the Dutch and British era reproductions.

Sri Lanka's rich heritage with a blend of Asian and European influences extends to furniture and object d'art. There are several antique shops where antique Colonial period furniture to ornaments, Moorish porcelain, brass lamps and pottery can be purchased. Ambalangoda and Galle Fort are the most famous for antiques. There are several shops in Colombo as well where prices are somewhat higher than along the west coast.

Gemstones are the most sought after tourist item in Sri Lanka. From ancient times Sri Lanka has being renowned for its high quality gems fit for royalty. One of the reasons for high demand for Sri Lankan gems is that you can get a high quality product for a very low cost compared to countries like US and UK. Since gems and birthstone jewelry are expensive items the difference in cost is vast and buying it in Sri Lanka saves you a lot of money. Rough uncut diamonds can be bought around half the price compared to US,UK markets and prices of cut and polished diamonds can be ten times high in the UK. If you are buying jewelry with gems embedded in them the variation in price is even higher. So it is not surprising that gems are in high demand. Because of this high demand you will find few crooked salesman prying upon gullible tourists. The government has taken strict measures to cut down cheating and protect the tourists. There are gem testing centers in major cities popular for gem trading and since this is a considerable investment its advisable to get them tested for a price. If you can visit The National Gem and Jewelery Authority, they have test centers where you can get your gem tested for free. Another measure the government has taken to cut down on selling fake gems is licensing gem selling stores. If you are buying a gem in Sri Lanka it is always a good idea to buy from a licensed gem store. One of the best places to buy gems is the National Gem and Jewelery exchange in the world trade center, there are many shops there so you are sure to find somethings that matches your taste and because of the competition you can get a very reasonable price too. This is definitely a bit more expensive than buying from various other shops but you are guaranteed of quality and authenticity. The best and the most cheapest way is to buy it via a local who knows about gems. The trust factor plays a major part here but many foreign traders take this route because it is far more cheaper. A friendly chat with your hotels manager or someone you already know in Sri Lanka can lead you to such a guy, so always make sure to explore this option.

Take home a packet of world famous Ceylon Tea. You have the choice of savouring different blends of tea in a hill country tea factory and purchasing directly from estates such as Labookelle Tea Estate close to Nuwara Eliya, Bogawantalawa Tea Estates in Dickoya, Dambatanne Tea estate in Haputale, and the Tea Research Institute in Talawakelle. These teas are also marketed in specialist tea centres and grocery stores such as Cargills Food City and Keells Super in the main towns across the island. We highly recommend the world renowned Dilmah Teas and Mlesna Tea.

Sri Lanka is the world's second largest cinnamon exporter. This precious crop is grown in estates along the south coast. You can purchase fresh cinnamon from plantations in Mirissa as well as in Koggala where villagers process cinnamon on an island on the Koggala Lake. Various aromatic spices and condiments such as mixed curry powder, chili powder, saffron, turmeric, cloves and cinnamon can be purchased from the main grocery stores. Ma's spices are highly recommended.

Handicraft and silverware are another two items popular with tourists. When it comes to handicraft wooden masks ( devil masks ), wooden carving of Elephants, artwork done using tree roots ( "Ruk Kala" ), wooden wall hangings, carved jewelery boxes are some of the most popular items. Elephants are like a symbol of Sri Lanka so you will find many tourists buying those and you will find various beautifully carved Elephant statues. These items can be found in almost any tourist attraction site and in major cities like Colombo, Kandy, Dambulla and Galle. Usually it is much cheaper to buy them near tourists attraction rather than buying them in shops in Colombo and other major cities. There are cities and towns specialized for different kind of handicrafts ( eg :- wooden masks -> Ambalangoda ), so if you can visit one of those cities or villages then you can buy it much cheaper. When it comes to silverware and brass items brass elephants, wall hangings and jewelery boxes are considered top buys. Kandy is the best place to visit if you want to buy silverware and you can get them for a much cheaper price too. Although not as common as wooden and straw handicrafts you can find them near major tourist attractions too.

Traditional arts & crafts are produced in different parts of the island as home based cottage industries where intricate skills are passed down in generations. These crafts are best purchased from the villages where you can observe how they are produced. You can also purchase these crafts from the government run Laksala outlets in Colombo and Kandy or Lakpahana in Colombo.

Sri Lanka is one of the largest exporters of finished garments in the world and you can buy clothes at a very reasonable price in Sri Lanka. Although Sri Lanka is a tropical country where there is no need for winter clothing,I have seeing tourists who buy winter clothing from Sri Lankan shops. The number of clothes shops in Colombo area is unbelievable and you are sure to find something to match you in those shops. Odel is one of the top places visited by tourists for clothes and other accessories shopping because they offer top quality branded clothes for a reasonable price. If you are looking to buy something truly Sri Lankan you can buy hand woven clothes at various shops, specially set up targeting tourists in mind, and usually they cost a bit more in those shops. House of Fashion is another good place to visit because they have all types of clothes under one roof, including winter clothing.

Laksala: The state run-handicrafts emporium in Sri Lanka is called Laksala and has a number of branches all over the country. The one in Colombo is the biggest and the best and is located on 60 York Street. It is open from 09:00 in the morning to 17:00 in the evening. On Saturdays it closes an hour earlier and is closed all day on Sundays. You can pick up anything here and objects made from brass and silverware, wooden artifacts, buffalo horn, natural fibres, and even rush and reed abound. There are also products made from coconut shells, cane, and bamboo as well as toys, pottery, artificial flowers and costume Jewellery.

Majestic City: The main shopping mall on Galle Road is the multi-storey Majestic City in Bambalapittiya. Most shoppers escape the heat of central Colombo by entering its air conditioned portals. There is a cinema on the top floor and a food court in the basement as well as a whole lot of varied shops in between. These sell everything from CD's, DVD's, books, clothes, and linen. You can even find a couple of internet cafes there.

Odel: Odel is located at 5 Alexander Place on Lipton Circus in Colombo 7 area. It is Sri Lanka's best-known branded garment factory outlet. Here, you'll find garments from international houses like Gap, DKNY,and George, but the labels are removed. It is a classy departmental store that features clothes, accessories, jewelry, shoes, bags, cosmetics, home ware, tea, books, watches, sunglasses, chocolates and candy, toiletries, and a whole lot more. There is an ice cream parlor, hair salon and florist present as well. All in all it's a true shopping experience.

The Barefoot Gallery: Odel's closest competition would come from the Barefoot Gallery which is located at 706 Galle Road in Colombo. Although it is not quite the same scale and has less to offer, it is worth visiting with a range of handloom products. Very cheerful, colourful and creative designs grace the handmade artifacts. You can pick up toys, notebooks bound in handloom fabrics, hand-painted wooden boxes, tote bags, skirts and blouses, costume jewelry, table linen and even bed linen.

Cargills Food City: Cargills Food City is rated the third most valuable Brand in Sri Lanka and the most valued Retail Brand in the island according to research conducted by Brand Finance Lanka. Cargills Food City has been recognized for its innovation in taking super marketing to the masses. It has also earned the highest Brand Equity in the Asia Pacific region, with NTUC Fair Price Singapore coming second according to the 2004 survey on Shopper Trends by ACNielsen. On average, 1 transaction is recorded every second at a Cargills Food City outlet in Sri Lanka. Today Cargills Food City is the fastest growing retail network in Sri Lanka spread across 17 districts, topping 120 branches. On average, these outlets record almost 3 million transactions per month. Being the only retail network with its own out-grower network Cargills Food City is proud of its ability to give the highest possible price to suppliers even as it provides nutritious high quality goods to the consumer at the lowest possible price.

Crescat Boulevard: Crescat Boulevard is one of the finest up market shopping malls in Colombo. The retail shops are high-end offering visitors the shopping complex the choice of some of the best products that are on offer in the market. Crescat Boulevard is also known as simply 'Crescat' may not be an enormous shopping mall but it definitely is an exciting place to shop. The most important feature of Crescat is its outstanding location. It lies adjacent to The Cinnamon Grand which is a contemporary and chic hotel situated in the heart of Colombo. The shopping mall is connected to the hotel and is positioned a mere 35 kilometres from the Bandaranaike International Airport.

House of Fashion: Popular with both foreigners and locals of every class of society, offering an enormous selection at very affordable prices. Besides clothing, it offers a large range of other items such as toys, sports goods, baby items, bath towels and mats, and even a greater choice for teenagers and adults. It is always a busy place but checkout is very fast and you cannot find a more affordable place.

Liberty Plaza: When it comes to Shopping in Sri Lanka, Liberty Plaza is a name that most certainly worth mentioning. It is a shopping complex located in Colombo 03; it offers a range of retail stores selling some attractive products at affordable prices. Liberty Plaza is a multi-storey shopping complex that is full of relatively small size stores selling a varied range of merchandise. A large number of stores sell goods that are targeted at women and sell ladies products such as clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics and other accessories. There are quite a number of stores for the gents as well however while children will simply adore the various toy shops and kiddies wear stores. The conveniently located Liberty Plaza attracts many customers due to its record stores that sell the latest in music albums and movies. These items generally come with very affordable price tags. This fully air-conditioned shopping complex also has a Mlesna Tea Counter and Tea Tang outlet where customers can purchase packaged Ceylon tea. Well-known retail outlets at Liberty Plaza include Cotton Collection, Leather collection, Lakehouse bookshop, Hameedias, Antonio, Stone and String Jewellers, and Alankara. There are also a small number of dining options available at Liberty Plaza that offer a variety of dining options.

Mondy: Also found in Colombo selling clothes with unbelievably low prices. The clothes choices here include office wears such as colored leggings, well-costumed attires, trousers, and everything that can be worn in the office. So for everyone looking for their office outfits, Mondy is the right place for you to go.

Olanda: At Olanda, you can chance upon some antique furniture. Retailers ship to anywhere in the world and also make fake antique furniture which is much cheaper. Of course as with everything else you need to negotiate well to get a good price but please note that shipping charges are more or less fixed and there's little you can do about them.

Pedlar Street: On Pedlar Street there are traditional Sri Lankan crafts and artifacts for sale. This includes paintings, hand-painted show pieces and other collectibles.

Gingota Silk Factory: Here you can pick up Sri Lankan silk of a better quality and cheaper than the shops in the Galle Fort region. Although in the fort you can also pick up batik, leather goods and even spices.

There are many shops in central Kandy selling antique jewelry and silver belts. Make sure that you bargain! There is also a government-run emporium called Lasala that showcases arts and crafts. It is located on the west side of Lake Kandy. It is not as well stocked as the one in Colombo but it is cheaper. You can also have a made-to-order Batik Wall hanging made at any of the factories that adjoin the shops. You can also pick up readymade batik clothes. Again, remember to go to a place which has a good reputation as you don't want the colour on your brand-new shirt to run on the very first wash. Naturally, considering that it is a tea-producing town you will have a number of local brands competing with international ones. You can pick up graded teas or some downright cheap ones at the local market. Take your pick; they also make great souvenirs for the folks back home. If you are interested in ancient temple paintings and statues or even some relatively modern replicas the best place to visit is Waruna Antiques. This outlet has masks, jewelry, materials and textiles. The owner Waruna and his Japanese wife Yumi are friendly and helpful. They also don't push hard for sales so you can enjoy browsing the shop and the conversation. It is located at 761, Peradeniya Road.

National Holiday Resort Complex is a good place to visit if you are looking for some specific bargains. Also there is a Monday market held weekly in Althugama from 07:30 in the morning to about 15:00 in the afternoon.

There is a persistent beach sales force at work trying to sell you everything from doormats to leather goods. The locals are very determined but certainly not rude or violent and for many of them this is the only means of supporting their families.

While the regular shopping items such as clothes, tea and knick-knacks are available you can also pick up some interesting jewelry in Negombo. The handmade pieces are often charming and there is something for every budget.

Given that the tea gardens literally surround the place one of the best souvenirs that you can get from Nuwara Eliya is Ceylon Tea. The tea factories generally offer different-sized packs that make it easy for you to buy tea as gifts and for personal consumption.

There are the usual tourist souvenir shops with a few worthwhile articles but make sure you bargain for every item that you buy; most of them will be overpriced to start with. Warm clothes (secondhand) are also available, in case you've forgotten to pack in the woolens.