Shopping
Batiks
Another souvenir of southern Sri Lanka is a batik garment or wall-hanging. The art of batik-making was imported from Indonesia by the Dutch in the 16th century. Since then, the craft has developed a distinctive Sri Lankan flavour, a charming character of its own. Batik is made using pure, natural fibres such as cotton, linen or silk. The fabric is waxed and dyed to create intricate patterns or scenes, some from the Jataka - a volume of folklore concerning the previous lives of the Buddha. A dazzling 20m-long batik is used to decorate the elephant carrying the casket of the Sacred Tooth Relic during the annual Kandy Esala Perahara.
Gems and Jewellery
Once you have sated your appetite at the shopping malls, watch out for the jewellery shops. Around 800BC the Romans incorporated rubies obtained from the island in their jewellery. Later on the islanders realized that they were missing out on the value addition of gems, so they became some of the finest jewellers in the world.
Handicraft
Woodwork takes pride of place with many intricately carved figurines, plaques and trays; while brass, silver and mixed metal is used to make beautiful mirrors, picture frames, letter openers and serviette rings. There.s also leather-work like wallets, purses and belts, and reed-work like mats, food baskets,and shopping bags that are enchanting in their simplicity. In addition, check out the elegant wall-hangings that are made in Dumbara near Kandy.
Ayurveda / Wellness
Sri Lanka has always been a place that refreshes not just the mind and body, but also the soul and spirit. And for thousands of years, the most popular method used to restore and rejuvenate tired bodies and weary souls has been Ayurveda . the oldest and most holistic medical system available in the world. Based on indigenous Indian medicine, it draws not only on a deep understanding of physiology, but also elements of philosophy, psychology and spirituality. It was so influential that traditional Tibetan Chinese medicine and Greek medicine embraced many of the concepts introduced by Ayurveda.
Legend has it that in the 6th century BC, a certain Prince Vijaya was banished from his India kingdom, sailed to Sri Lanka, and became the island.s first king. He was skilled in the practice of Ayurveda, and so, together with his personal physician, introduced it to the island. Over the years, yurveda incorporated elements from similar indigenous Sri Lankan treatments to become the fusion of forms it is today.
Entertainments
Most visitors are delighted at the enormous variety of delicious food available. There are speciality restaurants and star class hotels which cater to regional and continental food.
You can usually choose freshly prepared seafood delicacies along the coast and traditional Sri Lankan and Indian dishes as well as Continental, Chinese and sometimes even Thai and Japanese options. Rice and curry are the staple main course, while hoppers and string hoppers are Sri Lankan specialties. The desserts often made from rice and coconut can be excessively sweet. The local palm treacle ladled over fresh buffalo milk curd is delicious. A wide variety of delicious tropical fruit grows throughout the year, pineapple, papaya and banana being particularly good.
Dining out in Colombo is world-class. Fresh seafood is abundantly available, whether its in refined dining settings like Lagoon, or relaxed and informal at the thatched-roof, no-frills Wadiya, which has played host to royalty and sports stars over the years - with the signatures in the guestbook to prove it. There are also restaurants that serve every kind of cuisine imaginable from French and Italian, to Japanese, Indian and Thai. Eating out is a favourite Colombo pastime and new restaurants open all the time.
Night Life
Colombo has many bars and clubs featuring very reasonable bands playing western rock, pop and jazz, as well as DJ�s playing the latest house, hip-hop and R&B tunes. Naturally, peak activity is at weekends, but every night of the week there is usually some attraction.
Meditation
Meditation involves the self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind. Most meditative techniques emerged from Eastern religious practices, particularly Sri Lanka, India, China, and Japan.
Aimed at cleansing the mind of impurities such as hatred, ill will, indolence, worries and cultivating qualities such as concentration, will power, energy, self confidence, mental happiness, contentment and peace of mind, meditation centres could help a person achieve the required happiness and achieve mental peace.
Sri Lanka practices many forms/ types of meditation. The most popular form of meditation practiced is the �Vipassana� which means �Insight�. The other form is known as �Samatha� or �Samadhi�, which is mainly the development of mental concentration. A visitor of any religious belief could practice methods of meditation.
Visit Tea Factory
If you are intent on buying Ceylon Tea it is important to understand the perfection needed in its processing, the specific manner in which it is graded and assessed. The best way to achieve this is through a visit to a tea plantation, specifically a tea factory, which can easily be arranged.
There are several ways in which to purchase Sri Lanka�s most celebrated gift to the world, Ceylon Tea. If your tour of the island takes in a tea plantation, then there is no better place to buy than at source. The packaging and labelling may be minimal, but the fresh taste is guaranteed to be phenomenal. However, it is also possible to buy unblended estate teas in Colombo. And you can always buy tea at the airport just before your departure.
One of the main visual impressions of Sri Lanka�s hill country taken home by travellers is the sight of Tamil women plucking tea clad in brightly clad saris. It is said that only small and agile feminine hands, and the patience of the female temperament, can achieve high yield plucking. However, this is incidental, for the sociological and economic reasons behind the tradition of women pluckers are more significant.
The fact remains that plucking tea requires specific skills, in particular dexterity. The women move between the tea plants, which are spaced roughly one metre apart and regularly pruned to a height of one and a half metres, to aid plucking. With amazing swiftness and precision they gather with both hands only the youngest and topmost leaves by snapping the stem with a sharp movement of the index and middle fingers.
