Joanna James
Colombo is certainly the best venue for shopping in Sri Lanka. The city is home to huge shopping malls, designer boutiques and speciality stores that deal with authentic souvenirs. Here's the best.
One of Colombo's premier malls; Majestic City is a multi-story building that offers air conditioned comforts and loads of shopping experience. You can scour the many shops and stock up on some of the best goodies in Asia. There are designer perfume stores, local designer clothing and shoes, a myriad of accessory stores and shops selling the latest in electronics. The place is also well known for acquiring the latest video games and new-fangled toys. You have the convenience of an on-site supermarket as well as a large food court, offering cuisine from across the globe together with fresh juices and desserts. There's a kiddie's zone and games arcade making 'MC' a favoured hangout for locals as well as tourists. The multi-screen cinema shows the latest blockbusters and adds to the mall's repertoire as a top shopping and entertainment destination. Majestic City is in Colombo 4 and easily accessible from any well located Colombo hotel.
Liberty Plaza sits in central Colombo 3; just a hop step and a jump away from some of the top 5 star hotels in Colombo. It is a few minutes from Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, the huge Beira Lake precinct; and sits right opposite the Liberty Cinema for catching the latest movies in Sinhala, Hindi or English. There you have a variety of shops dealing in fashion wear for men and women as well as some exclusive designer boutiques selling both local and international labels. You can shop for branded watches, shoes and accessories as well as some of the best creations in gold at the 'LP' jewellery stores. There are a number of cell phone shops offering repairing services, accessories for just about any model and the latest version mobile phones. LP too has a large food court where you can taste the delights of rice and curry or opt for a quick slice of pizza.
The Laksala outlets located around the city will prove to be quite fascinating. They stock up on the best quality handicrafts sourced from across the country. Each outlet has a section dedicated to unique handmade creations in wood, coconut husk, coir, leather, clay, batik and silver. The intricate silverware is quite impressive and covers a range of options such as island shaped trays and classy silver tea sets. There is also a range of children's educational toys created from colourful wood, beads and cloth. Shop for local drums, clothing, tablecloths, furniture from leather, masks, mats, key tags, pencils, semi-precious stone encrusted jewellery, ornaments, traditional cooking utensils, wall hangings and much more.
The Crescat arcade too is a shopping mall home to a variety of designer stores as well as a nail spa, salon, bookshop and large food court. Towards the end of the week, the food court is known to have live music as entertainment to the throngs of crowd dining at the many kiosks located there. There is also a supermarket at this mall which does well in stocking up on goodies from overseas in order to cater to the taste buds of Colombo's large expat community.
Budget shopping at its best is available at House of Fashion. Located in Colombo 8 this huge department store is categorized as women's wear, men's wear, kidswear, homeware, electronics and a range of winter garments, shoes, accessories, toys, toiletries and other nick knacks.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
