If you want to go buy some stuff the traditional way (instead of online), here’s our brief guide, also available in YAMU Print 3.0.
Executive Summary
| For All |  Barefoot |
Barefoot has something for everyone. Books, toys, clothes, jewelry, tea, foodstuffs, etc. |  Paradise Road |
Paradise has the best home furnishings, candles, stuff like that. |
| Kids |  Milk & Honey |
Milk & Honey Cafe has a great kids selection in the back. Lots of good books and smart toys. |  Sarasavi Bookshop |
Sarasavi has a whole floor of kids books, some of which are big enough to pass for games. |
| Women |  Hewage’s |
Ridhi is the classic, but Hewage’s has lovely antique jewelry, if she’s into that sort of thing. |  Casa Serena |
This hidden wallawa on Havelock Rd has a nice, affordable ranges of scarves and lady gifts. |
| Men |  Lexon Gift Depot |
Lexon has cool corporate gifts (for women also) – clocks, pens, watches, some innovative stuff. |  Kiito |
Every man needs some decent clothes. Kiito does bespoke suits (16k+), trousers (3k), shirts, ties, etc. |
Gifts For All
Barefoot has something for everybody, but it ain’t cheapIf you need places with gifts of all sorts, Barefoot and Paradise Road are top of the line. They are, however, expensive.
Other options are the department stores, ODEL (most expensive), Cool Planet (mid-range), and House Of Fashions (mid to low).
Gifts For Kids
Milk And Honey has the bomb toys and booksFor kids, the best quality books and toys are at Milk & Honey (also a cafe) on Barnes Place. For toys we think one of the best bets may be happiness.lk, mentioned in our online Christmas guide. They deliver a lot of branded stuff fast.
To be the boring but essential relative that gives books, Sarasavi is a good bet, and the Vijitha Yapa in Crescat has an extensive if expensive collection of comics and graphic novels.
Gifts For Women
Hewage’s has nice rings and thingsFor jewelry, Ridhi is the classic choice for silver, however we can recommend the tucked away family shop of Hewage & Sons, next to Inland Revenue in Fort. It’s a whole in the wall, but they have a lot of beautiful antique jewelry, bangles, earrings, rings, etc. You can get a gift from there that’s not like anything else.
For clothes, scarves, stationery, etc, Casa Serena is a nice and (relatively) affordable place on Havelock Road. Another option is Satin Wilder in Galle Face Court. A bit more expensive, but nice, thoughtful lady-wares.
Then there’s always the prospect of a gift certificate from Spa Ceylon or Siddhalepa.
Gifts For Men
Kiito does nice jackets, shirts and trousersMen love gadgets and innovation (at least the men we know). For that, Lexon Gift Depot in Colombo 2 (near the JAIC Hilton) has some interesting items. They’re corporate oriented, so clocks, USB docks, fans, etc. Also watches and pens on the high end.
If you know your man’s measurements, nothing beats a decent set of clothes. Kiito is a bespoke tailor (yes we know what the word means, he does custom garments, not ready-made) that does excellent suits and formal/semi-formal wear. Suits start from Rs. 16,000 upwards and trousers from Rs. 3,000 up. They also have a new range of handloom blazers which are quite cool.
Etc
For more ideas, check out our online shopping guide. There’s a wealth of possibilities there. Also hit us up with anything we missed in the comments.
