Discovering Authentic Souvenirs in Sri Lanka: Supporting Local Artisans like Samarsiri
"He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist." Francis of Assisi
3/15/20246 min read
We love to shop for souvenirs while traveling. One of Crystal’s favorite hobbies is spending money, and she is good at it! However, we love finding those off-the-beaten-path shops. Not the large, over-priced tourist shops that cater to the bus loads stocked with products from India and China. We want to bring one of our two special items home that will remind us of our stay or the adventure we had.
During our second trip to Sri Lanka (we’ve been there 3 times in the past 18 months), we stayed in the Welligama region on the southern coast. During our first stay, we really liked this area for its beaches and the laid-back beach vibe. So, on this trip, we decided to stay there exclusively. Of course, we stayed at the Marriott Welligama, which is a beautiful resort on the beach. More about that in another post!
While on this stay in Welligama, we rented scooters and had the ability to explore and travel off the beaten path. On this particular morning, we took off towards the old city of Galle in search of a boutique hotel, bar, and beach called Angel Beach (angelbeachclub.com).
During the drive, we saw this Sri Lankan gentleman in his small shop, just carving away on some mahogany. I love woodworking, so we made note of it so that we could stop there on our way back from Angel Beach, and I am glad we did.
We met Samarasiri and one of his 4 children. Samarasiri had been doing woodworking all his life and it is how he made ends meet for his family. He had an amazing story and we would encourage you to visit him and his shop on your next trip to Sri Lanka!
Crystal, being into yoga enthusiast as she is, was attracted to his carvings of the Lotus flower. I like the carvings of the fish and cobras. He only had one of the Lotus Flower carvings, so we bought it, but then he said he could make more in the next couple days and deliver them to us at our hotel. He did this as promised and they were amazing.
Fast-forward six months, and we return to Sri Lanka. I stayed in touch with Samarasiri and let him know we were returning to visit him. This time, we asked him to make two custom tile/wood carvings for our kitchen window. We gave him the measurements, the preferred design we wanted, and the color of the wood. In only eight days, he had these two amazing pieces delivered, all while his wife gave birth to their fifth child!
As you can see from the pictures, these pieces are amazing. His attention to detail and the time he put into making them are second to known. We couldn’t be happier. We now have some souvenirs that are one of a kind and support Samarasiri, a local artist that is working hard to support his beautiful family. I would much rather buy from him than from a large tourist store. Supporting local talent like Samarasiri is what makes our travels truly special. So, if you ever find yourself in southern Sri Lanka, do yourself a favor and seek out his workshop. You will not be disappointed. He is what we would call “good people!”
Samarasiri's shop is located at: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jktbRanUzEHeJYhAA?g_st=im
He can be reached via WhatsApp: +94 77 442 6281 or contact us and we can assist in the introductions.
Two custom wood panels made for us by Samarasiri in Sri Lanka..... in less than 8 days!
Crystal designing the panels with Samarasiri.
Delivery of the final product. Not even an ice cream cone could make the little man smile!
Other examples of Samarasiri's work
Work in progress
The quality control team is making sure Dad completed everything to standard.
We love to shop for souvenirs while traveling. One of Crystal’s favorite hobbies is spending money, and she is good at it! However, we love finding those off-the-beaten-path shops. Not the large, over-priced tourist shops that cater to the bus loads stocked with products from India and China. We want to bring one of our two special items home that will remind us of our stay or the adventure we had.
During our second trip to Sri Lanka (we’ve been there 3 times in the past 18 months), we stayed in the Welligama region on the southern coast. During our first stay, we really liked this area for its beaches and the laid-back beach vibe. So, on this trip, we decided to stay there exclusively. Of course, we stayed at the Marriott Welligama, which is a beautiful resort on the beach. More about that in another post!
While on this stay in Welligama, we rented scooters and had the ability to explore and travel off the beaten path. On this particular morning, we took off towards the old city of Galle in search of a boutique hotel, bar, and beach called Angel Beach (angelbeachclub.com).
During the drive, we saw this Sri Lankan gentleman in his small shop, just carving away on some mahogany. I love woodworking, so we made note of it so that we could stop there on our way back from Angel Beach, and I am glad we did.
We met Samarasiri and one of his 4 children. Samarasiri had been doing woodworking all his life and it is how he made ends meet for his family. He had an amazing story and we would encourage you to visit him and his shop on your next trip to Sri Lanka!
Crystal, being a yoga enthusiast as she is, was attracted to his carvings of the Lotus flower. I like the carvings of the fish and cobras. He only had one of the Lotus Flower carvings, so we bought it, but then he said he could make more in the next couple of days and deliver them to us at our hotel. He did this as promised and they were amazing.
Fast-forward six months, and we return to Sri Lanka. I stayed in touch with Samarasiri and let him know we were returning to visit him. This time, we asked him to make two custom tile/wood carvings for our kitchen window. We gave him the measurements, the preferred design we wanted, and the color of the wood. In only eight days, he had these two amazing pieces delivered, all while his wife gave birth to their fifth child!
As you can see from the pictures, these pieces are amazing. His attention to detail and the time he put into making them are second to known. We couldn’t be happier. We now have some souvenirs that are one of a kind and support Samarasiri, a local artist that is working hard to support his beautiful family. I would much rather buy from him than from a large tourist store. Supporting local talent like Samarasiri is what makes our travels truly special. So, if you ever find yourself in southern Sri Lanka, do yourself a favor and seek out his workshop. You will not be disappointed. He is what we would call “good people!”
Samarasiri's shop is located at: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jktbRanUzEHeJYhAA?g_st=im
He can be reached via WhatsApp: +94 77 442 6281 or contact us and we can assist in the introductions.