http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/24541 The high-end boutiques like Barefoot and Paradise Road offer traditional Sri Lankan and contemporary western products. You can find anything here from flamboyant coloured tablecloths to multi couloured sarongs.

'Odel' and 'House of Fashion' are department store-like shopping spaces which hold a range of designer wear (mostly seconds) and other quality products. Look carefully and you might find some hidden treasures among the rows of clothes or homewares.

'A-World' is a huge department store close to the Bandaranayake International Airport and is known to be the biggest shopping space in Sri Lanka. The clothes are slightly more expensive than places like Odel or House of Fashion because they offer original designer-wear.

All these places are well known among the locals, so all you have to do is ask your taxi driver to take you there. However it is best not to go with the regular taxi service as the drivers do not speak English and are not very safe to travel in. The same goes with trishaw's (tuk tuks), you will be lucky to find a tuk tuk driver who speaks english and doesnt rip you off!
Try a tour company like 'Abans tours' (www.abanstours.lk) which has a tour desk in Colombo at the Galadari Hotel as well as the Bandaranayake International Airport. Their rates are slightly more expensive than others, but all their drivers are friendly and speak good Engish. But most importantly they offer a safe and comfortable service.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/24541 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13828 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/13828 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9137
Market day is Sunday and the town gets busy but during the week it can be an almost sleepy place, excellent for tout free shopping. Local shops and small cafes have most things you'll want, there is also a pharmacy, clinic, post office and bank (no ATM). The bustling city of Horana, less than an hour away by local bus, has everything else you might need.

Near Bulatsinhala is the impressive rock temple and Buddhist seminary at Pahiyangala. Famous in Sri Lanka, Pahiyangala draws Buddhists by the bus load on Poya Day but is over looked by the guide books so you will have it largely to yourself the rest of the time. There is no fixed entry charge but your donation will be appreciated]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/9137 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3191 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/3191 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8700 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/8700