The perfect Birthday gift, turned into an amazing Birthday week! A surprise trip to Sri Lanka! I was a very happy girl. I’ve been to Sri Lanka just once before, but that was a work trip so I didn’t really get to see much, except for the inside of a hotel. But this time we had a whole week to discover this beautiful island. Our first stop was Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka. Since I’m always on the look out for exciting street shopping adventures, I had done a bit of research to find out what markets I should go to, and all arrows pointed to Pettah Market, in Colombo. It was a pretty hot day in Colombo, so I tried to dress accordingly. I put a lot of sunscreen on, packed my camera, a bottle of water and put my comfy sneakers on, and I was ready to brave the heat. Pettah Market is pretty famous, so it’s easy to find. We sat in a tuk-tuk, told the driver where we wanted to go and all we had to do was enjoy the ride. The Market is an open market in the suburb of Pettah. The entrance to the market is marked formally by a tall monument in the center of a roundabout, known as the Khan Clock Tower.
The narrow streets and by lanes that make up Pettah Market are clogged with tuk-tuk’s and men pulling heavy carts laden with goods, while a bewildering assortment of shops clamor for business.
The market spreads out north from the Fort Railway station, and we walked aimlessly about for a couple of hours, snapping photos and absorbing the ambiance.The gridlocked streets of Pettah are absorbing and unique, and best experienced on foot. Each vibrant street is devoted to a different trade and presents a highly entertaining blend of sensory delights.
Front Street in Pettah market is well known for hundreds upon hundreds of shoes, bags and suitcases, stacked on the sidewalk. As a point of interest to all who wish to travel here, the cobblestone pathway is now referred to popularly as Malwatte Road. A set of streets, suitably named Cross Street’s are found running parallel to Front Street. Each street is devoted to a unique trade. First Cross Street is packed with vendors selling electrical goods, where one can avail themselves of electrical fans, DVD players or air- conditioners. Hardware such as mobile phone chargers or second hand mobiles are also available. Second Cross Street is a mix of various different goods like perfumes, cosmetics, electrical home appliances, a vibrant selection of jewellery and fabric stores. Third Cross Street is packed with colourful fabrics stores. Several wholesale and retail dealers line the bustling pavement.
Fourth Cross Street is brimming with colourful trucks unloading sacks of spices. You can simply enter one of the warehouses and look to sample some of the piles of spices.
Fifth Cross Street specializes in Ayurvedic medicines, with a dash of tea and spices too. As we walked through these chaotic cross streets of Pettah market taking in all the sights, I was still looking for something… something that was cool or merchandise that I could buy that was one of a kind, which I could add to my wardrobe and also to buy as gifts for my friends. Luckily enough Pettah market has that too. The ambitiously named World Market can be found next to the Fort Railway Station. This set of stalls, manned by friendly shopkeepers, house a huge selection of clothes, leather products like bags, suitcases, satchels, cross body bags and a huge collection of sandals, shoes and fun, colourful flip-flops.
They have a huge collection of Kolhapuri chappals for men and women. They also sell these fun leather sandals for men. When it comes to street shopping men usually don’t have much luck, however this place is a goldmine for guys.
These vendors also sell colourful scarves and harem pants. If you want cool art for your home, they sell a variety of beautifully painted wall hangings too.
If you love leather bags, this place is paradise. They have some really cool designs, like backpacks, shoulder bags, totes, cross body bags….the list is endless. You would be hard pressed to come out of that market without buying a cool leather bag.
I finally found a bag that I loved, it has a really fun design on it and I loved the shape of the bag. I was a very happy shopper!! I negotiated a good price (remember to bargain) with my overly enthusiastic shopkeeper and walked away with a smile on my face.
WARNING:
However, after several minutes of walking around with the bag on my shoulder, I realised that the colour of the bag leaked on my clothes. This could happen to you.
To avoid the same thing happening to you, please make sure that before you buy a leather bag from here, the vendor selling you the bag should have it properly polished. I was so scared that it would leave a stain on my jeans, but thankfully after several washes it came of. However I can’t say the same for my white tank.
It is impossible to document every angle and by lane of Pettah. Down one street you will find trucks loaded with spices and produce, or a street vendor with a new batch of flowers and down another, plastic items or toys arranged neatly on the sidewalk. The district is a living organism in itself. So if you’re a traveller looking to experience the local day- to- day life or a shopper looking for the right deal, Pettah offers something unique for everyone.
So now that I’ve told you all about my adventures at this wonderful market, the next time you visit Colombo, Sri lanka make sure you visit Pettah Market. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed. Read all our BandraRoad’s Secrets Of The Streets series here, and be sure to send us pictures from your shopping trips around the world and #BandraRoad or @BandraRoad on social media or email it to us on bandraroad@gmail.com.
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