Best place to buy authentic wooden masks?
I want to buy a traditional Raksha (demon) mask. Should I go straight to Ambalangoda, or are the shops in Galle Fort selling the exact same thing?
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4 Answers from travellers
Go to Ambalangoda! It is the historical heartland of mask carving. Visit the Ariyapala Mask Museum. You can watch the artisans carving from Kaduru wood and painting them. The prices are much fairer than the heavily marked-up boutiques in Galle Fort.
In Galle Fort, you pay a 300% premium for the atmosphere. Ambalangoda is only a 45-minute bus ride up the coast from Galle. Totally worth the trip.
Make sure it is made from Kaduru wood (which is very light). The cheap knockoffs sold in street stalls are made from heavy, dense wood and aren't authentic.
Scam Watch: galle
Someone befriends you and offers a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to buy gems at wholesale prices and resell them abroad for huge profit. They may show you fake export certificates. The gems are worthless glass or low-quality stones.
Restaurants without visible prices. Bill arrives with inflated charges (500 LKR coconut becomes 1500 LKR). "Service charges" added without disclosure.
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