Meetiyagoda moonstone mines - tourist trap?

Asked 12 days agoSeen by 4,753 travellers31 found this helpful
M
Mia Williams21420 rep2
asked 12 days ago

My driver offered to take me to a moonstone mine near Hikkaduwa. Is this a genuine experience or just a high-pressure sales scam?

31
asked 12 days ago
M
Mia Williams21420 rep2

3 Answers from travellers

Accepted Answer

It is interesting to see the traditional mining shafts and the washing process, but the shop at the end is heavily overpriced. Go for the educational tour, but buy your gems from a certified NGJA jeweler in Colombo instead.

3
answered 12 days ago
A
Anita Fernando31110 rep1

I bought a silver ring there. It was more about the experience of buying it at the source. You can haggle them down about 40% from their initial asking price.

28
answered 12 days ago
C
Carlos Mendoza22745 rep2

The "mining" demonstration felt a bit staged to me, like they just churned the same bucket of mud for every tourist that walked in.

28
answered 12 days ago
S
Sven Eriksson26670 rep2

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