Shipping souvenirs and parcels home I bought too much how do I send it rather than lug it
I have a habit of buying too much (masks textiles a drum some woodwork) and I do not want to lug it for three more weeks or pay excess baggage How do I ship things home from Sri Lanka the post office sea versus air a courier do the craft shops arrange shipping how reliable is it how long does sea freight take and how do I handle customs and fragile items I would rather send the haul ahead than carry it Shippers and shoppers please advise
3 Answers from travellers
Courier and packing service so the shipping guide Your options three main routes the POST OFFICE the national postal service handles international parcels and is the cheapest especially by SEA mail it is reliable for non urgent goods the main post offices can handle and even help pack a parcel COURIERS the international couriers (the global names) and local logistics firms offer faster trackable air shipping more expensive but quick and reliable for valuable or urgent items the CRAFT SHOPS the better and larger craft shops galleries and gem dealers often ARRANGE SHIPPING for you (especially for bigger purchases furniture large art) this is convenient and they handle the packing and paperwork ask at the point of purchase Sea versus air SEA freight or sea mail is far cheaper for heavy or bulky items (the drum the woodwork) but SLOW expect weeks to a couple of months AIR is fast (days to a week or two) but costs much more per kilo so sea for the bulky non urgent haul air for the small valuable or the things you want soon Reliability generally good the post office sea mail is well used by travellers sending hauls home use a reputable service keep your receipts and tracking and insure valuable shipments Customs and fragile handling declare the contents and value honestly on the customs form (under declaring risks problems) be aware your HOME country may charge import duty or tax on the parcel at the other end (factor that in) and for ANTIQUES or anything that looks old note the export restriction on genuine antiquities (the customs threads you cannot export protected antiques so buy from shops that certify items are legal to export) for FRAGILE items (masks ceramics) pack well or let the shop or a packing service do it sea freight gets handled roughly Practical tips keep it legal to export get receipts and certificates for gems and anything valuable photograph the contents insure the valuable parcel and use the shop shipping for big art and the post office sea mail for the general haul The plan post office sea mail for the bulky non urgent stuff a courier for the small valuable shop arranged shipping for big art declare honestly mind the home end import duty and pack the fragiles well then travel light and meet your haul at home
The watch for import duty at the home end warning caught me my parcel arrived with a tax bill to release it factor that into whether shipping beats excess baggage for your stuff sometimes carrying it is cheaper than the duty
Post office sea mail for the bulky haul a courier for the small valuable and let the craft shop ship the big art declaring honestly and minding the import duty at home this is exactly what I needed travel light meet the haul at home thank you
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