They have lots of varities in the shop. However, the design is mostly poor, super classic. It is definetely overpriced, tourist trap. It is 30 to 50% cheaper in our home country (Turkiye) while the rough gem is imported and processed with far better craftmanship.

Great to see and hear from the locals about moonstone gems. Once we got there they greeted us and took us on the tour at the mine. Good explanation on the process of gem stone mining. It is a family run business and it was great to meet the owner. She showed us the gem shop. Good prices for the gems as well.

Very good place the prices are very reasonable I went many with my tourists they were very happy 😊😊😊

Very best stone for fair price thank you very much for help to choose the stone for my guest so i highly reccomend this place to everyone 😊😊😊👌👌👌👌👌👍👍👍👍

Nice popular place

I think the shop prices are fair. You can see the mine etc. But the guy showing how they mine it and wash the mud to get the stones is kind of begging for money at the end. I don't want to encourage this behavior even if I feel sorry for him.

Enjoyed the moonstone mine tour and demonstrations, purchased small stud earrings but they were overpriced. Would recommend, but suggest you haggle if you buy.

We reserved a very modern and comfortable 10-passenger van for the 9 of us for an amazing week in Sri Lanka. Big thanks to Chaminda (who was very responsive and helpful in advance) and our driver Dushara (who was very accommodating, navigated the Sri Lanka roads and traffic skillfully and patiently, and most importantly, showed up every morning on time, with a smile. He even helped us purchase train tickets from Colombo to Nuwara Eliya in advance (which was somewhat confusing based on the different classes of tickets and destinations), which was an amazing journey. We had a great trip to numerous beautiful locations in Sri Lanka, made even more worry-free due to chaminda , Dushara and Sri Lanka Chamo Tours; absolutely recommend. Ship of Fools Group (Amber & Jeff, Jen & Tyler, Mary, Kathy, Kirsty, Patrick, and Eizabeth)

Good

There are a few things I would like to comment: 1. Chaminda responded quickly and gave us good advices. 2. Dushara, our driver, is the best! Friendly, helpful, honest, professional, drives safely and always with a smile. The trip would be far less fruitful without him. Though our schedule was really really tight, Dushara managed to follow and complete the plan. I believe I like this country more because of him! Thank you so much! 3. The car we were on was clean, comfortable and new. I didn’t expect that. 4. The package price is reasonable. The trip was smooth and wonderful! We had a great time. I would highly recommend their excellent service to all my friends!! Cissy.

Mask museum portion was dated but interesting. Their mask collection is varied and interesting. I enjoyed reading the stories that the various masks were used in, they're fairly unique. The shop is probably a bit overpriced compared to other locations (haven't comparison shopped) but it does have a very wide selection and they are one of the few businesses that we've been to that accepts credit/debit card for payment.

Excellent location to visit for those interested in studying the cultural practices and rich Heritage of Ariyapala Masks in Ambalangoda. Let's Unite in Preserving Our Cultural Heritage. 🎭🇱🇰 #CulturalLegacy #AmbalangodaMasks #SupportHeritage"

The traditional mask industry in Sri Lanka is not just a craft; it's a vibrant expression of culture, heritage, and artistry. Each mask tells a story, reflecting centuries-old traditions and beliefs deeply rooted in Sri Lankan culture

Nice museum, local lady will give you tour in english, you can also buy hand made masks in the shop above the museum.

This was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it. Entry was free. They had a donation box and we donated. There is a workshop space where we can see masks being made. There is a lady explaining the various masks in the museum. It is also written about and we can explore it at leisure. This was a total eye opener on the history and relevance of masks in srilankan culture. There was a book on it I picked up for 1500/- lkr. The first floor has masks for sale. It is quite expensive compared to masks in Laksala. But there is a lot of variety here. Ample parking available.

This place is marvelous You can see different kind of masks in here. If you are interested, you can also buy it.

Showcases beautifully carved Srilankan masks. Has a nice store to purchase souvenirs as well. Worth the visit.

The Museum is a fascinating and unique attraction. The exhibits showcase a wide variety of puppets from around the world, each with their own unique cultural and historical significance. The museum also offers workshops and performances, providing a hands-on experience for visitors of all ages. The staff are knowledgeable and passionate about puppetry, making for an engaging and informative visit. Whether you're a puppet enthusiast or simply looking for an offbeat museum experience, the Puppet Museum is definitely worth a visit.

The masks museum here is really good. The Chronology of mask making is well captured. From what I understood, this place was started by an artist and mask maker who used to perform and was renowned. His family owns the place and for generations they have been in this business of mask making and performances. It’s quite descriptive when it comes to information about the various types of masks, the relevance of each and there are historic pictures of some masks 🎭 when those were actually used for performances. The same masks have been displayed next to the pictures and it adds a lot of credibility. If you want to learn about art and culture of Ambalangoda then this museum is a must see. There’s a small workshop right next to the museum where some artists are at work. You can see how the mask making is all about handwork and craftsmanship. We also visited the store on the first floor where you can buy these masks. What I’m not sure about is the pricing. The same size similar masks are available at half the price in One Galle face Mall (which I’m sure has premium pricing already) maybe those are not handmade or there’s a difference in the colors they use. But the masks looked similar. Since I dint have time in hand I dint check other shops in this town to get a better hang of prices. And this place is also one of those tourist guide stop overs where hefty commissions etc are involved so I suspect that prices would anyway be inflated. Nevertheless, the museum is worth visiting. You may decide to not buy from this store and look around if you are seriously buying masks.

A museum of traditional masks 🎭 of a huge variety. There’s a showroom where you can buy the masks along with other artworks like sculptures and paintings. The price is a bit high. You can visit the workshop and see how the masks are made step by step. The museum gives a clear background story of how the folklore about the masks is born.

In short a wonderful experience. They patiently answered all our questions and explained the steps they take to preserve the eggs and turtles. This was followed by a truly heart warming experience of releasing baby turtles into the sea. We were each given about 15 turtles to release. The project conserves all possible species of turtles but majorly the Green and Olive Ridley turtles were present during our visit. We were blessed to see the hatching of eggs and release the young ones into the sea by hand. Definitely recommend.

It was a great experience to know about sea turtles where we were fortunate to gather information from 2 englishman. They were volunteering for 2 weeks. This place is well maintained by the owners. Entrance ticket is Rs 200 per person. We had the chance to see an albino sea turtle which is very rare. There were different age group sea turtles ranging from 3days, 1 month, 4month and beyond. Don't forget to enter to this location if you are passing by it is a worth experience.

The owner is very passionate and has been running it for over 34 years. We got to release over 200 baby turtles at sun set. Costs 1000 rupees to visit and 2000 rupees to release turtles - all the money goes to saving more sea turtles eggs so its for a great cause

The keepers of the place are very friendly and well explain about sea turtles. There are quite a variety of sea turtles to observe. If u go after 6pm you can release baby sea turtlea to sea also paying an extra amount apart for the entry fee. There is a beautiful seashore also to enjoy the view.

They are doing a fabulous job of conservation of turtles. There are thousands of turtles which come to the Srilankan coast lay eggs and they try to hatch them, before someone misuses them. Our guide Ms. Padma explained to us the entire process of conservation. It's a must visit to understand the process and support them as much as possible. Note there is an entry fee of Rs. 2000/- per person for foreign nationals.

I visited the place on 05/11/2021. The place is good and well maintained. It is clean as well. They only charged Rs.50 per person and gave a nice introduction as well about the turtles. They do not allow to harm the animals therefore have restricted touching which is good according to my idea. The washrooms were available but not very clean. The place also have a area to sit and observe the sea. Enjoyed the visit a lot and highly recommend the place.

Nice brief tour summarizing the work they are doing to preserve 5 species of sea turtles. You can see eggs, where they bury them, the tanks of various ages and types of turtles, and several information boards (in Sinhala, English, and German) about turtles and the work done there. You can hold a baby turtle and a much larger one if you like. Part of the mission is to educate people on environmental factors that endanger the turtles, and you can see some injured turtles they keep because they can no longer survive in the wild. There’s a gift shop at the end. It was right next door to the Kosgoda Sheraton. Good for kids probably 5 and older and anyone for a general summary. Our guide was very nice. If you want a lot of detail it’s probably helpful if you speak Sinhala.

Lovely place to see all the turtles. Appreciate if they could have more of them.Good for kids.

It’s such a beautiful place, they take great care of the turtles. I was really really pleased with the visit. Also a very lovely tour with the super friendly lady there, unfortunately i don’t remember her name but defenitely recommend the place! will defenitely come back!

Marine ecosystems definitely need to be maintained at least in their current state for future generations. And this is a small but important piece of the puzzle. Releasing the young turtles into the ocean was great, and I'm glad I could be a part of it.

Highly recommended place for kids and everyone. There were few volunteers explaining all you need to know about turtles and how turtles conservation is being done. They had only two species, but a range of turtles from 2 weeks to few years including one Albino turtle. Entrance tickets are priced at LKR 200 for adults and LKR 100 for children.

The Turtle conservatory is open daily till 5.00 p.m.the entrance fee 200LKR for adults and 100LKR for kids .visitors can spend around 30 minutes to 1 hour wandering about learning more about turtles such as their life cycles and hatching process. In short a wonderful experience. They patiently answered all our questions and explained the steps they take to preserve the eggs and turtles. The project conserves all possible species of turtles but majorly the Green and Olive Ridley turtles were present during our visit. voluntary project. In addition, the management of the facility is very good and the employees are also very nice. Highly recommended!!

A wonderful experience I must say. The people here very friendly and patiently answered all our questions and explained the steps they take to preserve the eggs and turtles. I heard they allow people to release turtles into the sea but we were not given any such chance. This place is all about conservation and protection of turtles. A must visit… and also ask them if you can release the turtles in the sea. That must be more of an experience I guess.🙏🏼😇

We absolutely loved visiting here today! Getting to meet all the turtles and the tiny baby turtles was amazing, and learning about what they do here to help turtle population is hear warming. We also released some baby turtles back to the sea. Highly recommend going here and supporting this worthy cause!

Its a nice turtle hatchery. There are many injured turtles rescued here. I paid 1000 LKR for the entry ticket

Mask museum portion was dated but interesting. Their mask collection is varied and interesting. I enjoyed reading the stories that the various masks were used in, they're fairly unique. The shop is probably a bit overpriced compared to other locations (haven't comparison shopped) but it does have a very wide selection and they are one of the few businesses that we've been to that accepts credit/debit card for payment.

Excellent location to visit for those interested in studying the cultural practices and rich Heritage of Ariyapala Masks in Ambalangoda. Let's Unite in Preserving Our Cultural Heritage. 🎭🇱🇰 #CulturalLegacy #AmbalangodaMasks #SupportHeritage"

The traditional mask industry in Sri Lanka is not just a craft; it's a vibrant expression of culture, heritage, and artistry. Each mask tells a story, reflecting centuries-old traditions and beliefs deeply rooted in Sri Lankan culture

Nice museum, local lady will give you tour in english, you can also buy hand made masks in the shop above the museum.

This was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it. Entry was free. They had a donation box and we donated. There is a workshop space where we can see masks being made. There is a lady explaining the various masks in the museum. It is also written about and we can explore it at leisure. This was a total eye opener on the history and relevance of masks in srilankan culture. There was a book on it I picked up for 1500/- lkr. The first floor has masks for sale. It is quite expensive compared to masks in Laksala. But there is a lot of variety here. Ample parking available.

This place is marvelous You can see different kind of masks in here. If you are interested, you can also buy it.

Showcases beautifully carved Srilankan masks. Has a nice store to purchase souvenirs as well. Worth the visit.

The Museum is a fascinating and unique attraction. The exhibits showcase a wide variety of puppets from around the world, each with their own unique cultural and historical significance. The museum also offers workshops and performances, providing a hands-on experience for visitors of all ages. The staff are knowledgeable and passionate about puppetry, making for an engaging and informative visit. Whether you're a puppet enthusiast or simply looking for an offbeat museum experience, the Puppet Museum is definitely worth a visit.

The masks museum here is really good. The Chronology of mask making is well captured. From what I understood, this place was started by an artist and mask maker who used to perform and was renowned. His family owns the place and for generations they have been in this business of mask making and performances. It’s quite descriptive when it comes to information about the various types of masks, the relevance of each and there are historic pictures of some masks 🎭 when those were actually used for performances. The same masks have been displayed next to the pictures and it adds a lot of credibility. If you want to learn about art and culture of Ambalangoda then this museum is a must see. There’s a small workshop right next to the museum where some artists are at work. You can see how the mask making is all about handwork and craftsmanship. We also visited the store on the first floor where you can buy these masks. What I’m not sure about is the pricing. The same size similar masks are available at half the price in One Galle face Mall (which I’m sure has premium pricing already) maybe those are not handmade or there’s a difference in the colors they use. But the masks looked similar. Since I dint have time in hand I dint check other shops in this town to get a better hang of prices. And this place is also one of those tourist guide stop overs where hefty commissions etc are involved so I suspect that prices would anyway be inflated. Nevertheless, the museum is worth visiting. You may decide to not buy from this store and look around if you are seriously buying masks.

A museum of traditional masks 🎭 of a huge variety. There’s a showroom where you can buy the masks along with other artworks like sculptures and paintings. The price is a bit high. You can visit the workshop and see how the masks are made step by step. The museum gives a clear background story of how the folklore about the masks is born.

Lovely peaceful temple. Wood carver making statues. Large Buddha made from a single piece of wood. Impressive!

One of the calmest place in Ambalangoda. There are set of wooden buddha statues depicting several rare mudras. And there are beautiful terracotta paintings as well. The bho tree is covered by a bowl type wall something special than the traditional wall. It has no gate allowing anyone to enter the temple at anytime and no "pinkata".

Great place to see Buddhism and place to relax away from busy,hectic life

This is a sacred and beautiful place located in ambalangoda, sri lanka. In this place you're able to visit beautiful wood carvings here. And also you can see the biggest wood carved Buddha's statue in Asia. And also it is a great meditation place.

Place with lots of creations of arts related to buddhist culture. Statues paintings lots of works related to Buddhism can be seen there place is always open to both local and foreign visitors everyone is invited to see the utmost beuty of this place make sure you visit this place at the night to see the true beauty.

Came here during night time. The temple complex looks very nice due to the many lights.

Very very beautiful temple in Ambalangoda area.... Very famous for wooden Buddha statues... And also use get wedding photography.... Every of carvings done by Sri Lankan artists by his hands...

A good place of worship and a lot of art work. You can see many Lord Buddha's statues done by the use of timber.