One of our readers asked us recently about recommendations for a bookstore in Sri Lanka. I will review a few famous bookshops in Sri Lanka in this article. We hope all book lovers traveling in Sri Lanka find this helpful. Further, you might find cheaper books in Sri Lanka since regional editions can be much cheaper than in your own country. You will also find very cheap used books in some of the stores. Please also note that the article lists only the big bookstores.
Jeya Book Centre
Jeya Book Centre is the go-to place for most textbooks for university subjects. They are especially famous for medical books, and most local medical students get their medical books from Jeya Book Centre. They often have discounted prices for textbooks.
The main shop is in the People’s Park Complex in Pettah. This area is one of the most hectic areas in the country, and sometimes you may find it challenging to find a parking space. However, paid parking slots are available in the area. The People’s Park Building is not pleasant, and some tourists may not feel secure inside this gloomy building. Jeya Book Center has branches in Kollupitiya, Nugegoda, Wattala, and Kandy. These places will have better access. The head office is at 155 S. De S Jayasinghe Road, Nugegoda. The good news is that they have an online bookstore as well.
Vijitha Yapa Bookshop
Similar to Jeya Book Centre, Vijitha Yapa Bookshops also sell textbooks and other books representing many genres. The Vijitha Yapa group has exclusive rights to sell books in Colombo International Airport’s transit lounge. Vijitha Yapa Group has its own publications business as well.
Vijitha Yapa has islandwide branches. There are three branches within the Colombo District: Nugegoda (S. De S Jayasinghe Road), Flower Road Branch in Colombo 07, and Thurstan Road Branch in Colombo 07. They have branches in Kandy, Galle, and Matara as well.
Vijitha Yapa Book Store now has its own online business as well. It offers members 5% discounts for their purchases.
M.D. Gunasena Book Stores
Gunasena group is more popular as a publishing company. However, it has sixteen outlets all around the country. One of the features of their bookstores is that the stores are designed in a way that provides a nice ambiance for book lovers.
Their online bookstore is user-friendly since it has a particular book search function. You can even buy ebooks from M.D. Gunasena online store.
M.D. Gunasena is one of the oldest companies in the book business. It was established in 1913.
Now, you can buy the 2022 Booker Price Winning Book “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” at M.D. Gunasena online store for Rs. 1995.00.
Sarasavi Book Stores
Sarasavi Book Stores are another group of bookshops with branches around the island. Sarasavi has its Sarasavi online bookstore. It is one of the most user-friendly websites. Sarasavi has more than two dozen branches, and one of those is at One Galle Face Mall.
The Nugegod Sarasavi bookshop is the most popular outlet, and they are also famous for school kids’ stationery and textbooks. They also have a used book shop closer to their main bookshop in Nugegoda, where you can find used books for a cheaper price.
Conclusion
We have listed the largest and best book stores found in Sri Lanka. They all have a good collection with subtle changes in their inventory. You can find the stationaries, school books and other required tools for schools in these shops.
