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VIEW PHOTOS
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Host: Buddhima

Kandy, Sri Lanka

USD
$78-$154 per person

Local market visit, cooking class and meal in a rustic suburb of Kandy

Host offerings
  • House
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Buddhima

Buddhima, a former teacher, describes herself as a foodie who loves sharing experiences and making new friends. Sri Lankan food is a blend of spices, flavors and colors and Buddhima is delighted to share her passion for Sri Lankan cuisine with people visiting her beautiful country. Buddhima is someone who is constantly learning new things and the same goes for her cooking as well - she is always learning and experimenting with dishes to evolve her culinary repertoire.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-8 guests) Buddhima, her mother, and two young children Mandil and Sandun (when they are home) will welcome you into their rustic, family home in the countryside of Kandy. They live in a small village near the Gadaladeniya temple in a leafy neighborhood. Buddhima will welcome you with her warm smile and bubbly personality. As you sip on a refreshing coconut juice or hot tea, she will share more about growing up in Sri Lanka and her love for cooking. Later you will sit down at her dining table to enjoy an everyday homecooked meal with her family (when they are around). A few dishes that you may try are rice accompanied with dhal (lentils), seasonal vegetables and chicken or fish curry. You will end your meal with yoghurt, served with local honey and fresh fruit.

Cooking experience: (1-8 guests) Join Buddhima in her kitchen for a hands-on cooking experience during which you will learn to cook local Sri Lankan dishes using her mother's secret recipes. The cooking portion of the experience will last for one hour - you will learn to make dhal (lentils cooked in coconut milk), cassava (tapioca) curry and a regional vegetable dish made from banana flower! By the end of your cooking lesson you will be armed with a wealth of knowledge about the spices and ingredients used in Sri Lankan cooking.

Market visit: (1-8 guests) Buddhima will pick you up from your Kandy hotel in a tuk tuk or van (depending on the number of guests) and drive you to the Kandy Central market. This bustling market is housed inside a two-storey building where you will find everything that you need to cook - fruits, vegetables, spices and dried fish. Get ready to discover a variety of new fruits and vegetables - Buddhima will give you a detailed tour explaining how the produce is used in Sri Lankan cooking. The tour of this local market will last approximately 1 hour. You will purchase fresh ingredients for your cooking class and then drive together 30 minutes to Buddhima's home (if you have booked the cooking experience as well).

Notes: Please note that all experiences include in the price pick-up and drop-off from your Kandy hotel. Please include your hotel name and address in your booking.

Buddhima can offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and halal meals on request - please let her know in advance. This experience is great for families with children as your children can play and interact with Buddhima's sons, Mandil and Sandun. Buddhima will also ensure the children enjoy a different main course, as the curry might be too spicy for their taste.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Yellow rice
  • Dhal
  • Fish or chicken curry
  • Seasonal vegetable curries
  • Yoghurt served with honey and fresh fruits

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
We had a wonderful time together with Buddhima who met us at our hotel in Kandy and took us to her private house. We started out with tea and traditional Sri Lankan sweats/snacks. Then we started preparing curries for dinner under Buddhima’s instructions and we learned a lot about traditional spices and food in general. Finally we sat down together and enjoyed a delicious dinner
- dan_h July 25, 2023
An intensive and enjoying time with Buddhima on the market and especially in her kitchen and on her table with her lovely family. We have picked up and shared a lot … incrediences, spices, preparation, cooking, eating and much much more … a wunderful day !
- Christopher March 05, 2022
Best 6 hours. Buddhima arrived at my hotel in a tuk tuk to take me to the local markets where we bought fruit and veges for our cooking feast. She happily explained all the veges and fruit that I wasn’t familiar with and we just enjoyed walking and chatting through the hustle and bustle of downtown Kandy. After arriving at Buddhima’s house and meeting her lovely mum and sweet sons we had tea and some Sri Lankan sweet delicacies and then donned an apron to begin our cooking feast. Everything was explained along the way and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. What followed was a delicious meal of Sri Lankan curries and a wonderful experience which is highly recommended to young and old, make or female. Thank you Buddhima for such a wonderful day that I will always treasure!!
- MarianneS325 March 08, 2020
Buddhima was very friendly, knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. She was able to answer of all my questions not only about food but also about Sri Lankan culture and religion. She encouraged me to try new fruits walking round the market and purchased them for me to do so along with some traditional Sri Lankan snacks. The market tour was brilliant and having purchased the produce for the cooking class we drove to her house. I met her family and sat with them to have tea. The whole experience of being at her house and meeting her family I thought was such a nice touch and I felt very honoured to be there. Th cooking course itself was unbelievable I learnt so much. Buddhima explained the justification behind every ingredient and step. We made a range of dishes all of which she had chosen deliberately as she knew I could get those ingredients back in the U.K. The food was amazing and was easily the best meal I had whilst I was in Sri Lanka. I can’t rate the whole day enough.
- Andy H August 13, 2019

Buddhima

$78-$154 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $116 $84 $78
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $136 $114 $100
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $154 $130 $114
Alcohol
 $5 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $116 $84 $78
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $136 $114 $100
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $154 $130 $114
Alcohol
 $5 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-1:00pm 4:00pm-7:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm

Meet Buddhima

Buddhima, a former teacher, describes herself as a foodie who loves sharing experiences and making new friends. Sri Lankan food is a blend of spices, flavors and colors and Buddhima is delighted to share her passion for Sri Lankan cuisine with people visiting her beautiful country. Buddhima is someone who is constantly learning new things and the same goes for her cooking as well - she is always learning and experimenting with dishes to evolve her culinary repertoire.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-8 guests) Buddhima, her mother, and two young children Mandil and Sandun (when they are home) will welcome you into their rustic, family home in the countryside of Kandy. They live in a small village near the Gadaladeniya temple in a leafy neighborhood. Buddhima will welcome you with her warm smile and bubbly personality. As you sip on a refreshing coconut juice or hot tea, she will share more about growing up in Sri Lanka and her love for cooking. Later you will sit down at her dining table to enjoy an everyday homecooked meal with her family (when they are around). A few dishes that you may try are rice accompanied with dhal (lentils), seasonal vegetables and chicken or fish curry. You will end your meal with yoghurt, served with local honey and fresh fruit.

Cooking experience: (1-8 guests) Join Buddhima in her kitchen for a hands-on cooking experience during which you will learn to cook local Sri Lankan dishes using her mother's secret recipes. The cooking portion of the experience will last for one hour - you will learn to make dhal (lentils cooked in coconut milk), cassava (tapioca) curry and a regional vegetable dish made from banana flower! By the end of your cooking lesson you will be armed with a wealth of knowledge about the spices and ingredients used in Sri Lankan cooking.

Market visit: (1-8 guests) Buddhima will pick you up from your Kandy hotel in a tuk tuk or van (depending on the number of guests) and drive you to the Kandy Central market. This bustling market is housed inside a two-storey building where you will find everything that you need to cook - fruits, vegetables, spices and dried fish. Get ready to discover a variety of new fruits and vegetables - Buddhima will give you a detailed tour explaining how the produce is used in Sri Lankan cooking. The tour of this local market will last approximately 1 hour. You will purchase fresh ingredients for your cooking class and then drive together 30 minutes to Buddhima's home (if you have booked the cooking experience as well).

Notes: Please note that all experiences include in the price pick-up and drop-off from your Kandy hotel. Please include your hotel name and address in your booking.

Buddhima can offer vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and halal meals on request - please let her know in advance. This experience is great for families with children as your children can play and interact with Buddhima's sons, Mandil and Sandun. Buddhima will also ensure the children enjoy a different main course, as the curry might be too spicy for their taste.

Languages spoken: English

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Yellow rice
  • Dhal
  • Fish or chicken curry
  • Seasonal vegetable curries
  • Yoghurt served with honey and fresh fruits

Traveler reviews

5.0 (4)
We had a wonderful time together with Buddhima who met us at our hotel in Kandy and took us to her private house. We started out with tea and traditional Sri Lankan sweats/snacks. Then we started preparing curries for dinner under Buddhima’s instructions and we learned a lot about traditional spices and food in general. Finally we sat down together and enjoyed a delicious dinner
- dan_h July 25, 2023
An intensive and enjoying time with Buddhima on the market and especially in her kitchen and on her table with her lovely family. We have picked up and shared a lot … incrediences, spices, preparation, cooking, eating and much much more … a wunderful day !
- Christopher March 05, 2022
Best 6 hours. Buddhima arrived at my hotel in a tuk tuk to take me to the local markets where we bought fruit and veges for our cooking feast. She happily explained all the veges and fruit that I wasn’t familiar with and we just enjoyed walking and chatting through the hustle and bustle of downtown Kandy. After arriving at Buddhima’s house and meeting her lovely mum and sweet sons we had tea and some Sri Lankan sweet delicacies and then donned an apron to begin our cooking feast. Everything was explained along the way and it was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. What followed was a delicious meal of Sri Lankan curries and a wonderful experience which is highly recommended to young and old, make or female. Thank you Buddhima for such a wonderful day that I will always treasure!!
- MarianneS325 March 08, 2020
Buddhima was very friendly, knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. She was able to answer of all my questions not only about food but also about Sri Lankan culture and religion. She encouraged me to try new fruits walking round the market and purchased them for me to do so along with some traditional Sri Lankan snacks. The market tour was brilliant and having purchased the produce for the cooking class we drove to her house. I met her family and sat with them to have tea. The whole experience of being at her house and meeting her family I thought was such a nice touch and I felt very honoured to be there. Th cooking course itself was unbelievable I learnt so much. Buddhima explained the justification behind every ingredient and step. We made a range of dishes all of which she had chosen deliberately as she knew I could get those ingredients back in the U.K. The food was amazing and was easily the best meal I had whilst I was in Sri Lanka. I can’t rate the whole day enough.
- Andy H August 13, 2019
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $116 $84 $78
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $136 $114 $100
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $154 $130 $114
Alcohol
 $5 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $116 $84 $78
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $136 $114 $100
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $154 $130 $114
Alcohol
 $5 per person
Transportation
 $0 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm 6:00pm-8:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-1:00pm 4:00pm-7:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-1:00pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 4% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can't make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host's profile doesn't work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host's family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the "Notes" section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.