Top Shopping Destinations in Asia

The shopping adventures will never end, and when it'spocket calculator so they can key in the price to show
time to come home, you may wonder how you'reyou. You can still bargain even if you don't speak the
going to fit it all in your suitcases. But after you pack itlanguage-hold out your hand for the calculator, and
all in, wear it on the plane, or ship it back homethen key in a lower price and hand it back. Proceed
separately, it'll all be worthwhile. Asia is a shopper'sthis way until you strike a deal.
paradise! There are bargains galore, but beware-thereBetter yet, if you have a friend that's a local, bring
are so many bargains that you'll end up spending twicethem along. Vendors usually have a "tourist price" and
what you planned on.a "local price," and your friend can typically ask for the
The Street Bazaar"local price" on your behalf.
Top Shopping Destinations in AsiaThe bazaars are aBeware of Scams
long-held tradition in much of Asia, and there is nothingTop Shopping Destinations in Asia There are terrific
like it in the West. Typically the bazaar is made up ofand legitimate bargains everywhere, wonderful
hundreds of small vendor stalls selling handcraftedhand-crafted treasures, and plenty of friendly vendors
items, unusual imports and goods designed to captureat every bazaar. But there are a few things to look
your attention. It is easy to spend an entire day in aout for.
single bazaar, so come prepared. If you plan on doingFirst of all, taxicabs recognize a tourist with money
some heavy shopping, bring a suitcase with wheels orwhen they see one, and taxicab drivers will typically
a large backpack to hold all of your treasures. Most ofderive a second income by feeding tourists to certain
the bazaars will also feature local food stalls, makingvendors in exchange for a commission off the sales.
your day at the bazaar a great opportunity to alsoAs such, a cab driver is usually not the best person to
sample some of the local cuisine.ask for advice on a shopping destination. Another
Designer Goods and Shopping Mallscommon scam is when you ask the driver to take you
Top Shopping Destinations in AsiaIt's not all local stallsto a tourist destination, and they respond that "they're
and bazaars in Asia though. In places like Singapore,closed today" because of some special national event
Thailand, Hong Kong, and the larger cities in mainlandthat is usually nonexistent. They "just happen to know",
China, you'll find huge, air conditioned and ultra-modernhowever, that there is a special government sale on
shopping malls with high-end designer brand names,gemstones going on, with below-wholesale prices, and
and even familiar Western restaurant chains.they would be happy to take you there! Of course, the
Singapore for example, has malls everywhere, andgemstones are not real or are of very poor quality,
Bangkok's Emporium shopping center is a study inAlso, counterfeit goods may be prevalent in certain
elegance. Hong Kong of course boasts some of thebazaars, so if it sounds too good to be true, it probably
most upscale malls in all of Asia, and if you're in Chinais. If you want to buy a Prada handbag, go to a
and love shopping, you can't pass up going to Beijinglicensed retail outlet. You can find what looks at first
just to see the Golden Resources Shopping Mall, akaglance to be Prada handbags at bazaars in
"The Great Mall of China." The largest shopping mall inCambodian border towns, from street vendors in
the entire world, it boasts over a thousand shops andBangkok, and in some of the back streets of Hong
plenty of luxury brands. And of course, for eleganceKong and Beijing, for the equivalent of about five
and upscale shopping, Tokyo's Ginza district is adollars-but they're not the real thing, and there's a
must-see.chance you may have it taken away by the customs
Bargainingagent when you go back home.
Top Shopping Destinations in AsiaKnow the customs rules
If you're in a trendy boutique in a glitzy shopping mall,Top Shopping Destinations in Asia You can buy a full
the clerk's not going to bargain with you over the pricetiger skin in Burma, a jar of dried bear's gall bladders in
of a Fendi bag, but in the smaller local shops, streetCambodia, and carved ivory in Thailand, but you can't
stalls and bazaars located throughout Asia, it's a skillbring it back home with you. Also, if you have your eye
you'll need to learn.on picking up an original Buddha carving from the
Many local vendors are peddling hand-made crafts,Ayutthaya period to decorate your living room, think
and so they have a lot of leeway in pricing. Don't feelagain. In Thailand, taking Buddha images and other
like you need to pay the "sticker price". In fact, manyreligious objects out of the country requires a special
vendors will not list a price at all, instead quoting a pricepermit. Throughout Asia, you will find antique shops
only after they size up the depth of pocket andwith wonderful bits of history for sale, but depending
relative gullibility of the individual buyer. It helps to knowon where you are, taking certain types of antiquities
a few key phrases in the local language, but manyout of the country may be problematic.
shopkeepers do speak multiple languages. It's notOn the homefront, there are of course, customs duties.
unusual to hear a single vendor holding multipleBut, you are allowed to take in a certain amount of
conversations over the course of just a few minutesgoods duty-free, and this level is usually set high
in Hindi, English, and Thai.enough to accommodate even the most aggressive
Even if there is a language barrier, vendors have ashopper. Nonetheless, it's a good idea to keep all of
way of making themselves understood. Typically, ifyour receipts so you can document your costs if you
there is a language barrier, the vendor will have aare called on to do so.