Lhasa
This bazaar-like area in the old town has the widest selection of dried fruit and nuts (imported from Xinjiang) and is the place to buy such Tibetan…
Must-see shopping in Asia
Kota Bharu
One of the most colourful and active markets in Malaysia, this market is at its busiest first thing in the morning. Downstairs is the fresh produce…
Singapore
Since opening its doors more than 85 years ago, Tangs has become a Singaporean institution. This five-floor department store is popular with all…
Kupang
It's worth seeking out this neighbourhood ikat shop. Textile lovers will be pleased with the wares sourced from across Nusa Tenggara, and you can take…
Jaipur
This tiny showroom in a private home is a great place to buy Jaipur’s famous blue pottery, produced by the family of the late Mr Kripal Singh, an…
Dushanbe
Adbul Ahmad, the owner of this small arts and crafts shop, is very knowledgeable about regional carpets, including the lost art of hand looming in…
Osaka
This is the largest bookstore in Osaka, the result of two established chains joining forces. There's a big range of English-language books (on the 6th…
Tokyo
From Doraemon to Hello Kitty and Pikachu, Japan knows kawaii (cute) and how to merchandise it. In the basement on the Yaesu side of Tokyo Station, some 15…
Chiang Mai
This intriguing shop sells reams of handmade mulberry paper (săh), in a remarkable range of colours and patterns, including gorgeous marbled sheets that…
Ko Samui
When the island's travelling night market comes to Mae Nam on Thursday evenings, the u-shaped road in Chinatown becomes a vibrant, busy, pedestrian only…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Tsukudani are various foods – mainly seafood and seaweed but sometimes meat and vegetables too – that have been preserved in a sweet soy sauce. This…
Delhi
Mother-daughter team Monica Sharma and Meher Sra produce jewellery from naturally shaped semi-precious stones encased in precious metal. Come for a pocket…
Little India & Kampong Glam
This is the traditional textile district, where you’ll find brightly coloured fabrics and hand-knotted Persian rugs, as well as jewellery, cane wares and…
Kandy
Has a selection of books on the Ancient Cities for sale. Kandy, by Dr Anuradha Seneviratna, is an informative guide to the city’s heritage. Also available…
Western Mongolia
Cosy arts and crafts shop selling Kazakh felt handicrafts (bags, purses, slippers, hats) as well as traditional clothing. Prices start at around T4000…
Luang Prabang
This shop sister to the TAEC museum is a safe way to buy the finest handicrafts made in Laos – be it clothes, bags or bed runners – in the knowledge they…
Kuala Lumpur
Pavilion KL has expanded into this connected property with even more big brand consumer labels – find here branches of chains such as Cos and the…
Siem Reap
Sra May is a social enterprise that uses traditional local materials such as palm leaves to create boxes and artworks. It also specialises in handwoven…
Kuala Terengganu
Located about 4.5km south of town, this outlet sells high-quality kain songket costing as much as RM12,000 for 2.5 sq metres. There’s also a tiny 'Songket…
Kuching
As well as her own Bidayuh bead-work pieces – most of which have been displayed in an exhibition in Singapore – Juliana sells quality rattan mats made by…
Mumbai (Bombay)
Though not one official market, the street stalls and shopping arcades between Marks and Spencer and St Peter's Church offer a cornucopia of bargain…
Ho Chi Minh City
Beautifully crafted garments (mostly for women) in silk, linen and wool. Bold prints and geometric patterns are joined by stylised elements taken from…
Tokyo
As far as vintage shops go, Sokkyō is more like a gallery of cool. The stock is impeccably edited for a look that is both dreamy and modern. That said, we…
Manila
This funky shop specialises in hand-spun textiles and accessories produced by indigenous groups across the Philippines. It also sells fair-trade organic…
Southern Higashiyama
If you've taken a shine to the soft warm glow of paper lanterns in your ryokan and want one to take home, this is the shop to get one. In business for…
Nur-Sultan (Astana)
This mall is worth visiting for two stores. Red Carpet features ladies' fashion and accessories by Kazakhstan designers such as Aida Kaumenova, Gulnara…
Ko Samui
This bustling fresh, local market backs onto the sandy coast where the fisherman haul the fresh catch you see before you. The local market of mainly…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Matsuya is one of Ginza's long established department stores (but with a shiny remake). It has all the usual international designer brands, but the…
George Town
Tan Wei Min creates lush and beautiful terrariums in everything from small glass jars to giant globes. Buying one is like taking home a piece of the…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Starchitect Kengo Kuma designed this slick revamp of an old book warehouse, turning it into a lifestyle boutique stocking a keenly edited range of fashion…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Collaborating on the super-fashionable women's streetwear in this boutique are local designers Steve J and Yoni P. Their T-shirts, sweatshirts and…
Kanazawa
Here you can observe the kinpaku (gold-leaf) process and pick up all sorts of gilded souvenirs, including pottery, lacquerware and, er...golf balls. It…
Lhasa
The souvenir stalls that once clogged the Barkhor Circuit were shepherded a couple of years ago into this three-storey concrete building with a Tibetan…
Ratnapura Gem Bureau, Museum & Laboratory
The Hill Country
This reputable place to purchase gems adopts a relatively low-pressure approach to sales. There’s a good display of local minerals and precious stones, as…
Bangkok
This three-storey antique shop, appropriately located in an antique shophouse, has everything necessary to deck out your fantasy colonial-era mansion…
Hong Kong
This shop, which has been around since 1955, is testament to just how much tea there is in China. From unfermented to fully fermented, and everything in…
Kaohsiung
A small fabric-art boutique selling lovely bags, garments and souvenir items printed with images native to Taiwan; in particular, the island's flora and…
Nur-Sultan (Astana)
These (mostly) tasteful, high-end gifts include framed traditional silver belt ornaments and necklaces, locally designed crystal goblet sets, chess sets,…
Darjeeling
Sells Tibetan-style yak-wool carpets (₹10,800 for a 6ft by 3ft carpet) as part of its charitable work with mothers from poor Darjeeling-area families, and…
Kochi (Cochin)
Fabulous hand-block-printed dresses, kurtas, skirts, bags and shirts in floaty fabrics blend Indian and European design at Anokhi, a Jaipur brand famous…
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