Must-see shopping in Asia

  • Kinari Bazaar

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Kinari means 'hem' in Hindi, and this colour-blazing market sells all the trimmings that finish off an outfit. It's famous for zardozi (gold embroidery),…

  • Fabindia

    South Delhi

    Branch of the excellent Indian clothing shop, with a wide range of men's cotton kurtas (long shirts) and pyjamas, women's salwar kameez (dress-like tunic…

  • Thaikila

    Seminyak

    'The dream bikini of all women' is the motto of this local brand that makes a big statement with its tiny wear. The swimwear is French-designed and made…

  • Ballimaran

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    This area is apparently where Delhi's Yamuna boat operators once lived. Today this market street and the smaller lanes fanning off it specialise in…

  • Old Railway

    Galle

    An eclectic, interesting store where most of the clothing, jewellery, bags, toys and gifts are designed in-house, made from locally sourced materials, and…

  • It Was All A Dream

    Canggu

    Great-quality leather bags, fun sunglasses, vintage jeans, jersey basics, embroidered kaftans and more. This hip boutique has original pieces at…

  • trunkh

    Siem Reap

    The owner here has a great eye for the quirky, stylish and original, including beautiful shirts, throw pillows, jewellery, poster art and T-shirts, plus…

  • DSB Books

    Thimphu

    Thimphu's best selection of magazines and newspapers, as well as coffee-table and other books on Buddhism, Bhutan and the region. It's on the ground floor…

  • Suvasa

    Hyderabad

    Suvasa's block-printed kurtas are priced from around ₹1200 in cotton, and they also have high-quality salwar and dupattas. Homeware, including gorgeous…

  • Fabindia

    New Delhi

    Surprisingly well-priced, high-quality, ready-made clothes in funky Indian fabrics, from elegant kurtas (long collarless shirts) and dupattas (women's…

  • Silver Shop

    Jaipur

    A trusted jewellery shop backed by the Hotel Pearl Palace, which hosts the store. A money-back guarantee is offered on all items. Find it under the…

  • Selyn

    Colombo

    Fairtrade goods made on local handlooms are the main items for sale here; the inventory spans all forms of housewares and is colorful and stylish. The big…

  • House of Fashions

    Colombo

    Colombo's legendary multistorey surplus outlet for the nation’s garment industry is actually a tad upscale. It has unbeatable textile and clothing prices,…

  • Sabala Handicrafts

    Karnataka

    Fair-trade store selling beautiful handmade textiles, bags, saris, kurtas and accessories. Prices start at ₹800. Profits benefit an NGO that empowers…

  • Dylan Board Store

    Canggu

    Famed big-wave rider Dylan Longbottom runs this custom surfboard shop. A talented shaper, he creates boards for novices and pros alike. He also stocks…

  • Dariba Kalan

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    For silver (jewellery, ornaments, old coins), head for Dariba Kalan, the alley near the Sisganj Gurdwara, and with the easy-to-spot Jalebi Wala at its…

  • Full Circle Bookstore

    Delhi

    One of Delhi’s best bookshops, with racks of specialist books on the city, plus novels and kids’ books. Relaxing, but pricey Café Turtle is upstairs.

  • San-Cha Tea Boutique

    Bengaluru (Bangalore)

    Tea-lovers, rejoice: this wonderful store has more than 70 varieties of tea, from grand crus to humble teabags, many personally curated by master tea…

  • Ganesha Bookshop

    Ubud

    Bookshop with a fabulous selection of titles on Indonesian-related subjects, fiction by top local authors, and a large selection of secondhand books. Also…

  • Emquartier

    Thanon Sukhumvit

    Arguably one of Bangkok's flashiest malls. Come for brands you're not likely to find elsewhere, or get lost in the Helix, a seemingly never-ending spiral…

  • Vijitha Yapa Bookshop

    Colombo

    Stocks a comprehensive collection of foreign and local novels, magazines and pictorial tomes on Sri Lanka. There's a second branch in Crescat Boulevard.

  • Bahrisons

    Delhi

    This is one of Khan Market's wonderful bookshops, with loads of the latest fiction and books on India, plus knowledgable staff. They also have a branch…

  • Kumudini

    Dhaka

    Three floors of top-quality traditional Bengali clothing and handicrafts, including some lovely children’s clothes and toys, fabulous embroidery as well…

  • Nala Muse

    Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar

    Browse the bold and beautiful design products – covering fashion, stationery and homewares – of Lisette Scheers. You can also buy her printed fabric here…

  • Sueb San

    Khon Kaen

    This cute little shop behind a pan-pipe arch stocks natural-dyed fabrics plus some creative handmade notebooks, postcards, bags and other souvenirs, and…

  • Dilmah Tea Shop

    Colombo

    Sri Lanka’s top tea brand has its own posh shops, including this outlet in glitzy Odel. A second branch is located in Crescat Boulevard.

  • Shastri Market

    Chandigarh

    This bustling, sprawling street market sells a mind-boggling array of household goods and clothing, and is sprinkled with pop-up street-food stalls…

  • Jayamali Batiks Studio

    Kandy

    Fine batik clothing and homeware (bedspreads and wall hangings) in modern, artistic styles created by designer Upali Jayakody. It's on the upper floor of…

  • Waruna Antiques

    Kandy

    About 2km southwest of the centre, this warren of an antique shop is a fine place to root around for old masks, jewellery, coins, textiles, maps and art…

  • SM City Mall

    Cebu City

    Huge shopping mall with hundreds of stores (including leading US, European and Asian brands), a cinema, IMAX theatre, bowling complex, banking and all…

  • Barefoot

    Galle

    Chic boutique selling colourful local clothing, jewellery, linen and rugs, crafts and gifts. The book section has an excellent selection of Sri Lanka…

  • Banana Fibre Craft Workshop

    Karnataka

    Look on at this small workshop as artisans make a range of handicrafts and accessories using the bark of a banana tree and recycled materials. It's all…

  • Punchard

    Ubon Ratchathani

    Though pricey, this is the best all-round handicrafts shop in Ubon. It specialises in silks and homewares; many of its products merge old methods and…

  • People Tree

    New Delhi

    This hole-in-the-wall shop sells fixed-price, fair-trade T-shirts with funky Indian designs and urban attitude, as well as bags, jewellery and Indian-god…

  • Nai Sarak

    Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)

    Running south from the old Town Hall, Nai Sarak is lined with stalls selling saris, shawls, chiffon and lehenga (blouse and skirt combo).

  • Tulola

    Kerobokan

    This is the jewellery shop of noted Balinese-American designer Sri Luce Rusna. High-end items are created in Bali and displayed in this exquisite boutique.

  • Nakagawa Sports

    Ōsumi Islands

    Rents and sells everything from rainwear (from ¥1200) and waterproof hiking boots (available in larger gaijin sizes) to tents and baby carriers.

  • Phillips

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    Art deco and colonial-era furniture, wooden ceremonial masks, silver, Victorian glass, plus high-quality reproductions of old photos, maps and paintings.

  • Aranya

    Dhaka

    Traditional hand-woven Bangladeshi garments of superior quality and design. Certainly not the cheapest, but definitely among the most stylish.

  • Souvenir from Tokyo

    Roppongi, Akasaka & Around

    There's always an expertly curated and ever-changing selection of home-grown design bits and bobs that make for unique souvenirs at this shop.