Jianguo Weekend Holiday Jade Market
Taipei
This giant market peddling jade and other semiprecious stones is under Jianguo Overpass. There are also beads, pearls, religious artefacts and copper…
Must-see shopping in Asia
Ko Samui
The island's travelling market takes up the outdoor space behind Central Festival mall when it comes to Chaweng. The popular street market is full of…
Yogyakarta
Established in 1950, this well-regarded silver shop occupies the same traditional premises and has a workshop onsite. Free tours illustrate the complexity…
Hoi An
Owned by Yorkshire expat artist Bridget March, this gallery showcases her work – poignant watercolours, whimsical sketches and abstract works – and a…
Arts & Handicrafts Training Centre
Bandar Seri Begawan
Sells silverwork, carved wood items, ornamental silver cannons (B$1000) and gong sets (B$1400), handmade, embroidered shirts (B$897) and sinjang …
French Concession
From the entrance, this looks like just another tea shop, but poke around inside and you’ll find specially blended herbal teas from Ayako, a traditional…
Gwanghwamun & Jongno-gu
Staff speak English here and can recommend titles published by Seoul Selection as well as a wide range of other publishers' books on Korean culture in…
Singapore
It might look like a forbidding mausoleum, but this marble-and-granite behemoth promises retail giddiness on its seven floors. International luxury brands…
Chiang Mai
Opened in 1980, this place is a warren of paintings on cotton, cards and rocks, often inscribed with feel-good or creative quotes. John also hawks dusty…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Anchored by Isetan and Robinsons department stores, The Gardens Mall is home to many luxury international fashion brands as well as a multiplex cinema,…
Bandung
The coolest showroom on Jl Braga displays the artistry of nature. The medium here is huge slabs of tropical wood, minimally treated and displayed like…
Manila
The speciality here is pinya (fabric woven from pineapple fibres) products – especially embroidered barongs (from P9500), but there are also lacquered…
Shantiniketan
This open-air market sees local artisans and others selling, among other things, highly colourful textiles, bright tribal jewellery and attractive dhokra …
National Cultural and Creative Gift Center
Taipei
Four floors of jade, ceramics, tea sets, jewellery, scrolls, Kinmen knives, Kavalan whisky and handmade soap are just some of the highlights of the…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Everything is natural about Maito's clothing and accessories, including the fabrics used (mainly cotton and wool) and the plant-based dyes. Choose from a…
Beijing
Treat your feet to a pair of hand-stitched cloth shoes from this time-honoured Beijing shop dating back to 1853. From the plain slip-ons favoured by…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
This is the monster branch of Yodobashi Camera where many locals shop. It has eight floors of electronics, state-of-the-art camera and audio equipment,…
New Delhi
This spacious government-sponsored collection of stores is a cornucopia of quality cotton, silk and wool products fashioned by handloom weavers and…
Holland Village, Dempsey Hill & the Botanic Gardens
Tucked away in Holland Rd Shopping Centre, this tiny shop is absolutely stuffed with wonderful Singaporean themed gifts and homewares. You won't find any…
Singapore
Joo Chiat (Katong) is stuffed with bakeries and dessert shops, but few equal old-school Kim Choo. Pick up traditional pineapple tarts and other brightly…
Ko Samui
Scouse owner Paul Wotham belongs to a different age; one where people read and loved to wander the isles of a decent bookshop. There may not be many of…
Manila
The HUB is basically a happy place for creators and entrepreneurs. You'll find all sorts of things being sold out of fun cubicles: wacky fashion…
Phnom Penh
This cool pop-art gallery pays tribute to the lost artists of Cambodia's golden years, many of whom perished under the Khmer Rouge regime, in an original…
Phuket
Exclusive Ko Samui beachwear boutique Chandra nails the high-end Thai-island look with its breezy style and graphic prints woven into cotton dresses and…
Nara
Nara's famed 300-year-old linen producer now creates beautiful bags, pouches and scarves out of natural materials, subtly adorned with traditional motifs…
Kampot
In Kampot you can purchase pouches of peerless pepper at the FarmLink boutique, one of the pioneers of geographical-indication pepper production. You can…
Tajikistan
Upholding a tradition dating back 2000 years, blacksmiths at this mini-bazaar whet the edges of top-quality knives using traditional tools, including…
Hong Kong
The flagship store for Hong Kong's Carroll & Chan brand of candles and diffusers sells gift-worthy products like ecofriendly beeswax candles, paper lotus…
Teresita’s Antiques and Furniture
Baguio
Teresita’s largely caters to serious collectors, with antique bulol out of financial reach of casual shoppers. There's also a good selection of Igorot…
Kaohsiung
A delightful bookshop strong in the arts and humanities. Most books are in Mandarin, but there are photography titles in English as well as CDs of music…
Kupang
The main market is the rambling Pasar Inpres, south of the city. It's mostly fruit and vegetables, but ti'i langga (lontar-leaf hats with a centre plume)…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Despite its name, Radio Kaikan has nothing to do with radios and everything to do with Japanese pop culture. It was completely rebuilt in 2014 to include…
Hat Patong
Hidden in this dusty antiques repository at the southern end of Patong is a vast array of teak sculpture, Buddha images, delicate paintings, some…
Fisherman's Village Night Market
Ko Samui
Every Friday night, this strip of Fisherman's Village close to the parking for The Wharf, transforms into a busy and colourful forest of market stalls,…
Tokyo
In an neighbourhood known for its history of craftsmanship, second-generation Takatora produces stencil-dyed clothing and accessories just like in the old…
Western Mongolia
Traditional Kazakh skullcaps, wall hangings and throws, knives and dombra (traditional Kazakh two-stringed lutes) can be found amid the chaos here. Also…
Chiang Mai Province
If the Saturday and Sunday Walking Streets feel overly touristy, check out this local water-buffalo market. For more than 60 years, farmers have been…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
An impressive array of traditional arts and tribal crafts are on sale at this well-stocked government emporium. Service is a bit impersonal and prices can…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
This homewares shop is curated by Tokyo's original boutique hotel, Claska, in a renovated mid-20th-century building on Meguro-dōri, near other interior…
Kuala Lumpur
Anchored by a swanky branch of the Singaporean department store Robinsons, this six-floor mall expands the consumer possibilities in the KLCC area. Look…
