Samarkand
A dozen craft shops cluster around this single courtyard, making it a great place to shop for quality souvenirs, from ceramics and jewellery to wood…
Must-see shopping in Asia
Chiang Mai
Though a little out of the way, Baan Kang Wat is worth the trip simply to coo over the cute architecture and picturesque ambience. The open-air artists…
Mumbai (Bombay)
Under the discerning eye of gourmet entrepreneur Samyukta Nair, this Colaba concept store occupies a late-19th-century art deco building chock-full of…
Jaipur
This state-government-run emporium, opposite Ajmer Gate, is packed with quality Rajasthani artefacts and crafts, including enamelwork, embroidery, pottery…
Mongolia
This is one of the last traditional bow and arrow workshops in Mongolia. In a large, dusty room, exquisite bows and arrows are made from ibex and reindeer…
Mumbai (Bombay)
One of Mumbai's oldest shops and born of a dying breed, this family-run retailer kicked off in 1918. Today, friendly grandson Paresh still hawks the…
Hua Hin
Seek35 is full of funky take-homes you won't find elsewhere in Hua Hin. Spread across two shops opposite each other at Seenspace mall, one is filled with…
Bagan
Pho Htoo and his brother run this workshop, which has been in their family for four generations and focuses on high-quality ‘traditional’ designs. In…
Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
Delhi's Tibetan enclave, Majnu-ka-Tilla, is a fascinating tangle of tiny alleys – too narrow for vehicles – that are dotted with cheap guesthouses,…
Jodhpur
The most famous spice shop in Jodhpur (and believe us, there are lots of pretenders), MV Spices has five small branches around town, including one at…
Paro
Chencho has an interesting selection of local handicrafts, and is particularly strong on weavings, antique kiras (women's traditional dresses) and…
Mumbai (Bombay)
One of Mumbai's hottest new brands, this small showroom, overseen by Nandi the Holy Cow in logo, art and design, is an interior-design oasis in Mangaldas…
Ho Chi Minh City
Founded by UK banker turned shoe designer Dominic Price, this flagship store exquisitely hand-makes and -colours its premium leather shoes and accessories…
Dhaka
Claiming to be the 12th largest mall in the world, Bashundhara City is worth visiting to experience the middle-class Bangladeshi dream. In the swish…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
India's top consumer line of ethno-chic dresses and Indo-Western apparel has one of its city stores in this central location. Apart from garments, there's…
Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay
Inside the National Design Centre, Kapok showcases beautifully designed products from Singapore and beyond. Restyle your world with local jewellery from…
The Ancient Cities
This batik factory and showroom is a great place to see the batik-making process, from the drawing of the designs and multistage dyeing of cloth to the…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Very hipster, very chic, yet unbelievably affordable. Housed in a tastefully renovated mansion, this boutique specialises in a delightful collection of…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
This tiny tea boutique is one of the best places in Kolkata to pick up some delectable Darjeeling leaves. Dolly, a veteran tea taster who owns the place,…
Lama Tshering Dorji General Shop
Paro
This monk supply shop is one of several in Paro aimed squarely at locals and monks rather than tourists, but it's a fascinating browse. Items for sale…
Mumbai (Bombay)
This trendy, bespoke shirt tailor for men and women will outfit you in some seriously cool threads for a fraction of prices back home. You can customise…
Kathmandu
Originally built in 1919 by the then prime minister for his son, this unique complex of neoclassical Rana palace outbuildings has been redeveloped to…
Vientiane
This small shop works with over 300 artisans in 14 communities across 10 provinces of Laos, selling everything from hand-woven silk textiles to bamboo…
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
A fantastic place to buy top-quality traditional Korean handicrafts like hanji (Korean paper) ornaments and baskets, najeon (inlaid lacquerware),…
Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
This spice shop have been purveyors of taste-tingling flavour since 1958. There's a huge selection of easy-to-transport-home, pre-packaged spices…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Beams, a national chain of trendsetting boutiques, is a Japanese cultural institution and this multistorey Shinjuku branch has a particular audience in…
Bangkok
Occupying the first four floors of the Mahanakhon skyscraper, this vast duty-free outlet is run by King Power, a Thai duty-free company that also owns…
Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay
Spruce up your coffee table at this temple to design books and magazines. Located inside Bras Basah Complex (locally dubbed 'Book City'), it has…
Kathmandu
It’s worth popping in to peruse this small but interesting collection of quality and unique gifts produced by a hand-picked roster of women’s groups, NGOs…
Jaipur
Anokhi is a classy, upmarket boutique selling stunning high-quality textiles such as block-printed fabrics, tablecloths, bed covers, cosmetic bags and…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
This is an excellent full-range bookshop that sells a variety of titles, including an impressive catalogue of coffee-table books on India. It stocks…
Thimphu
Across the Kundeyling Baazam cantilevered footbridge from the Weekend Market, this handicraft market on the east bank sells everything from wooden bowls…
Mumbai (Bombay)
A trendy, bespoke shirt tailor for men and women. You can customise everything – collars, buttons, cuffs and twill tapes. The results are stunning and the…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Gorgeous handmade textiles and traditional fabrics vie for your attention at this upmarket boutique, run by an organisation that works with artisanal…
Kathmandu
One of the best of several shops in Thamel that sell handmade paper products, from photo albums to paper lamps. The paper comes from the lokta (daphne)…
Nagoya
Enjoy the genius of Komehyō, Japan's largest discounter of secondhand, well…everything. Housed over seven floors in the main building, clothes, jewellery…
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
One of the most popular brands for affordable, young women's casual fashion, Stylenanda's flagship store is especially notable for its pink design. The…
Labuan Bajo
At Labuan Bajo's best fashion store, all pieces are locally made, with some also designed in Flores. There's plenty for the ladies, from linen clothing to…
Timor-Leste
This excellent initiative by Barry's Place in Beloi involves a team of locals who comb the beach for plastic, sort it here and process it through various…
Bandar Seri Begawan
BSB's prime shopping location offers four floors of Asian and global brands, plus a striking ceiling mural of a Royal Brunei Airlines plane careering…
