Daslu

Lonely Planet review

It's against the rules to arrive on foot at São Paulo's most over-the-top shopping emporium. A taxi is one option, though it's much more chic to arrive by chopper at the rooftop heliport. The store itself looks like an all-white Roman villa on steroids, and over its three floors you can find every top designer, from Gucci to Tumi. Uniformed servants dole out free espresso, biscotti and sparkling water at bars spread throughout the store.

Still hungry? There's a tea room, a sushi bar and a more formal dining room. Daslu even has its own harem - a sprawling series of lounges and changing rooms where mirrors are ubiquitous and men are forbidden to set foot.

Despite the glittering facade, Daslu has known its share of shame. Just after the store opened in its current location in 2005, owner Eliana Tranchesi was arrested for flagrant and massive tax fraud. Luckily (or perhaps it wasn't just luck?), she didn't have to serve a prison sentence - but the store did end up paying a fine of more than 100 million US dollars.