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Advanced Photo Finisher
One of several places in the area that can print out digital shots and which also sells film.
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Amrita Craft Collection
This is a good place to start, with a broad collection of crafts and clothing. Subtract 20% from its fixed prices and you get a good benchmark for what you should aim to pay on the street if you don't mind haggling. The branch across the road has the larger selection.
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Aroma Garden
Thamel's sweetest-smelling shop is a good one-stop shop for incense, essential oils, soaps and almost anything else that smells great.
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Babar Mahal Revisited
This unique complex of old Rana palace outbuildings, originally built in 1919, has been redeveloped to house a warren of chic clothes shops, designer galleries, handicraft shops and even a wine shop, as well as a couple of top-end restaurants and bars. It's aimed squarely at local expats and wealthy locals so prices are as high as the quality. It's southeast of the city near the Singh Durbar government offices.
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Bandari Photo Shop
Bandari Photo Shop is a reliable source of film and can print out digital shots.
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Best Shopping Centre
Best Shopping Centre is a small supermarket in Thamel that can help self-caterers or those buying trekking food such as noodles, nuts or dried fruit.
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Bluebird Supermarkets
Has a wide variety of goods. There's also a branch by the main bridge across the Bagmati River to Patan.
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Color Link
Color Link will print out your digital shots; you can also restock your film here.
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Curio Arts
Curio Arts is a good place to start your shopping for statues in the Patan area.
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Dharmapala Thangka Center
Down an arcade, off Durbar Marg, this is a showroom for a local school of thangka painting.
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Ganesh Photo Lab
Ganesh Photo Lab, in an alley southwest of Durbar Sq, is an unlikely looking but reputedly good place for B&W processing.
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Hicola
Hicola, Lazimpat is fairly reliable and can handle colour prints and E-6 or Ektachrome slides. Mounted slide processing will cost you around Rs400 for 36 slides; prints costs Rs360 for 36 photos. There si anothe branch offering the same prices at Tridevi Marg in Thamel.
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Kasthamandap Bazaar Supermarket
The Kasthamandap Bazaar Supermarket has a decent selection of goodies.
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Mahaguthi
For general handicrafts such as handmade paper, ceramics and woodwork - much of it made by disadvantaged or minority groups - the best places are the showrooms of the nonprofit development organisations that are based in the Kopundol district of Patan.
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Mandala Bookpoint
Mandala Bookpoint has an excellent selection, with a good range in French and German.
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Nepal Book Depot
Nepal Book Depot offers some of the best prices for book-buying.
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New Tibet Book Store
The best collection of Tibet-related titles but few discounts.
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Paper Park
One of the dozens of shops in Thamel that sell hand-made paper products, Paper Park is one of the better options.
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Phapa Chengreshi Thangka Painting School
You can see thangkas being painted on the spot at this school in Thamel.
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Pilgrims Book House
The best bookshop in town and particularly strong on antiquarian travelogues, though it's pricier than the competition. There are a couple of smaller branches around town. Most bookshops in Thamel, including Pilgrims Book House sell stamps and deliver postcards to the post office, which is much easier than making a special trip to the post office yourself. Pilgrims charges a 10% commission for this service. They also have a fine collection of kids' books, including colouring books.
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Sana Hastakala
This is a showroom for a nonprofit development organisation where you can purchase general handicrafts (much of which is made by disadvantaged or minority groups) and know your shopping is making a difference.
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Shona's Alpine Rental
Shona's Alpine Rental offers reliable rentals and a good range of items for sale if you are looking to hire or buy trekking gear.
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Snapper Photo
Snapper Photo is one option if you're keen to buy near-new camera equipment. Just be sure to ascertain whether what you are buying has an international warranty.
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Tea World
Tea World is a reliable place for high-quality tea and spices. Find it down a long corridor beside the Student Guest House in Thamel. The manager offers free tasting and will tell you a lot about the teas on offer.
