Penang
One way to pass the time in the evening at Batu Ferringhi is to drop by its night market, which sells all the usual resort accessories, souvenirs and…
Must-see shopping in Asia
Itaewon & Yongsan-gu
One of the more upscale gents' shirt-makers to be found in and around Itaewon-ro. Made-to-measure cotton shirts start from ₩41,000, with two-piece…
Kagoshima
This ivy-covered shopping centre in Tenmonkan is many storeys of fashion, lifestyle goods (at Loft), books (at Junkudō, including some periodicals and…
Ulaanbaatar
One of several stores along this strip, this shop produces custom-made dels and other traditional Mongolian outfits. A custom-made silk del will cost…
Beijing
Online shopping has put the knife into bricks-and-mortar electronics malls, but this one is still clinging on, offering multiple floors of laptops,…
Yogyakarta
A regular shopping mall, Ambarukmo is 5km east of the centre on the road to Prambanan and has a great selection of boutiques, as well as a good food court…
Khon Kaen
This store creates silk dresses and skirts and also sells fabric, including mát·mèe. The emphasis is on quality and many brides-to-be come here for high…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Daiso is a chain of 100 shops and the handy outlet on Takeshita-dōri carries lots of useful sundries (like towels and slippers) and snacks.
Pakse
A reasonably well-stocked convenience store inside the Friendship Mall. There is a second location diagonally across from Talat Dao Heuang.
Darjeeling
Has a small thangka collection, sourced from Bhutan and India. Expect to pay around ₹7000 for a decent thangka, and up to ₹300,000 for a rare vintage…
Makassar
The best central mall, with (official) Apple and Samsung retailers, a Body Shop, a Matahari department store, outdoor-adventure sports retailers, cafes…
Macau
Vintage toys, household items from the 1980s, witty retro-style stationery, and handmade earrings from Macau and Hong Kong. The cafe here serves coffee…
Osaka
Daimaru's Shinsaibashi flagship store is this neo-Gothic building from 1922. It's under reconstruction through 2019, but the newer north and south wings…
Ubud Region
A popular stop for tourist buses, this very touristy market in Guwang, on Sukawati's southern edge, is full of cheap souvenirs. Many of these are produced…
Lumbini
This is the place to find an inexpensive (often plastic) souvenir. Located near the main entrance, it's a very long row of shops all selling similar…
Pema Bakery & General Tsongkhang
Eastern Bhutan
On the road to the Trashigang Dzong, this fascinating general store stocks a decent range of imported goodies. The odd smell comes from the sacks of dried…
Sichuan
At the foot of the square just inside the old town's North Gate, this supermarket is the best place in town to stock up on food for trips into the…
Darjeeling
A fairly bland mall housing the Inox Cinema, a branch of Café Coffee Day, Domino's Pizza, Big Bazaar supermarket and a specialty Nathmull's Tea Boutique.
Hong Kong
With over 60 outlets in Hong Kong, City Chain has a wristwatch for almost every whim, look and occasion, ranging from the dressy to the downright sporty.
Osaka
An eight-storey mall with dozens of fashion and lifestyle shops, a huge Kinji used-clothes shop, mid-priced restaurants and a retro video/pinball arcade.
Kolkata (Calcutta)
A slim selection of handcrafted wooden and leather products is available at this small boutique, located within walking distance from the Sudder St area.
Beppu
This popular shopping centre at the crossroads of downtown Beppu offers a Muji branch, a decent basement food floor and, should you need it, a Starbucks.
Kalimpong
This, and the stationery shop next door, have a modest collection of Himalayan titles, plus some international bestselling novels and nonfiction titles.
Yogyakarta
For regular shopping in the heart of town, Mal Malioboro covers every need from shoes and sportswear to bookshops and small stands selling cheap batik.
Chennai (Madras)
Although it's less shiny than Chennai's newer shopping malls, Citi Centre has plenty of major international and Indian brands, as well as a cinema.
French Concession
A vast selection of fine Chinese teas is sold here, from green tea to oolong and rare teas from around the Middle Kingdom. No English is spoken.
Gyeonggi-do & Incheon
This under-utilised shopping and eating complex runs along a canal at Central Park's north-west corner.
Vientiane
One of the biggest markets in Vientiane, there's virtually everything here, from food to tools, although not much of interest to most tourists.
Daejeon
Daejeon's biggest traditional market has porridge and pancake vendors, piles of kimchi and chicken feet, clothing and household goods.
Khon Kaen
Isan's very own gourmet chocolate shop has both imported Belgian and home-made chocolates. It's far from the city centre, near the university.
Myeong-dong & Jung-gu
Inside Namdaemun Market, look for this shiny building with a jaw-dropping amount of fashion jewellery.
Shanghai
For a quality range of oil paints and other art supplies, come to this well-stocked outlet at M50.
Harajuku & Aoyama
Tucked away on a Harajuku backstreet, with a much larger selection of condoms than you'll find in the drugstore – plus cheeky gifts.
Makassar
Several souvenir shops popular with tour buses can be found around the north end of Jl Somba Opu near the pier for boats to Samalona.
Northern Bangkok
This popular stall sells realistic plastic replicas of Thai fruit and vegetables. It's located in Bangkok's Chatuchak Weekend Market.
Beppu
For last-minute purchases before you catch your train, the shopping arcade inside Beppu Station offers souvenirs, crafts and snacks.
Kuta & Legian
Huge, uninspiring mall at the traffic-congested bypass construction site. The duty-free emporium is big with the group-tour set.
Cultural Innovation Space of the Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonumous Region Store
Nanning
A modern space selling traditional Zhuang embroidery, as well as gift boxes of food, tea and wine from across Guangxi province.
West Kalimantan
Locally sourced handicrafts, wares and T-shirts, some made with unexpected refinement. It's 500m east from the durian monument.
Jeonju
Silk scarves coloured with natural dyes and handmade traditional-meets-contemporary clothing from local artisan Han Seowoon.
