Hoi An
This initiative focuses attention on Ð Phan Boi Chau, east of Ð Hoang Dieu, as a dedicated arts street with galleries, museums and cafes housed mainly in…
Must-see shopping in Southeast Asia
Iloilo
This beautifully restored Spanish home (1865) offers private tours of the upstairs living area (P150, minimum five people) and a downstairs shop where the…
Mandalay
The most sophisticated of Mandalay's gold-leaf workshops, King Galon offers patient explanations of the gold-pounding process, including the physically…
Siam Square, Pratunam, Phloen Chit & Ratchathewi
This open-air shopping zone is ground zero for teenage culture in Bangkok. Pop music blares out of tinny speakers, and gangs of youngsters in various…
Puerto Princesa
This colourful pasalubong (gift) shop employs local weavers to make baskets, clothing, place mats and other products using indigenous materials. The…
Kuala Lumpur
Joshua Lim is the knowledgeable director of this commercial art space exhibiting a good range of contemporary works by local artists. Among the talents…
Chiang Mai
The colours of the mountains have been woven into the naturally dyed silks and cottons here, part of a project to preserve traditional weaving and…
Quy Nhon
Everything at this craft centre is made by people with disabilities and special needs. All the items – silk scarves, bookmarks, hand-painted cards and…
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Housed in the lower section of a beautiful, historic, wooden house that is open to visitors, this gift shop is the pick of the ones that line Th Tachang…
Kuala Lumpur
Art, shopping, dining and social life are all in harmony at this innovative mall, 10 minutes' drive north of Bangsar. There's a good handicrafts market on…
Baguio
Though nondescript from the outside, Sabado’s is an Aladdin's cave of genuine indigenous treasures. Poke around in the semi-gloom and you may find Kalinga…
Hanoi
A not-for-profit organisation near the Temple of Literature that sells quality tribal handicrafts, textiles and weavings at fair-trade prices. The bags…
Manila
Set over three levels, this is the kind of place that pulls in tourists by the busload. The merchandise is of surprisingly good quality, considering how…
Hoi An
This excellent fair-trade gift shop stocks good-quality silk scarves, clothes, jewellery, hand-painted Vietnamese hats, handmade toys and teddy bears. The…
Hoi An
Shop here for intriguing and colourful homemade homewares and fashion, typically employing natural hemp, indigo dye and beeswax-stencilled batik, and…
Kon Tum
The anthropologically inclined will enjoy this shop that has walls festooned with Bahnar and Sedang artefacts – nipple gongs, funeral masks, drums,…
Phnom Penh
An NGO that runs a range of programs to train and assist former prostitutes and victims of sex trafficking. The fashionable clothes, bags and accessories…
Kerobokan
Double-down on your villa’s romance with handmade candles, air diffusers, aromatherapy oils, bath salts and homewares that evoke the feel of a 19th…
Davao
Head up to the 5th floor, part of an outdoor plaza called the Peak, for this shop selling locally produced products such as organic cacao, coconut oil and…
Manila
This is the high end of the Ayala Centre, with scores of swish cafes and restaurants around a central park area. There are five sections (Greenbelt 1 to…
Bacolod
A one-stop shop for local handicrafts and organic products, including native jewellery, MassKara masks and piaya (sugary flat cakes). It's located in…
Iloilo
A bit of a maze to navigate, but otherwise the shops are well-ordered and a delight to wander.
Solo
Danar Hadi is an important Solonese batik manufacturer and sells an extensive collection through this beautiful showroom. Styles include traditional…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Managed by home-grown architects and designers, this furniture and home accessories shop turns retro furniture into contemporary showpieces. For example,…
Singapore
Rising directly above Orchard MRT station, futuristic ION is the cream of Orchard Rd malls. Basement floors focus on mere-mortal high-street labels, while…
Jakarta
Jakarta’s famous street market is in Menteng. It has woodcarvings, furniture, textiles, jewellery, old vinyl records and many (dubious) antiques from…
Singapore
Looking for unique and inspiring tokens of your time in Singapore? Put this sprawling, designer haven on your list. Cheeky postcards, fun local food…
Papua
For a slice of local life, you can't do better than a trip to this outdoor marketplace, where three times a week vendors descend from all corners of Biak…
Siam Square, Pratunam, Phloen Chit & Ratchathewi
As much an air-conditioned urban park as it is a shopping centre, Siam Paragon is home to Sea Life Ocean World, Major Cineplex and Gourmet Paradise, a…
Kuala Lumpur
Fronted by branches of fashion retailers H&M and Zara, this mall's star turn is Isetan The Japan Store, a department which curates the best of Japanese…
Singapore
Even if you're not in the market for high-end heels and bags, Pedder On Scotts thrills with its creative, whimsical items. The store hand picks only the…
Kuala Lumpur
Arrive early to experience KL's largest wet (produce) market at its most frantic and visceral. Here you can get every imaginable type of fruit, vegetable,…
Yangon
Something of a Yangon cool-kid and expat scene, this regular Saturday market promotes sustainable and seasonal agricultural produce. It is as much a…
Siem Reap
For locally produced souvenirs (unlike much of the imported stuff that turns up in Psar Chaa), drop in on this handicraft market. It's a little out of the…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
