Shop til you drop all over the world
Post on: 2011-11-02 By: admin
With painfully blistered feet and profusely perspiring bodies weighed down by shopping bags, they hobble back to their hotels from Singapore's shop-studded Orchard Road.Once in their rooms, they turn up the air-conditioning and spill the contents of their bags onto their beds. "Look what I bought!" they shriek ecstatically to companions who have cunningly managed to avoid spending another day traipsing through shopping malls. [Golf and tummy upsets are popular excuses.]Distracted from their blisters, the shoppers tell anyone who'll listen that they've had a fabulous day.People may try to convince us that they have other reasons for travelling - and certainly don't plan to shop.But don't believe a word of it.Despite such vociferous denials, shopping is a major activity on most holiday trips.Important Asian shopping destinations such as Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand spend heavily to mount shopping festivals (with deep discounts) aimed specifically at foreign visitors.Store owners happily help to bankroll these events - because tourists provide much of their business.While Australia's strong dollar is often cited as the motivation behind shopping splurges, it isn't the whole story.No, holiday shopping isn't just about buying something overseas far more cheaply than the neighbours can purchase it at home.As travel agent Chris McIlroy, owner of Melbourne's Travelscene Cranbourne, puts it, it's often a way to be reminded of favourite places."Everyone loves having something that brings back fond memories - whether it be clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories or home ware."And if it also comes at a bargain price, "that's even better".ASIAAsian holiday destinations are correctly associated with bargain shopping. However, it's all relative. Many westerners shop in Singapore, buying goods for much less than in their home countries. But Singaporeans tend to nip across the border to Malaysia to save.Malaysia's malls and markets are similar to Singapore's - but cheaper. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is crammed with stylish malls - and one of the best street markets is along Chinatown's Petaling Street.Asia overflows with wonderful, teeming markets. It depends on where you're headed. For instance: Bangkok's 11-hectare Chatuchak, Beijing's vast Panjiayuan (by no means just for second-hand goods), Ho Chi Minh City's Ben Thanh (close to many hotels) and Seoul's Dongdaemun and Namdaemun.Malls range from Bangkok's bargain-filled MBK, which David Goldman, director and general manager of Sydney's Goldman Travel Corporation, strongly recommends as ideal for "shoppers on a budget" to many firmly in designer territory.In most Asian countries, what's available in capital cities is also sold elsewhere - including tourist centres such as Indonesia's Bali, Thailand's Phuket or anywhere in China and Vietnam. What's more, there's no significant price difference.An example: Trudy Francis, a marketing co-ordinator at Adelaide's Life Plan Travel, found Vietnam's Hoi An resort area teeming with "amazing numbers" of cut-price but excellent tailors (of men's and women's garments) - just like those in Vietnam's big cities.The key, almost everywhere in Asia, is to haggle ferociously - but etiquette dictates you mustn't bargain if you have no intention of buying.Often overlooked among Asian shopping destinations is Manila. The Philippines capital, says Amy Wyatt, senior international consultant at Melbourne's Beaumaris Travel, is a shop-till-you-drop zone."The best area to stay in is Makati," she advises. Popular among shoppers are the giant Mall of Asia and several SM malls. These have "all the big names at much-reduced prices".Wyatt agrees Manila isn't as popular among Australians as Bali or Phuket. "Get there before the masses do," she recommends.Asia's most outlandish fashions are in Tokyo's Harajuku precinct, easily reached by subway. The area is the base of many of Japan's most innovative (some would say outrageous) designers - and a superb spot for people-watching, with young Japanese wearing over-the-top creations.Another outstanding Asian bargain destination is Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo. The store to head for here is called Odel, air-conditioned and incorporating popular restaurants. Air crews, Sri Lankan expatriates and repeat visitors clamour for its little-known and dirt-cheap "overruns" from the country's fashion industry, which makes clothes for many global designer brands.AFRICASimilarly, South Africa - better-known for its cultural attractions and game reserves - is peppered with shopping malls bigger than most in Australia. Located in many of the country's cities, they're great for low-cost fashions.Aside from South Africa itself, Africa (like the South Pacific) is generally expensive for shopping - except for arts-and-crafts and souvenirs. Exceptions are Egypt and Morocco. Well-travelled consultant Jasmine Housden of Brisbane's Skelton Travel urges visitors to wander through markets in Morocco's Marrakesh and Fez. Besides bargains, tourists discover "incredible smells and fun people".EUROPEIn Europe, Australian fashion shoppers swear by London, Paris and Milan. Exchange rates make this a particularly good time to hunt for bargains. As travel consultant Maureen Horsell, also of Adelaide's Life Plan, reports: "The strength of the Australian dollar makes Paris really affordable for shoes, handbags, hats and gloves."But her colleague Cathy Elliott, of the same office, believes Eastern European capitals now rival Paris for chic shopping. Elliott's record: five pairs of shoes snapped up in less than an hour in Poland's capital, Warsaw.Otherwise, Eastern Europe is particularly renowned for knitwear and crystal glassware (particularly in the Czech Republic).AMERICASouth America's best shopping is in Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital. Touristy Florida Street is notorious for higher prices than elsewhere in this sprawling city. An exception is the country's famed leather goods (jackets, skirts, trousers, shoes, handbags) which aren't more expensive here.Many foreigners have favourite cobblestoned neighbourhoods for shopping in Buenos Aires. Travelscene Cranbourne's Chris McIlroy makes a beeline for the Palermo quarter where "in a mostly residential area, there are many boutiques, galleries and home ware stores as well as cafes and restaurants". At Palermo's weekend craft market "young designers often have 'one off' samples at great prices".The nearby nations of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru are famous for brightly-coloured and inexpensive knitwear made by indigenous South American Indian communities.Australian travellers to the US usually search for cheap electronics and fashions. While New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles are outstanding for shopping, the same items at similar prices are available from national and regional chains in malls across the country.Whatever you do, don't ignore the oft-given but extremely sensible advice: arrive with a half-empty suitcase because you'll leave with a full one.And don't say you didn't come to shop. People simply won't believe you.
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