Hong Kong
For decades Hong Kong has been the king of electronic goods, cheap clothing and a Far East base for some of the world’s most recognisable brands.
Shopping can be found on either side of Victoria Harbour, from the fashion houses on Hong Kong Island to the markets in Kowloon’s buzzing Tsim Sha Tsui district.
Place to be: Temple Street Night Market (excellent for electronics) or the Ladies Market off Nathan Road (great for clothing, shoes and handbags).
Singapore
Rivalling Hong Kong for the honour of best place to buy electronic goods is Singapore, another former British colony that has boomed due to its own brand of Asian capitalism. While there are a huge number of shopping centres on the island of Singapore, the best place to start is the intersection of Orchard and Scotts Road. Most buildings in this area are linked by underground passages fanning out from the MRT station, so you can avoid the heat and move easily from one to the other.
Place to be: Lucky Plaza for perfume and cologne at bargain basement prices
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur comes alive at night, and the Petaling Street markets are no exception. It is one of the world’s best markets to pick up big brand knock-offs and offers a thousand variations on the T-shirt, handbag, wallet and watch theme. There is also no shortage of malls in KL, including the colossal Times Square KL, with the world’s largest indoor theme park eight floors up.
Place to be: Petaling Night Market
Tokyo
Tokyo is not the best place to hunt for a bargain. The city has now firmly established itself as one of the world’s fashion capitals, and prides itself on producing highend goods. To get your
shopping fix, the best place for browsing, is Ginza, with the mega department stores Matsuya, Mitsukoshi and Wako in close proximity.
Place to be: The oldest department store in Japan, Mitsukoshi, which started as a Kimono store in 1673.
Bangkok
Bangkok is a city of markets, so put your bartering face on and get down to business. While the Patpong Night Market is popular with tourists, it’s not the place for bargain hunters. Chatuchak Market is the largest in Bangkok, and popular with locals, but there are options to suit any taste. For a ‘just got to go’ shopping trip at three in the morning, the 24 hour Pratunam Market is known for cheap clothes, fabrics and textiles, while the market on Khao San Road is perfect for backpackers, selling stereos, CDs, books, clothes and travelling accessories
Place to be: Chinatown for its many gold and jewellery shops.
