Luang Prabang Walking Street Market
Luang Prabang night market is a must-experience. It’s an amazing sensory encounter and offers the most extensive collection of handicrafts in the country. With around 250 handicraft vendors who sell their hand-made products each night, the market showcases an extensive variety of delicately crafted items made by local ethnic groups. On display are many types of textiles, exquisite ceramics, antiques, paintings, coffee and tea, quilts, shoes, silver, bags, ornaments and even cutlery made from recycled bombs. There are numerous items on display at the night market that are hard to find elsewhere. The market is located along Sisavangvong Road in the heart of the town and opens daily from 5 pm to around 10 pm.
Running past the National Museum, it makes for a great stroll in the cool of the evening, even if you don’t plan to shop. Along the way you must sample some local food and drink or treat yourself to one of the great restaurants along the street, sitting outside and watching the world go by. Entangled in the market life on both sides and down small side lanes are the traditional local fare, from sticky rice and grilled chicken, to papaya salad, steamed fish in banana leaf and delicious grilled fish in sea salt.
Love Anchor Canggu Bali
If you walk along Jalan Batu Balong after the sun sets, you can’t miss this exciting Instagrammable market in Canggu, made up of a complex of restaurants, bars and shops, decorated with dreamy fairy lights and illuminated with a cheery vibe as the crowd pours in for their after-dinner drinks. And on Sundays, the area is transformed into the most happening bazaar with pop-up stalls.
Here, you can find trendy and whimsical island fashion, accessories, homeware, dreamcatchers, trinkets and even old school artwork. And if you keep an eye out enough, you can even discover some hidden gems for your kids. Or if you are here for a drink, don’t miss the daily happy hour!
Sprawling Sukawati Art Market
Walking around Sukawati Art Market can be a little tricky in the sense that it may feel like a maze. But if you’re out to discover really unique things in the hidden shops off the alleys, then you’re in for a ride. Here, you will find an extensive range of items. Handmade bags, wooden ethnic bowls, crockery, those popular comfortable batik pants, dresses, and insanely gorgeous shell items (2-3 times cheaper than Ubud central). Of course, if you’re on the hunt for some art to bring home, there are many shops with paintings available, and wooden sculptures too! Be warned though, you will find plenty of similar paintings of the mass-produced variety. However, if you do spend a little more time (and dedication) going through the shops and their paintings, you are bound to find something unique that will sit pretty in your home.
Phuket’s Sunday Thalang Street Market
Thalang Road is the main central street of Phuket’s characterful Old Town. This charming, narrow boulevard is liettered with numerous attractions, great shops, an eclectic mix of restaurants, several small guesthouses and more, all housed in the beautiful Sino-Portuguese architecture which makes Phuket Town so famous.
As well as being one of the oldest streets in Phuket, it remains one of the busiest. It is a major route for road traffic except on Sunday evenings, when it becomes Phuket’s own Walking Street. Phuket Walking Street is a weekly market held every Sunday, stretching from the Thepkassatri junction right to the end of Thalang Road. The family-oriented event brings a mix of fun attractions as well as stalls selling inexpensive clothing, food and souvenirs. The amount of goods on sale is staggering, and most of the regular shops along the street continue their daily trade, adding to the eclectic atmosphere.
Singapore’s Funan Mall Gets a Revamp
Singapore’s extensive Funan Mall was once famous for gadgets and gizmos, only to shut its doors in 2016 for demolition and a full rebuild. Once rather nondescript, it’s back in full force after a swanky facelift with an array of new and exciting features – and although staying true to its tech roots with a good number of IT stores, it’s now more than just a place for techies.
The other stores here aren’t your run-off-the-mill selection either, as 30% of the tenants are new to market. Retail aside, there are also some great places to grab a bite to eat and recreational facilities that will make you not want to leave. Once inside, visitors are now treated to winning additions such as; an edible garden full of herbs, an indoor cycling bike track, rooftop futsal court and 50 lane rock climb wall!
Exploring Beijing’s Famous Markets
Destination Asia China has created an entertaining half-day program that takes guests to three of Beijing’s legendary market. Whether you join for the culture and insight into Chinese arts and crafts or simply want to pick up some unique bargains, it’s sure to become a talking point of your adventure.
First on the itinerary is Pearl Market, and as its name implies, this market is famous for its pearls, in an immense variety of colors and quality. The best selection is from the vendors on the 5th floor who supply the embassies and people in the know. Jade, jewelry, opal and other souvenirs are also available at this market so make sure to sharpen your bargaining skills before you go.
Then it’s off to the Silk Market. The Silk Market is one of the earliest clothing and souvenir markets to open in Beijing and used to be an open-air market with vendors peddling their wares from makeshift stalls. Today the market is in a 5-story building and stocks everything from bags, shoes, handicrafts, sweaters, souvenirs, mobile phones and most things in between.
Lastly we stop by at Panjiayuan Antique Market. At its busiest and most lively on weekends, the Panjiayuan flea market is the best place to hunt for Chinese arts and crafts, curios, bric-a-brac, souvenirs and maybe even a genuine antique. This sprawling market attracts locals and tourists alike and the odd Ming or Qing dynasty antique has been known to turn up amongst the myriad of fakes and reproductions.
Shop Till You Drop at Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market
Chatuchak is the largest outdoor market in Asia, spanning an incredible 35 acres of shopping, most stalls tucked into tiny narrow lanes overflowing with all kind of products you can think off, the weekend market attracts some 200,000 shoppers, browsers and buskers each Saturday and Sunday to its roughly 8,000 stalls. So forget the fancy shopping malls and visit Chatuchak weekend market instead.
At Chatuchak you will find almost anything you could imagine, including handmade goods made by local artisans, Thai-made home goods, accessories, colorful and unique clothing, local souvenirs from every part of Thailand, ceramic wares, gardening goods, silk and more! This is where you can literally shop till you drop!