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May
19
Filed Under (Travel) by shopping
shopping
Wolfgang Jaegel asked:


One of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Bangkok is also the most fabulous shopping destination in Asia. In fact, shopping in Bangkok is truly fun as well as a great experience, with an array of shopping locations, ranging from glitzy modern shopping malls to traditional bustling street markets selling antiquities and designer and traditional jewelry.

In short, Bangkok is a mecca for shopping enthusiasts, and everything including electronic items, computer software and hardware, art and craft items, Chinese specialties, textiles, jewelry, and much more can be shopped here.

Perhaps most popular among the shopping highlights in Bangkok is the Siam Square, which is strategically positioned at Central Station on the BTS Sky Train route. This area is dotted with hundreds of high-end shopping malls, among which one of the most sought after is Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center, within which one can find a number of shops selling branded items.

There is also an elegant cinema complex on the top floor of Siam Discovery Center, with comfortable seats. This is a great place to relax after a day of tired shopping. Located just ten minutes walk from the Siam Square is another much famed shopping spot in Bangkok, namely, Mahboonkrong Shopping Center, dotted with a large number of shops selling quality clothing and electronic items at knock-down prices.

One can also find a couple of shopping malls and department stores, close to the Chit Lom BTS Sky Train station. Among which, perhaps the most significant is the eight-storied World Trade Center, attached with a number of duty free shops. Found on the top floor of the World Trade Center is an ice skating rink. The Central Group’s flagship store, Central Chit Lom Department Store, is also located here. Such shopping centers as Gaysorn Plaza, Maneya Centre, Sogo, and Narayana Phand, a great spot to shop handicraft items, are also situated in this area.

For those who want to shop computer-related items and peripherals at cheap prices, a great way would be to head to Pantip Plaza on the Phetburi Road. This is a paradise for shopping computer items. Every floor within the plaza has a number of shops selling both original and pirated software and hardware items. One could buy copy of VCD movies for a price as low as 100 baht.

A good number of small as well as large shopping malls can also be found along the Ploenchit Road and Sukhumvit Road, such as, Robinson, Ploenchit Plaza, Times Square, Emporium, and Landmark.

Popular shopping areas in Bangkok also include Silom Road, located to the south of the Siam Square. Just few among the shopping malls in this area are Silom Center, Central department stores, Silom Plaza, Thaniya Plaza, Silom Village, and Holiday Inn Crown Plaza.

Shopping at Bangkok would not be complete without taking a tour to Chatuchak market, which becomes alive in the city every weekend. Located near the Mo Chit BTS Sky Train station, Chatuchak market is an incredible outdoor market, from where everything from handicraft items and livestock items could be shopped and that too at bargain prices. Further, you can also find a large number of food stalls in the market, selling delicious Thai food items such as fried noodles, noodle curry, and barbequed satays.

Other popular shopping areas in the city are Bangrak Market, a bustling area which is famed for its flower stalls, engage in selling enormous variety of cut flowers, jasmines, and orchids; China Town, with alleys packed with outlets dealing in almost all types of goods; Pratunam Market, which is a great place to relish hygiene as well as delicious food items; Woeng Nakhon Kasem - a popular spot to shop items such as brassware, old fashioned furniture, industrial items, antiques, and Chinese porcelains.

Above all, for a unique shopping experience, take a tour to some of the most fabulous night markets in the area. Most prominent among the night markets in the city are the Suan Luam Night Bazaar, whose specialty is stalls that sell products brought from every corner of the country.

Pratunam Market Complex, which is a great spot to shop fashion accessories such as handbags, purses, trendy apparels, and designer accessories; Patpong Night Market, which is not only popular for stalls selling designer good at cheap prices but also for night clubs and other establishments conducting *** shows; Buanglamphu Market, a descent place to shop clothing and food items; and the Memorial Bridge Night Market.



BRADLY
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Feb
10
Filed Under (Travel) by shopping
shopping
Mandy Karlik asked:


Veteran cruisers to the Mexican Riveria will tell you that there is more to recommend Cozumel than just electric blue waters, killer Margaritas, and great snorkeling. It may just be one of the all-time best shopping destinations in the Caribbean. So how can you steer clear of the pirates of the Caribbean (most of whom no longer wear eye patches but instead operate shops catering to tourists) and get a good deal?

Some of the best shopping in Cozumel is within easy walking distance of the port. The cruise ship docks and shoppers can pretty much walk to great shopping in a few minutes. But there are lots of shops and even sidewalk displays. How do you know what’s what?

There are really two main categories of merchandise in Cozumel. The first might be considered in the souvenir category and spans trinkets to very nice quality merchandise with a distinctive Mexican feel. The second category would be luxury products.

If your shopping list includes colorful but inexpensive jewelry, a bottle of tequila, a leather wallet, and some Mexican pottery, there are quite a few shops that will meet your needs. One of the best and easiest to navigate is Cinco Soles (Five Suns) near the port. Here you can find everything from toys to dishes to T-shirts to leather goods along with the ubiquitous tequila and bottles of vanilla (Mexican vanilla is generally of very high quality and reasonably priced). The store personnel speak English and accept credit cards.

A fun shop in Cozumel that is not really Mexican is Del Sol which sells plain-looking T-shirts, tote bags, Frisbees, even nail polish, that change color when exposed to sunlight. Del Sol stores are located at many locations (not just Cozumel) but they’re still fun and the bright sunlight of Mexico shows off the Del Sol treasures to great effect. There’s one near the cruise port.

You may also see small sidewalk displays and other offers for everything from marionettes to dangling earrings. Wending your way through the shopping district of Cozumel can be tough, since merchants will speak to you and attempt to lure you into their shops. You can simply walk on by; merchants will not actually grab you and push you into their stores. If you make eye contact, you will be at a massive disadvantage; the more you respond to them, the more likely they will be to kick up their persuasion a notch to get you into the shop. On the other hand, if you’re out shopping, it can be fun to talk to local merchants and allow them to show off their best wares for you.

There are lots of big and small displays of such goods and if you do not spend very much, it is unlikely you can go too far wrong.

The other end of the Cozumel shopping spectrum involves luxury stores. Believe it or not, there are several outlets of Diamonds International and other high-end jewelry stores in Cozumel. You’ll see them all over as you walk along the waterfront (likely in view of your cruise ship, that’s how close they are).

Specialties at these stores include high-end watches, gold, silver, diamonds, emeralds, tanzanite, Mexican fire opal, and two rare gemstones ammolite and alexandrite. (If you do not know these stones, it can be worth a visit to one of these stores to see them.)

Don’t expect these stores to offer diamond rings for a pittance. But there are reasons why savvy jewelry buyers make the trek to Cozumel to do some special shopping.

First, there is no sales tax in Cozumel. If you stay within your allowance for the amount of merchandise you can bring home without paying duty (which is $800 for a U.S. citizen), you pay only for the merchandise. In the U.S., sales tax is around 8% and it is even higher in Canada and Europe.

Second, many of these top stores have an international presence. You can get customer service once you’re back home.

Third, many cruise lines have developed relationships with some of these stores. This sometimes engenders suspicion, but the relationships are actually beneficial to cruise passengers eager to buy high-end merchandise.

If your cruise ship has a shopping expert or if there is a talk on shopping, by all means participate if you think you’ll be buying products (particularly jewelry) in Cozumel. It is true that the shopping guru onboard will steer you toward certain shops and it is likely that those shops have paid a promotional consideration to the cruise line for that publicity.

But here is why that’s good for passengers. Most cruise lines will not endorse just any store that can pay a fee. Cruises return to the same port over and over again in a season and it would not be good business to recommend shops that were difficult to deal with, charged exorbitant prices, or otherwise were bad news for the customers.

Second, some cruise lines (such as Carnival) will allow you to register your purchases at selected stores while onboard. If you take advantage of this service, the cruise line guarantees the merchandise. That means if your new watch stops once you get home or you find out your gold and tanzanite ring is not authentic, the cruise line backs the merchandise.

Finding out if your cruise line does this and what shops it recommends is a great activity for you to do on your day(s) at sea before hitting Cozumel. Registering purchases with the cruise line should be done on the next sea day because you must register what you buy while still onboard the ship.

Luxury items abound in Cozumel: jewelry, perfume, watches, and even rugs. Rugs from exotic places like Turkey, India, Pakistan and Persia can be purcased in Cozumel (great selection, no sales tax, outstanding service) and shipped to your address back home. The Rug Emporium offers an extensive display, lots of English-speaking help, and free shipping Stateside.

Last but not least, lots of people buy liquor in Cozumel. Tequila and Kahlua are the most popular but by no means the only alcoholic purchases you can make. Liquor can be purchased in Cozumel at the shops or can be bought onboard ship for around the same price (but possibly not with the same selection).

The same is true for perfume. The onboard shops likely offer some fragrance and cosmetic products, but the big perfume shop on Cozumel’s main street by the harbor has a much more extensive collection. If what you like is onboard, you can probably get about the same good deal as you can by buying it in the land shop. However, if you want to see a broader range of products or you want to buy a product that the onboard boutique does not stock, you need to try the land store.

Cigar aficionados will find that Cuban cigars are not only legal in Cozumel (and onboard once the ship is in international waters) but plentiful. If this is a big deal for you, enjoy them in Mexico and on the boat, but don’t bring them back into the U.S.

So what about those famous pirates of the Caribbean? Like any buzzing shopping mecca, Cozumel has its share of merchants who sell shoddy merchandise, counterfeit products, or things they claim to be silver and gold (which are not). If you are not expert enough to know the difference, steer clear of shady looking vendors or shops far off the beaten track. The old adage “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is” holds true for ridiculously priced diamonds or gemstones.

Most cruise lines will warn you to avoid spending big money with dubious vendors. If you want to buy a T-shirt, a kid’s necklace, or some typical souvenir items, go ahead and shop the small stores or street vendors. If you are thinking of spending hundreds or thousands on jewelry, go to a reputable and recommended store. They’re there in Cozumel!



ALAN
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Aug
16
Filed Under (Travel) by shopping
shopping
Wolfgang Jaegel asked:


Hong Kong is probably the best shopping destinations in the world that offer various types of goods and services at reasonable costs. Hong Kong is also one of the world’s leading destinations that thrive in shopping mall tourism as well as retail therapy. In fact, Hong Kong is a shoppers’ paradise. For tourists visiting Hong Kong, shopping is not only a process of buying several exciting stuffs but also an important recreational as well as fun filled activity.

Since Hong Kong is a free international port, it keeps abreast with the world’s latest fashion trends and provides opportunities for the tourists to buy custom-free products that have been brought from across the world. No matter you want to shop fashion accessories, apparels, or electronic items, Hong Kong has superb options for all. Discussed further in this article are some of the most popular shopping areas in Hong Kong that are spread across its three major sections such as the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and New Territories.

One of the most prominent shopping areas in the Hong Kong Island is the Central District, which is also the economic and financial hub of Hong Kong. With a fusion of designer outlets, high-end shopping malls, and old markets, shopping in the Central District is truly an enjoyable experience. For antique collectors, Central District’s such areas as the Cat Street and the Hollywood Road are a great choice, both of which are lined with a number of antique shops.

Likewise, if you want to shop fabrics, souvenirs, handbags, and other fashion accessories at bargain prices, then Des Voeux Road and Queens Road in Central District are some of the popular choices. Further, the Central District is home to the world’s longest outdoor covered escalator system, the Midlevel Escalator and Walkway System.

Another popular shopping area in the island is Causeway Bay, otherwise known as East Point. This significant shopping district is a great place to shop locally made as well as fashionable items from Japan, with an array of Japanese malls, prominent being the 13-storey Sogo Japanese department store, World Trade Center, Fashion Walk, and Lee Gardens.

Apart from these, Causeway Bay also contains such shopping options as Jardine’s Crescent, a popular open market, from where fashionable clothes and items can be bought at great prices. Many of the large scale department stores offer great shopping as well as dining experiences.

Prominent shopping areas in the island also include Admirality, which comes with a great number of shopping malls, departmental stores, upscale hotels, and recreational areas. Few among the shopping options available here are Pacific Place and Queensway Plaza. The Admirality stations link Hong Kong Island’s MTR Line with the Kowloon Tsuen Wan Line.

Among the significant shopping destinations in Kowloon are Mong Kok, which is a great place for shopping electronic items at bargain rates; Tsim Sha Tsui, an area designed especially for those who want to shop high-end fashion accessories; and Kowloon Tong, whose focal point is the mall Festival Walk, with more than 200 shops. When comes to New Territories, perhaps its most prominent shopping area is Tsing Yi, with a number of glitzy shopping malls.

With these scores of options, visitors touring Hong Kong can shop from morning to late night. But, certain important things have to be considered while shopping in Hong Kong. First of all, don’t get swayed away by illegal products. Since Hong Kong consists of a large number of stores selling same products at various prices, a smart shopper must shop around to compare prices and to buy a product at the possible least price. Likewise, it is advisable for the buyers to shop from stores or malls with membership of the Hong Kong Tourist Association.

Additionally, it would be better to shop an electronic item that carries some kind of guarantee or warranty. One can also approach night markets in order to shop several items at exceptionally cheap rates; however, these may not be attached with any kind of guarantee. Above all, do practice bargaining to buy a product in Hong Kong.

In case if you are convinced that you are deceived on purchasing a particular item in Hong Kong, then you could complaint it regarding by contacting the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) or via calling the Consumer Council Hotline at 2929 2222.



CHET
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Oct
11
Filed Under (Travel) by shopping
l3igballer23 asked:


hahaha… this guy can’t think for himself and reads the teleprompter.

COLLIN

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