Having travelled extensively for over last twenty years, am sharing below a list of my favourite international shopping experiences.

1. Singapore

On pure retail therapy – Orchard Road, Singapore wins hands down with the widest collection of stores, malls and brands – all on one long street and easy to manoeuvre on foot. It also has a great balance of stand-alone high street stores as well as malls as sometimes these huge malls can be very overwhelming and tiring. You can spend days on Orchard road and still discover something new every time you visit! Some of the other famous high streets like Champs Elysees in Paris aren’t so easy to manoeuvre on foot.

2. Paris

Get a taste of luxury at the Louis Vuitton flagship store on Champs Elysees – It always has a long queue of Chinese tourists! It’s also much cheaper to buy in Paris than in Asia. Another French legendary brand Christian Dior has a flagship store at Avenue Montaine, just walking distance near the LV store. Must walk around Place Vendome and Rue Saint Honore to atleast see all the original French and Italian luxury brand stores, Chanel and Gucci stores being quite noteworthy. Also, for casual brands, the Abercrombie & Fitch store on Champs Elysees is beautiful and a ‘must see’. It’s like entering into a mansion of sorts with a private entrance complete with a pebbled pathway. Galleries Lafayette and Printemps are ‘must see’ iconic departmental stores. Beautifully painted domes with medieval artwork.

3. Italy

Truly unmatched quality and feel good leather – Even the roadside handbags and boots are so nice and stay in good condition for a very long time. The colored glass ware of Venice is very unique and something to bring back if your luggage can manage fragile items.

4. New York

Of course, it has it all, what not with the fifth avenue or gigantic departmental stores like Saks and Macys and Bloomingdales selling pretty much everything that you do and don’t need to buy! But the winner in New York is the outlet mall, an hour’s drive from Times Square, called Woodbury Common. There are also buses that ply regularly from Times Square to and fro. Woodbury Common is a treat for the eyes as well as the heart of a hungry shopper. From Ralph Lauren to Nike, you have every brand that you want and at unbelievable prices. People actually come with empty suitcases here!

5. Luxury Outlet Malls of Europe

Most of the big European cities have an outlet mall 45-60 mins drive from the city centre. Not only are they beautifully located and many are made like a pretty village cluster, you can spend a full day shopping luxury and premium brands, including Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Tod’s, etc at highly discounted prices! E.g. Ingolstadt near Munich, The Mall Firenze near Florence.

Shopping for home

I am a true junky when it comes to this! I get more pleasure in buying unique and local stuff for my house than buying clothes and shoes.

1. Brussels

The home and gift stores were a complete surprise in Brussels. The decorative artefacts as well as unique accessories like wine bottle holders, I have never seen them anywhere else. Glad, I bought them!

2. Istanbul

The hand painted artefacts are totally unique and you will not find them anywhere else in the world! So, don’t think twice. Just buy them!

3. Portugal

Some of the best serve ware I have bought, is from Lisbon and Obidos in Portugal. The ceramic ware is not just hand-crafted but it is also very light weight. The cork coasters are a must but in Portugal.

4. Wine and bar accessories

Surprisingly, my collection of very unique stuff, ranging from wine bottle covers, holders, corks and stirrers is not from the primary suspect Bordeaux in France but from Brusssels, Amsterdam and Basel in Switzerland!