The Shopping Scene

Western-Style Malls

Orchard Road is the biggie, as I've said, but other good mall spots are at Marina Bay, Bugis Junction, Raffles City, and at Raffles Hotel. The hottest thing on the shopping mall scene is Vivo City (1 HarbourFront Walk; tel. 65/6377-6860). Opened in November 2006, it's Singapore's biggest shopping mall with 300 retailers, plus dining, entertainment, even a rooftop sun deck with a bandshell and kiddie wading pool. Walking distance from the HarbourFront MRT station, the mall is positioned in an area that will boom with the new Sentosa Integrated Resort opening up in 2010.

Orchard Road Area -- The malls on Orchard Road are a tourist attraction in their own right, with smaller boutiques and specialty shops intermingled with huge department stores. Takashimaya and Isetan have been imported from Japan. John Little is the oldest department store in Singapore, followed by Robinson's. Tangs is historic, having grown from a cart-full of merchandise nurtured by the business savvy of local entrepreneur C. K. Tang. Boutiques range from the younger styles of Stussy and Guess? to the sophisticated fashions of Chanel and Salvatore Ferragamo. You'll also find antiques, Oriental carpets, art galleries and curio shops, HMV music stores, Kinokuniya and Borders bookstores, video arcades, and scores of restaurants, local food courts, fast-food joints, and coffeehouses -- even a few discos, which open in the evenings. It's hard to say when Orchard Road is not crowded, but it's definitely a mob scene on weekends, when folks have the free time to come and hang around, looking for fun.

Marina Bay -- The Marina Bay area arose from a plot of reclaimed land and now boasts the giant Suntec City convention center and all the hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls that have grown up around it. Shopping in the Marina Bay area is popular for everyone because of its convenience, with the major malls and hotels all interconnected by covered walkways and pedestrian bridges, making it easy to get around with minimal exposure to the elements.

Around the City Center -- Although the Historic District doesn't have as many malls as the Orchard Road area, it still has some good shopping. Raffles City can be overwhelming in its size but convenient because it sits right atop the City Hall MRT stop. One of my favorite places to go, however, is the very upmarket Raffles Hotel Shopping Arcade, where I like to window-shop and dream about actually being able to afford some of the stuff on display.

Multicultural Shopping

The most exciting shopping has got to be in all the ethnic enclaves throughout the city. Down narrow streets, bargains are to be had on all sorts of unusual items. If you're stuck for a gift idea, read on. Chances are I'll mention something for even the most difficult person on your list.

Chinatown -- For Chinese goods, nothing beats Yue Hwa, 70 Eu Tong Sen St. (tel. 65/6538-4222), a five-story Chinese emporium that's an attraction in its own right. The superb inventory includes all manner of silk wear (robes, underwear, blouses), embroidery and house linens, bolt silks, tailoring services (for perfect mandarin dresses!), cloisonné (enamel work) jewelry and gifts, pottery, musical instruments, traditional Chinese clothing for men and women (from scholars' robes to coolie duds!), jade and gold, cashmere, art supplies, herbs -- I could go on and on. Prices are terrific. Plan to spend some time here.

For one-stop souvenir shopping, you can tick off half your list at Chinatown Point, aka the Singapore Handicraft Center, 133 New Bridge Rd. (tel. 6534-0112). With dozens of small shops that sell mainly Chinese handicraft items from carved jade to imported Chinese classical instruments, and lacquerware. The best gifts there include hand-carved chops (Chinese seals) with a few shops offering good selections of carved stone, wood, bone, glass, and ivory chops ready to be carved to your specifications. Simple designs are affordable, although some of the more elaborate chops and carvings fetch a handsome sum. You can also commission a personalized Chinese scroll painting or calligraphy piece.

My all-time favorite gift idea? Spend an afternoon learning the traditional Chinese tea ceremony at the Tea Chapter, 9-11 Neil Rd. (tel. 65/6226-1175), and pick up a tea set -- they have a lovely selection of tea pots, cups, and accessories, as well as quality teas for sale. When you return home, you'll be ready to give a fabulous gift -- not just a tea set, but your own cultural performance as well. Another neat place to visit is Kwong Chen Beverage Trading, 16 Smith St. (tel. 65/6223-6927), for some Chinese teas in handsome tins. Although the teas are really inexpensive, they're packed in lovely tins -- great to buy lots to bring back as smaller gifts. For serious tea aficionados or those curious about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), stop by Eu Yan Sang (269 South Bridge Rd.; tel. 65/6223-6333; www.euyansang.com.sg) where they have stocks of very fine (and expensive) teas, plus herb and herbal remedies for health. For something a little more unusual, check out Siong Moh Paper Products, 39 Mosque St. (tel. 65/6224-3125), which also carries a full line of ceremonial items. Pick up some joss sticks (temple incense) or joss paper (books of thin sheets of paper, stamped in reds and yellows with bits of gold and silver leaf). Definitely a conversation piece, as is the Hell Money, stacks of "money" that believers burn at the temple for their ancestors to use in the afterlife. Perfect for that friend who has everything? Also, if you duck over to Sago Lane while you're in the neighborhood, there are a few souvenir shops that sell Chinese kites and Cantonese Opera masks -- cool for kids.

Arab Street -- Over on Arab Street, shop for handicrafts from Malaysia and Indonesia. I go for sarongs at Hadjee Textiles, 75 Arab St. (tel. 65/6298-1943), for their stacks of folded sarongs in beautiful colors and traditional patterns. They're perfect for traveling, as they're lightweight, but can serve you well as a dressy skirt, a bedsheet, beach blanket, window shade, bath towel, or whatever you need -- when I'm on the road I can't live without mine. Buy a few here and the prices really drop. If you're in the market for a more masculine sarong, Goodwill Trading, 56 Arab St. (tel. 65/6298-3205), specializes in pulicat, or the plaid sarongs worn by Malay men. For modern styles of batik, check out Basharahil Brothers, 101 Arab St. (tel. 65/6296-0432), for their very interesting designs, but don't forget to see their collection of fine silk batiks in the back. For batik household linens, you can't beat Maruti Textiles, 93 Arab St. (tel. 65/6392-0253), where you'll find high-quality place mats and napkins, tablecloths, pillow covers, and quilts from India. The buyer for this shop has a good eye for style.

I've also found a few shops on Arab Street that carry handicrafts from Southeast Asia. For antiques and curios, try Gim Joo Trading, 16 Baghdad St. (tel. 65/6293-5638), a jumble of the unusual, some of it old. A departure from the more packed and dusty places here, Suraya Betawj, 67 Arab St. (tel. 65/6398-1607), carries gorgeous Indonesian and Malaysian crafted housewares in contemporary design -- the type you normally find for huge prices in shopping catalogs back home.

Other unique treasures include the large assortment of fragrance oils at Aljunied Brothers, 91 Arab St. (tel. 65/6293-2751). Muslims are forbidden from consuming alcohol in any form (a proscription that includes the wearing of alcohol-based perfumes as well), so these oil-based perfumes re-create designer scents plus other floral and wood creations. Check out their delicate cut-glass bottles and atomizers as well. Finally, for the crafter in your life, Kin Lee & Co., 109 Arab St. (tel. 65/6291-1411), carries a complete line of patterns and accessories to make local Peranakan beaded slippers. In vivid colors and floral designs, these traditional slippers were always made by hand, to be attached later to a wooden sole. The finished versions are exquisite, plus they're fun to make.

Little India -- I have a ball shopping the crowded streets of Little India. The best shopping is on Serangoon Road, where Singapore's Indian community shops for Indian imports and cultural items. The absolute best place to start is Mustapha's, 320 Serangoon Rd./145 Syed Alwi Rd., at the corner of Serangoon and Syed Alwi roads (tel. 65/6299-2603), but be warned, you can spend the whole day there -- and night, too, because Mustapha's is open 24 hours every day. This maze of a department store fills two city blocks full of imported items from India. Granted, much of it is everyday stuff, but the real finds are rows of saris and silk fabrics; two floors of jaw-dropping gold jewelry in Indian designs; an entire supermarket packed with spices and packets of instant curries; ready-made Indian-style tie-dye and embroidered casual wear; incense and perfume oils; cotton tapestries and textiles for the home -- the list goes on. And prices can't be beat, seriously.

Little India offers all sorts of small finds, especially throughout Little India Arcade (48 Serangoon Rd.) and just across the street on Campbell Lane at Kuna's, 3 Campbell Lane (tel. 65/6294-2700). Here you can buy inexpensive Indian costume jewelry like bangles, earrings, and necklaces in exotic designs and a wide assortment of decorative dots (called pottu in Tamil) to grace your forehead. Indian handicrafts include brass work, woodcarvings, dyed tapestries, woven cotton household linens, small curio items, very inexpensive incense, colorful pictures of Hindu gods, and other ceremonial items. Look here also for Indian cooking pots and household items.

Across the street from Little India Arcade, the second floor of Zhujiao Centre is packed with stall after stall of inexpensive salwar kameez, or Punjabi suits, the three-piece outfits -- long tunic over pants, with matching shawl -- worn by northern Indian ladies. Don't be afraid to bargain for the best price.

Punjab Bazaar, #01-07 Little India Arcade, 48 Serangoon Rd. (tel. 65/6296-0067), carries a more upmarket choice of salwar kameez, in many styles and fabrics. If nothing strikes your fancy at Punjab Bazaar, try Roopalee Fashions, a little farther down at 84 Serangoon Rd. (tel. 65/6298-0558). Both shops carry sandals, bags, and other accessories to complement your new outfit.