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Visitors to Sapa should not miss Sapa Bac Ha market, a famous highland market throughout the Northwest region.

Along the way, visitors will see the high mountain, the terraced fields and encounter each ethnic group laughing gurglingly and leading horses to market to sell. To keep up with the market, they have to get up early. Even there is someone who starts their journey to market from the previous day.

Bac Ha market

Previously, Bac Ha market took place on a sloping hill, then this market was buil

Shopping in New York City, even for a somewhat jaded ex-New Yorker like myself, can often yield some pretty nifty surprises. A few years ago, to cite but one example, I found three spectacular wooden Catholic saints from Macau in an outdoor Chelsea antiques market that no longer exists (thanks to a new condo). What caught my eye about these saints was their distinct Asian features, something I'd never seen before, or since. The price? $90 each. Two still adorn my home in Miami; the third I sold

Bac Ha market

Previously, Bac Ha market took place on a sloping hill, but then this market was bu

Escaparates llenos de modelitos fashion. Dependientas de firmas de alta costura que se desviven por ti si te fundes allí la tarjeta. Señoras con cardados y buenos abrigos. Jóvenes cenando en los restaurantes de moda. Todo esto es la calle Serrano, milla de oro de Madrid, columna vertebral del burgués barrio de Salamanca, aspirante a Quinta Avenida. Después de dos años de insufribles obras, la vía más elegante de la capital ha concluido su reforma y luce con una nueva cara. Moderna, con aceras má

Shopping in Dubai is one of the most prominent activities. To add uniqueness to your shopping experience, visiting souks (traditional markets) is a must.

Souk is an Arabic word which can be spelled as souq as well. It literally means market where goods can be exchanged. Apart from world class shopping malls, Dubai is home to several souks. Book Cheap Flights to Dubai and visit the following souks to spend some time amidst old Islamist environment.

The Gold Souk

This is the most popular souk in Dub

San Diego’s favorite coastal community has a reputation for being expensive, but shoppers can find some great deals if they know where to look.

For example, the “Bargain Bash” at Torrey Pines Christian Church on Friday (9am-2pm) and Saturday (9am – noon), March 11 and 12, is an annual extravaganza beloved by bargain hunters.   The church is located at 8320 La Jolla Scenic Drive North (tel. 858-453-3550).

This has always been a good place to look for low prices on quality clothing, jewelry, fur

One of my very most prized travel souvenirs is a vintage kilim, about 75 years old, which I bought more than a decade ago in the otherworldly medina of Fez, Morocco – with its black-and-yellow zigzag motif, it evokes exoticism and the quintessence of travel whenever I look at it. I’m instantly transported back into that world of mint tea and mysterious narrow byways, the tannery where I watched young boys dying leather for shoes and Ottomans, the rooftop restaurant where I first tried tagines 

A NEW YORK LANDMARK CHURCH REOPENS

By Denise Mattia

If you were in New York in the 80’s you’re likely to remember the Limelight nightclub, on Sixth Avenue and 20th Street. The 19th century Gothic Revival church formerly the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, had undergone several metamorphoses, and now has become the chic Limelight Marketplace, New York’s Festival of Shops.

 Built in 1846, the small yet radical church was one of the first in New York to have weekly communion services. In 1852

by David Paul Appell

For too many folks, Caribbean shopping in the 21st century seems to be all about duty-free malls, Rolex and Seiko shops, cheesy T-shirts, and made-in-China trinkets. Good thing there are still plenty of distinctive options where local flair and products can still be found —if you know how to smoke ‘em out. Following up on last week's Part 1, here’s my hand-picked round-up of seven more islands’ worth of goodies,from vanilla rum in St. Barts to conch pearls in Turks and Caico

Imagine my surprise, not long ago, to discover I wanted to write a glowing article for my travel series “Best of London” about a department store!  (Just when did I fall and hit my head, anyways)?  But no, there were no mishaps involved.  If anything, our discovery was what I would term a “happy accident” as we wandered down Piccadilly Street, the atmosphere vibrant on this uncommonly sunny London day.  We paused to focus on the historic grandness all around us – and what should our eyes alight

When one thinks of downtown Los Angeles, the first thought to come to mind probably isn't one of America's oldest and diverse food markets, Grand Central Market. Besides offering some of the freshest produce, meats, fresh fish and more in Los Angeles, the market is a sumptuous walk through "tasty treat heaven."  Living part of the year near downtown L.A., I'll take a bike ride to sample the various food  eateries throughout the small market. Many people may not know that Los Angeles is one of th

Everyone who travels around this coconut runs into hawkers. They try to sell you everything from bongs to plastic models of the Taj Mahal. Many just will not leave a person alone. They follow you down the street putting tubes of tiger balm or fake Rolex watches in your hand. They all know two words in English "good price". Some know how to say "me poor, need money for family." 99% of the time they are selling some POS I have no desire to own. I try to say "no" nicely. The second  time I say it a

Shopping in Costa Rica has improved dramatically over the past ten years as gigantic malls, mini-malls, superstores and sophisticated boutiques have entered the marketplace.

You can find everything from designer clothing to latest-fashion shoes and accessories, everyday clothing and footwear to anything you could possibly need for your home. There are construction and “fix-up-your-home” superstores, stores for custom-made furniture of wood, iron, rattan, cloth, leather and even concrete. Supermar

On a mild December night, I took my husband for a surprise visit to an independent bookstore in Brooklyn to give him his Christmas present: not just a hard-cover version of the recently released Queen of America by Luis Alberto Urrea, a book we'd been anticipating as the sequel to our favorite, The Hummingbird's Daughter, but a signed copy and a chance to meet the author.

Jon was delighted when he r

One of the most amazing shopping experiences in Asia is a visit to a wet market. A wet market is basically a fresh food market make “wet’ by the liberal use of water to keep the poultry, meat and vegetables looking clean and fresh plus keep the fish and shellfish alive.

Traditionally they are open-air markets often on the bank of a waterway so the fish and shellfish making it convenient for fishermen. The traditional rationale for a wet market in hot climates where there was little refrigeration

Any trip to Maine has to include spotting a moose.  Wild Moose, of course, but how about a 1700-pound chocolate moose?

When in Maine be sure to stop in Scarborough, near Portland, Maine, where there is a very special moose. At Len Libby Handmade Candies meet the world’s sweetest moose, Lenny, made from 1700 pounds of chocolate.  Lenny was sculpted on site in four weeks and unveiled in 1997.  He proudly stands in a “pool” of tinted white chocolate complete with lily pads and frogs.  All chocolate

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is upon us!

A blaze of festive lights and Yuletide decorations will soon adorn homes and buildings across the globe.