If you want to buy fancy designer clothing--anything from Hermes scarves to Pierre Cardin watches to Tiffany's jewelry--then Orchard Road is the place for you. If you have lots of money, Singapore can help you spend it.
Here are the "fanciest" shopping malls on Orchard Road. Get ready. Dig deep into your pockets.
Ngee Ann City. Part of the towering, brick-red buildings, part of which constitute the major department store Takashimaya. Ngee Ann City is one of the largest shopping malls in Singapore: Truly a city-within-a-city, Ngee Ann City has 7 levels chock full of shops and eateries, all guaranteed to gobble up your money. It houses over130 specialty stores, including Hugo Boss, Christian Dior, and Cartier. In the basement level you often can find major shopping exhibitions revolving around a theme: One day vendors may be selling nothing but shoes; another day, it could be housewares.
Paragon: Learn to speak Italian: Fendi, Gucci . . . all at Paragon. This shopping mall is very, very upscale, with many elegant stores seeming to sell only a few exquisite items prominently on display in sheer glass cases. 'Tis fun to see how the other half lives . . .
Lucky Plaza. Many ex-pats and visitors come here, expecting to find bargains in digital cameras and other electronic devices. Caveat Emptor, please. Lucky Plaza is a hoot to check out: Shopkeepers will urge you in their shops--and will let you bargain for a price--but I have gotten a few things from there (luggage, mostly) that has fallen apart. Go to Lucky Plaza. Check out their digital goods. Then try two other places in Singapore: Sin Lin Centre and Funan Centre, the two main I.T. shopping malls here. There's something . . . sleazy about Lucky that I just do not trust. But Lucky does have a hustle-bustle and down-to-earthness that's a great change from the more highbrow shopping centers that surround it.
Tanglin Shopping Centre is a bit down Orchard Road, closer to Napier Road. Loated in an old black-and-white building, Tangling Shopping Centre has lovely, high-end crafts and antiquities stores—and some unique niche store, such as one that specializes in crafts from Lebanon, and Select Books, a wonderful book shop that specializes in books about Asia, and by Asian authors. Tanglin Mall is on the corner of Orchard Road and Napier Road. It offers the usual high-end ex pat offerings, plus a wonderful, wonderful CD store called That CD Shop—cram full of oldies, world music, contemporary rock, jazz . . . definitely worth your while. That CD Shop is also located at Great World City, and on Scotts Road.
Other major shopping hubs: Little India: Spices, Indian textiles, Indian foods, Indian arts and crafts. Cheap, cheap cloths sold in narrow shops on Serangoon Road, the main drag. Chinatown: Especially Pagoda Street. Here you can get all the knick-knacks and souvenirs you want. Most of it is junk, but Pagoda Street has a kind of carnival atmosphere that’s fun. Arab Street—textiles and baskets. Textiles. Textiles. Amazing. Barter. A great place; more raw than a lot of Singapore. Do check this one out. And make sure to go to an establishment where you can puff on a water pipe. Holland Village: Holland Village Shopping Centre is, well, kind of a rip off, with lots and lots of overpriced shops; Lims is the target store. But it can be fun to see the funky clothes on sale: and women who are not as petite as most Asian women will find clothes that will actually FIT. Be forewarned: You’ll be a L to XXL. Not good for the ego. Suntec City: Many people love it. I hate it. A huge, huge edifice, consisting of many different floors and sections: I find it impossible not to get lost here. And it has the same, mind-numbingly similar shops that are located in every other shopping center in Singapore. But check it out if you must. It’s next to the Singapore Convention Centre, which hosts many of the major professional conferences throughout Asia. (Singapore consistently is rated the #1 business city in Asia.)
Many major shopping centers—with lower prices—are located by major subway and bus interchanges, such as at Tampines Mall, and IMM, next to the Jurong East interchange.
Also, you can get some $$ back if you spend more than S$300; a Singapore web site states: "Travellers shopping in Singapore can have their 3% GST (Goods and Services Tax) refunded if they spend more than SGD300 at shops displaying a Tax Free Shopping sticker. Ask for these shops to provide you with a shopping cheque. You can then show cash the cheque at the Global Refund Counters at Changi Airport on your departure, or opt for a bank cheque by mail or a refund to your credit card. For more information call 62256328."
|
