Shopping Festivals Fly And Buy

Sun Herald

Sunday June 20, 2004

Caroline Gladstone

See the sights of Asia and pick up a bargain as well. Caroline Gladstone goes shopping.

IF you're acquainted with Orchard, Nathan and Sukhumvit roads and have found your way around Itaewon or Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle , you've no doubt shopped till you dropped.

These famous Asian shopping precincts are crammed with shops, malls, beautiful department stores and lively street merchants.

Two favourite Asian destinations for shopaholic Australians have launched their annual shopping festivals and two more are about to throw the shutters open.

Prices on everything from designer label fashion to jewellery, cosmetics, electronics, cameras and traditional handicrafts are said to be slashed from 10 to 50 per cent, with some touting 70 per cent discounts.

In Malaysia the Government employs shopping inspectors to ensure that claimed discounted goods are true bargains.

All manner of promotions and lucky draws accompany the shopping festivals: the ultimate prize in Singapore's great shopping sale is a Learjet holiday to Bali, and Hong Kong is offering airline tickets and hotel stays to encourage people to spend.

Exchange rates are very favourable with one Australian dollar now buying $HK5.40, $S1.20, Bt28, $M2.65 and won810.

Singapore

Singapore led the way with shopping festivals when it launched the Great Singapore Sale 11 years ago. This year's event started on May 28 and will run until July 25. It has been extended by two weeks this year and will coincide with two other festivals the arts festival in June and the food festival in July.

Bargains can be found along the famous Orchard Road shopping strip, in Little India , Marina Bay , Sentosa Island and in the suburbs, while there's a range of shopping tours available to save on the shoe leather. See www.greatsingaporesale.com .

Good deals are sunglasses and optical frames, jewellery, toys, leather wear and designer labels.

Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Shopping Festival begins next Saturday and runs until August 31. Every visitor receives a festival passport with vouchers for discounts at stores and restaurants, which will open until 11pm.

There will be a spectacular water and laser light show every night at Victoria Harbour , and more than $360,000 worth of prizes to be won.

The festival takes place during Hong Kong's hot and humid summer, so it's an ideal time to wander through air-conditioned malls and eat late into the night when the temperatures drop.

About 160 merchants will take part and discounts apply to fashion and beauty items, jewellery, electronics, high-tech gadgets and traditional Chinese handicrafts.

Malaysia

Not content with one shopping festival, Malaysia stages three Mega Sale carnivals every year.

The events still to run this year (August 7 to September 5 and October 30 to January 2, 2005) take place in the capital and in regional centres including Sabah.

Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle is the ultra-modern shopping district with big complexes such as the new Berjaya Times Square that has its own theme park. Those in the know recommend Sungei Wang Plaza for shoes, eye wear and DVDs, while the KL Plaza has great outlet stores.

Street shopping is best in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman for textiles and Jalan Petaling in Chinatown, known as ``genuine fake heaven", for handbags, clothes and watches.

Thailand

The Amazing Thailand Grand Sale began on June 1 and will run until July 31 with discounts in Bangkok and across the country in Chiang Mai, Phuket, Pattaya and Hat Yai .

Bangkok's Sukhumvit Road is the capital's designated festival street and is crammed with department stores and plazas displaying the sale logo. Good buys are silk, shoes, bags, gems, jewellery, electrical appliances and fashion. The northern city of Chiang Mai is known for its cottage industry handicrafts that can be found in the Wua Lai and Ban Tawai districts.

Another ``Amazing Sale" will be held in December.

South Korea

You've missed the ``Hi Seoul" Grand Sale for this year, but it's on again next May when it coincides with the capital city's annual cultural festival.

About 30,000 merchants including department stores, shops, hotels, duty-free centres and restaurants take part.

Some of the best shopping is found in the tourist district of Itaewon , which has 2000 fashions shops and dozens of nightclubs.

DONE DEALS

SINGAPORE: Qantas Holidays.

Air fares, five nights' accommodation, shopping tours, transfers.

$1534 per person twin share.

Phone 132 787 .

www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg.

HONG KONG: Cathay Pacific Holidays.

Air fares, four nights' accommodation Peninsula Hotel, breakfasts, afternoon tea, late checkout, transfers.

$1950 per person twin share.

Phone travel agents.

Harvey World Travel.

Air fares, four nights' accommodation, transfers.

$1139 per person twin share. Phone 132 757.

www.discoverhongkong.com/australia .

THAILAND: Royal Orchid Holidays.

Air fares, five nights' accommodation, breakfasts, transfers. From $1295.70 per person twin share.

Phone travel agents.

www.tourismthailand.org.

MALAYSIA: Malaysia-Singapore Travel Specialists.

Air fares, five nights' accommodation. $1125 per person twin share.

Phone 9868 5199 .

www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my/.

* All packages are ex-Sydney.

© 2004 Sun Herald

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