Bangkok


Bangkok is my favourite place to shop of anywhere I have ever been. I love the city, the food, the people and of course the weekend market. Be warned you can’t be afraid of crowds, heat or pollution.

If you consider shopping a sport, Bangkok is definitely for you. Whether you prefer boutique, mall or market shopping; custom made suits, designer apparel, electronics or handicrafts Bangkok has it all. The prices are great as is availability of good quality items.

Shopping highlights:

Markets

The merchandise available is as wide as your imagination. Everything from Antiques, household accessories, pets, clothing, religious artifacts, music, food, plants, really you name it, it’s there!

There are many other markets in the city, but if you can only go to one, go to the weekend market. Actually it’s the only one you need to go to.

The Emporium, located at 622 Sukhumvit Soi 24. This is one of the finest shopping malls in Bangkok. Here you will find all of the designer outlet shops such as Gucci, Prada, Sony etc.

Siam Discovery Center, located at Rama 1 Rd. opposite the Siam stop on the BTS Skytrain. The Siam Center is a huge upper end mall.

World Trade Center, on the corner of Rama I and Ratchadamri roads is a typical North American mall.

I love to walk, for me it is the best way to discover a city, but it is not in Bangkok. It’s hot and polluted. Take the Skytrain and when it is a few minutes away from where you are going take a taxi to the Skytrain. It is not like Paris in that a taxi driver will throw you out of the car for even considering a short distance fare. The taxi drivers in Bangkok know that they make more per kilometer/mile on the first part of the trip so they are happy to take you how ever short a distance you would like to go. Taxis rides are very affordable.

The Skytrain is a very pleasant experience and a great way to see the young Thai people. Each stop is announced in Thai and in English so it is really easy to get around. The Thai language is one of the most beautiful in the world. You may want to ride the Skytrain just to hear the singing voice of the stop announcer.

Other Experiences
Spend a day at the Oriental Spa (or if not in your price range another spa). Get a Thai massage, your body will thank you.

In addition to shopping and the spa you must make time to visit Wat Po it is the oldest temple in Bangkok and the golden reclining Buddha is a marvel.

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Hello fellow shopinistas, I hope you will enjoy reading this article below about shopping in Paris, with a little culture mixed in. I’ve focused on my personal favourite shopping area, the Marais. Everyone who visited me while I was living in Paris loved it too, so I feel pretty confident it would be a hit with you as well.

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Paris

Pompidou
When you’re finished strolling the streets of the Marais and if you are not too tired, stop at the nearby Pompidou, my favourite museum in Paris. Or just stop by the area (Beaubourg), take a seat in a café terrace and watch the world go by.

Rue Montaigne
It is now the haute shopping street surpassing some of the other traditional streets (stop by the Canadian Embassy and salute Canada). There are also great restaurants here but they’re not on the cheap but nothing is in this area, bargains are elsewhere, this is high end.

Area around the Opera – Printemps, Galeries Lafayette
Even if you don’t want to buy anything, you must go in and look at the ceilings in Lafayette, unbelievably beautiful!

Also while in the Madeleine area, do not pass up a coupe de champagne and a macaroon at Ladurée. There are two other locations including one on the Champs but this one is the original. Personally my favourite is the vanilla macaroon and I’m not usually one for vanilla anything, but this is anything but ordinary.

Street Markets
It is wonderful to spend a morning wandering the markets like a real Parisian. Visit a cheese shop and marvel at the selection, pick up some flowers from a flower market or buy a bag of fruit to eat as you wander and a fresh pastry is a must.

Antiques
Head a little out of the way to the Saint Ouen Flea Market a must for any collector or admirer.

Coffee/Cocoa
If you love hot chocolate, hot chocolate French style is the only way to go. It is pure melted chocolate with a pot of steamed milk on the side which you mix yourself. I had a girlfriend’s daughter staying with me for a couple of weeks in Paris and I thought she was going to become a diabetic from her new found obsession with the cocoa.

Where to find Starbucks (if you must, which you might):

For Chocolate Lovers
La Maison du Chocolat

Simply the best chocolate in my opinion and at about a million dollars a nibble (okay so I’m exaggerating) you’ll want to savour every little bit.

A word about getting around
The best way to see Paris is by foot. It is a spectacularly beautiful city, nothing comes close in my opinion. It has the best of everything and it should be seen from above ground. However when you spend hours walking in awe of the beauty, your feet are bound to be tired at some point. The Metro (subway) in Paris is fantastic. You can get to anywhere you want to go on the Metro and it is very affordable. Taxis are expensive and a pain but in the evening might be worth it, especially if the drive happens to go along the Seine.

Other Diversions

Museums
While you could spend your entire time shopping in Paris, don’t. It has the best museums in the world. The range is fantastic too, mammoth to intimate. My personal favourites, save the Pompidou are the smaller ones.

L’orangerie
L’orangerie which just reopened in 2006 after a four year renovation is not to be missed. It is a stunning exhibit of Monet’s water lilies. He painted them specifically for this space (it’s an infinity room). The 17 metre paintings brought tears to my eyes.

Rodin
If you like gardens there are two other recommendations for you. The Museum Rodin which has the Gates of Hell at the entrance, absolutely fascinating even if it is very dark. The museum is Rodin’s house and garden. The Thinker is there and a very popular “I was here photo op”. Inside the house you can see the moulds and different versions he was experimenting with to get the Gates of Hell among other sculptures just right.

While I've had the privilege to travel to many places I had never been to San Fran and Napa. Being a wine lover and hearing many great things about San Fran, it has always been on my list of must visits. The opportunity had never presented itself before now. I was not disappointed.

Napa and Sonoma Valleys

Napa

In the village itself there are two vintage/antique shops. If you are into vintage clothing and/or jewellery both of them have a nice selection, one is right beside the tourist office. The second one is Antiques On Second located on, surprise, Second Street. I found a great vintage silver handbag for a mere $15.

Artesa

Just outside of Napa Village is Artesa. The name Artesa is based on a Catalan (the language of Barcelonans) word for "craftsman". Barcelona is the homeland of Artesa’s owners and if you’ve ever been there, you can see why this winery has artistic flair.

I really liked this winery and their wines, especially the late harvest. I liked the modern interpretation of a winery. They're not trying to be old world when clearly they are not. The building itself it built into the hillside and therefore blends into the landscape. The entrance features modern art with water as the main medium.

Yountville

This village is known for its restaurants and there are many, all of which were packed when we arrived. There is a French inspired bakery, Bouchon which along with sandwiches and pastries has macaroons. I didn't get to try one because the line was out the door and I simply did not have the patience to wait.

There are also nice shops including a few galleries offering both glass and paintings.

Domain Chandon

Just at the south end of the town is the road which leads west to Domain Chandon. If you are a fan of sparkling wines, this is a must stop for you. As you may know by reading my other articles, Champagne is my absolute favourite, so when I learned that Domain Chandon was owned by Moët and Chandon, I was there!

The gardens are beautiful and worthy of a stroll if you have the time. If you haven’t eaten yet you may wish to have a charcuterie plate with your sparkling wine. You have the option to purchase tasting flights or a better idea is just go ahead and buy a bottle, by far the better value. There are umbrella tables in the courtyard just outside the tasting bar, a perfect place to sip your coupe.

While I didn’t have the chance to try it, they also have a lounge which is open nightly with various events happening.

The one downside to this winery are the hordes of hen parties with loopy girls arriving and departing in limos/SUVs and buses. If you can put up with that, I’d recommend the visit.

Continuing north is the town of Oakville

The Oakville Grocery is definitely worth the stop. Great foodie products and picnic supplies if you are so inclined. If you plan ahead you can contact them to have a picnic ready for you when you arrive or just go in and pick up what ever fancies you. The grocery is located right on highway 29.

Cute, tiny, one main street with shops and restaurants.

At the north end of the valley is Calistoga. In general you’ll find Cabernet Sauvignon in the north and Chardonnay in the south end of the valley. The soil and micro climates are better suited to these grape varieties in those areas.

Sterling Vineyards

It’s a large winery but the view and the wines are well worth the visit. You take a gondola up to the tasting rooms for a self guided tour (you can also reserve ahead for a guided tour). There is a mandatory tour fee per person, with wine tasting it’s $20. You are served 5 wines in total along the tour. 

I loved this town's feel and preferred it to the other towns in Napa. It has a strong Spanish influence and lots of shops worthy of exploration.

While I went because you know you're supposed to at least see the tourist areas before leaving. It was for me not worthy of the visit but it did lead me to the North Beach area, which was definitely worthwhile.

This is also known as the Italian district. Grant Street which is one of the main streets in the area has several shops. Worthy of mention are:

The shopping in this area is better at the top/North end of Polk near Lombard. While you are there check out the crookedest street in the world (which apparently isn’t actually the crookedest street in San Fran, but the prettiest crooked street). Doesn't sound so interesting but it is beautiful. There are gardens all the way down/up the street, really beautiful. The street is between Hyde and Leavenworth. I choose to walk there from North Beach but unless you really want a work out, I wouldn't suggest it.

If you are a brand girl this is the place for you. All the big names are there, Louis Vuitton, Macy’s, Gucci, Ferragamo, Chanel, Pink, Coach etc, etc….

Even if you are not into big/high end brands, it is a nice place to sit and people watch for a few minutes, if you are walking up Powell you might want the early break.

Personally I think the only reason to go to Fisherman’s Wharf is to see/hear the Sea Lions, then get out of there. My suggestion is to avoid Pier 39 where there are about a billion, okay half a billion tourists and go down the previous pier (I think it’s pier 41) you can see them almost equally well from there and avoid the crowds.

The Ferry Building is a popular spot to have lunch or dinner. A couple of the city's most popular restaurants are here, The Slanted Door for Vietnamese dining and Taylor’s Refresher for more casual dining (burgers). Neither of them is inexpensive. For a burger, glass of house white and sweet potato fries it was $18 USD. It was very good though. Another cute place is Lulu Petite for a salad, sandwich or quiche, less busy, less expensive and also very good.

There are a number of other eating and drinking places in the Ferry building as well. It’s not that big so a walk through is easy to do. Two issues with the building are it is extremely crowded at lunch, huge line ups which causes the second issue, insufficient washroom facilities. Apparently there are restrictions on adding additional washroom facilities as a result of it being designated a historical building.

On Saturday there is a farmer’s and craft market outside the building. It’s a nice way to spend a morning. The market runs from approximately 9:30 to 18:00 every Saturday.

If the crowds are too much for you at the Ferry building for lunch, just walk a block or two off Embarcadaro onto Mission and/or Market Streets and you’ll find more relaxing and equally interesting restaurants there. Here you are entering into the Financial district.

Take a walk here for some interesting architecture and also good restaurants.

This is the theatre/entertainment district. The buildings are beautiful, keep in mind it is close to Tenderloin (read about that below) so just be aware when walking there during non theatre events.

There is also some shopping on Hayes Street which is in the same area, it wasn’t my personal favourite but you might like it.

Two other shopping areas I checked out that I wasn’t crazy about are Mission/Potrero and Noe Valley. I did sense however that these two areas are in transition and will get more populated with shops. Of the two I preferred Noe Valley.

Wanted to go but just didn’t make it, really disappointed too because I hear that Cow Hollow (Union Street) is a great shopping spot. I choose to visit a couple of museums instead. One cannot live on shopping alone!

Other than Union Square where there is a huge number of upscale shops, I didn’t find a high concentration of shops in any one area. There are lots of great boutiques but they seem to be spread out across the city. Again one other area that I think would be good as it looks like there are a number of boutiques in the area is Cow Hollow/Union Street (not to be confused with Union Square).

While spread out, the experience in the shops was excellent. Most of the boutiques I entered were owner operated and the owner was there with either their baby or dog. They were all extremely friendly. I felt very welcomed and found the experience in the boutiques better than any other city I’ve shopped in. Of course there are great shop owners in every city but I consistently experienced this in almost every shop. That for me makes shopping much more pleasurable.

This is an area that you will want to avoid if at all possible. The challenge is that it is right next to areas which are very popular, Market Street/6th and Civic Centre/Theatre district. I thought I was avoiding it and ended up walking right through. It was fine but I do admit I was uncomfortable. There were a lot of people on the street and a lot of noise (this is my polite way of expressing the activity on the street, if you know what I mean).

There are a few museums in the city including:

SFMOMA

The museum is actually quite small but the special exhibit on Matisse was very interesting and made the visit worthwhile. You’ll need to check in advance for what is on exhibit while you are there. 

After a visit in the museum walk across the street to the Yerba Buena Gardens, take a break and a look at the architecture around you including museum of course.

Palace of the Legion of Honor

This museum reminds me a little of the National Gallery in London, only much smaller. There is a great collection of Rodin sculpture, the second largest collection outside of the Rodin museum in Paris (see article on Paris for more info). There is also a great view of the city from the museum.

The museum is a little out of the way but if you don’t mind taking a bus you can get there no problem, or if you have a rental car it’s equally easy. If you are taking a bus and want to go to the Golden Gate bridge, it’s a nice drive from there along the coast however, the buses are any where from 15 to 30 minutes wait and you have to transfer, but really it’s not that difficult.

There is also the De Young Museum which you can visit on the same ticket as the Legion of Honor, on the same day. I didn’t have the time but if you are a museum fan you may wish to check it out. Plus it is in the Golden Gate Park (just note that the Golden Gate Park is not near the Golden Gate Bridge, go figure!).

Other diversions

If you like food and want to learn a little more about the city, you can try the Taste of San Francisco walking tour. Tom, the somewhat quirky owner, takes you for a walk through North Beach/Italian neighbourhood. You’ll try focaccia, pastries, olive oil, coffee, truffles and more.

While I believe that there are places to visit in the North Beach areas that have better quality food products (neither Molinari’s nor Stella’s was on the tour), it is an interesting walk and you will likely learn something you didn’t know about food and the city. Tom’s message is a good one, which is buy fresh, buy local and seek out the best in your own city. 

Another great experience is looking at the bay from the top of one of the many hilly streets, wow!

Walking is a great but exhausting way to see the city. While I love high heels, and wore them all the time in Paris, this is not the city for them. You are constantly walking up and down hills between neighbourhoods. Wear flat comfortable shoes with a gripping sole ie not ballet flats with slippery bottoms or you might just find yourself at the bottom of a hill on yours!

One suggestion is to buy a multi day Muni (this is the bus/metro system) pass. The buses are a great way to get between neighbourhoods and this will save your legs. Currently you can buy a one day pass for $11, 3 day for $18 and a 7 day for $24. These passes include the use of the cable cars, a great value when you consider a one way ride is a whopping $5!

BART

Getting into the city from outside including the airport is very easy via the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Buying tickets for the first time though can be a little confusing. The auto default on the ticket machine is $20.00. There is an add/subtract button for $1.00 and also for $0.05 increments. On the side of the machine is a list of destinations with the corresponding fee to get there and also return. You can buy a one way or return. Find the amount and then add or subtract until you get to correct fare. You can pay by credit card or cash. The ticket will print out and you put it in the feeder at the entrance to the BART, it will pop back up and the gate will open. Take the ticket, you need it to exit the BART on the other side. Once the ticket has been fully used it will not be returned.

The trains system works by final destination. Find the stop you want and the final destination of that line and get on that train. Multiple trains share the same track so look at the screens to see when your train is arriving so as to avoid getting on the wrong one. They do announce the final destination on the train so as long as you know that it's unlikely you'll get on the wrong train. The trains are very frequent and there are schedules posted in the stations.

Biking the city/bridge

I had planned to rent a bike to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, ride through the Presidio and Golden Gate Parks but it was freezing the day we planned to go and I only had my biking shorts and my husband didn’t have a jacket so we chickened out, but we plan to do it the next time. If you are a cyclist I think this would be a wonderful way to explore the parks and you can ride across to Sausalito then take a ferry back (or cycle back). The bridge is a bit crowded as you can imagine. 

City Pass

Another suggestion if you are planning on visiting a number of tourist sites/museums and taking public transit is to purchase a City Pass. The one for San Francisco is $54 USD, they are also available at Costco for a reduced rate. I’ve used them in San Fran and New York. In addition to being a pretty good value if you use a number of the tickets, it saves you waiting in line, this is to me the greatest value. For San Fran it includes a 7 day Muni pass which is worth $24 USD alone. You can buy online or go to Costco.

A word about style

The styles in all the shops had a similar feel so if you like one shop you'll probably like the majority of them. The feel was definitely girlie. Now I know girlie is in this season but these shops were really girlie! I like this style so I found the shops to be wonderful. A couple of the shops I went into seemed to be beginning to merchandise their fall collections and they did seem less girlie.

Crave San Francisco, The Urban Girl's Manifesto - The ultimate guide to the places women crave in San Francisco. I picked up a copy while in one of the stores featured in it. I like a lot of the stores included and in fact you'll see many of them on my list above. It's well thought out by neighbourhood. Worth the $15 USD. Only warning is that the maps are NOT to scale.

While there are a couple of areas I missed, after walking about 15 miles/24 km over three days, I’m pretty familiar with the neighbourhoods I did visit. Have a question? Send me an email and I’ll do my best to answer it.