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The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is one of the oldest covered shopping arcades in Europe. This upscale shopping mall is located just opposite the Grand Place and is a beautiful place to window shop. Inside you will find jewellery, handbags, a hat-maker, a glove shop, restaurants and a variety of Belgium’s best chocolate-makers. Don’t miss the stunning Art Nouveau stained-glass ceiling of the Corné Porte Royal chocolate shop. The galleries are particularly beautiful at Christmas when the shop fronts are decked out for the season.

“When bands are in town, I send them to the instrument shop ST Music, which is a five-minute walk away from the calligraphy tool shop, Geng Yen Jai. They sell an instrument called the pipa, which is like a Chinese guitar, plus Chinese flutes and very tiny Chinese hand cymbals.” —KK Yeh

This appeared in the November/December 2017 issue.

Walking through the CBD, I was delighted to come upon this buzzing shopping area. The street has been turned into a mall, with a covered area, where vendors can set up to sell all kinds of things. Haircuts are one of the favorites. There are nice shops, like Kurt Geiger, opening in the area, to go with the street vendors. I heard that people come from all over Africa to shop here.

Both Hilo and Kona have quaint downtown areas with small shops and cafes. Kona has been updated more recently to accommodate travelers who predominantly stay on the Kona side of the Big Island. With coffee shops, restaurants like the Kona Canoe Club and Mahina Pizza, and shops including the Pacific Fine Art Gallery and ABC Stores, you can spend an entire day browsing for Aloha shirts, art, and souvenirs before enjoying the sunset from one of Kailua-Kona’s many beachside restaurants.

Mollusk is a neighborhood surf shop that sells clothing and great boards. They carry my surfboards and handplanes [for body surfing]. They occasionally host art shows and live music. The shop is sort of like the cornerstone of the Sunset. 4500 Irving St., (415) 564-6300, mollusksurfshop.com. This story appeared in the January/February 2012 issue.

Once known as Casa Cohen, Dôce 18’s eighteenth-century structure has been painstakingly restored and is now the city’s chicest forum for fashion, design, art, hotel-going and fine dining. Shopaholics go nuts, especially for the delicate, enigmatic bijoux at Sangre de Mi Sangre; fair-trade fashion at Amor y Rosas or the fabulous artisanal tablewares at Estanzuela. The on-site hostelry, L’Ôtel, is a claque of just ten impeccable habitats, exquisitely furnished, complete with rooftop pool. Restaurant Jacinto 1930 by Oaxacan chef Israel Loyola is the top table at this writing. Or kick the evening off with a tequila—we’re talking the good stuff—in the sleek Casa Dragones tasting room.

This particular area of the Gold Coast is jokingly nicknamed the Viagra Triangle, but the Thompson Chicago doesn’t discriminate by age. The 247-room hotel is dark and moody, drawing artists of every generation to its swanky lobby bar at the back, peppered with colorful canvases and couples sneaking a snuggle in a booth. The whole town is awaiting the opening of Tavern on Rush, a reboot of the beloved steak house that used to reside just up the block. Rumors say this hangout will become a dining destination, what with its cocktail lounge, main dining room, patio, and private rooms spread across 16,000 square feet and multiple levels.


Set among all the best shopping in the Midwest, the Thompson’s midcentury-style guest rooms with hardwood floors provide the perfect minimalist location to unbox those favorite finds from Michigan Avenue around the corner. Digital nomads can book their work meetings in one of the rooms named after the Chicago Seven: countercultural anti-war protesters charged by the U.S. federal government with conspiracy and intent to incite a riot to stop the Vietnam War. The Abbie Hoffman room is a favorite.

You don’t have to leave the Texas sunshine behind to get a little shopping done at The Shops at La Cantera. The outdoor shopping mall is home to some of the most elite names in retail including Neiman Marcus, Burberry, bebe and Tiffany & Co., but not everything here will break your budget. Lined with palm trees and water features, this mall is a great place to take a leisurely stroll, and that’s something that won’t cost you a penny.

The shiny windows of the JW Marriott Hotel immediately draw the eye in. The 371 room hotel is across the street from the Lenox MARTA transit station and has its own indoor walkway to Lenox Mall, making it even easier to lug your purchases back to your room. Nox Creek Southern Grill is the hotel’s in-house restaurant and serves some of the best breakfasts in the area.

If you’re searching for the best gourmet offerings from Europe’s forests and fields, don’t miss the Champigros shop near Place Saint Catherine, in Brussels. The shop’s name comes from a combination of the French words “champignons grossiste,” or mushroom wholesaler. If you are a friend of the fungus, this is your shop. Step inside to discover the best truffles, morelles, girolles, chanterelles and more. Even if you aren’t a mushroom fanatic, there are still foodie delights to tempt you. Champigros also sells beautiful fresh produce and delicatessen treats that are easier to pack in your suitcase than a kilo of Cêpes. The shop is fantastic year round but it is particularly wonderful in autumn when the majority of the wild forest mushrooms are in their peak season.

If chain stores aren’t your cup of shopping tea, head to the quirky boutiques of the Marolles neighbourhood in Brussels. The main shopping street is Rue Haute (high street) and it’s lined with vintage shops, antique stores, and home decor shops with plenty of restaurants and cafés so you can refuel. The colourful street was traditionally home to Brussels working class and still has a blue-collar neighbourhood feel. Little ethnic grocery shops sit side-by-side with exotic furniture shops. Take one of the side streets to the lower Rue Blaes for more of the same types of stores and follow it to Place Jue de Balle for the giant flea-market held each morning.

For an early breakfast treat, get some malasadas at the Village Snack and Bakery Shop (a hole-in-the-wall eatery) located in the Ching Young Village Shopping Center. They sell out of them fast every morning, so you need to roll out of bed early. The shop is owned by an attentive local family and it has been there since I first came to Hanalei 15 years ago. When I asked exactly how long, I was told ‘forever’.

Skip the shops and the hassle along the tourist-packed “Hip Strip” in Montego Bay and instead, catch a taxi ride to the beautiful Half Moon Resort’s Shopping Village. Just 15 minutes by car from MoBay, this outdoor mall with over 25 shops is open to outside visitors and offers original items, from gorgeous local designer summer wear--don’t miss Staysie’s--to local crafts and duty free items. There are two restaurants and an Irish pub on site, for breaks after all your shopping. If you’ve got extra time, head to The Bob Marley Experience theater to watch a free hourly documentary screening on the life of Bob Marley.

If you weren’t already a FC Bayern München fan, you are now, right? Show your support for your favorite team with memorabilia from the official fan shop.

Within the St. Vincent Botanical Gardens in Kingstown, visitors will find a very nice gift shop, featuring everything from local artwork, handmade pottery, and crafts to books about the island, toys for kids, authentic souvenirs, and snacks and cold drinks. The gift shop is decorated with plants, of course, as well as carnival costumes that reflect the island culture.