carolk

Hi
Has anyone recently had a stopover or trip to Singapore?
Can anyone tell me if there is a market (Chinese?) somewhere that sells cheap clothing and toys and the like? The kind of market where you would find cheap imitations?
I've been twice but cannot remember anywhere like it, but maybe I just never came across one.
Any suggestions are welcome!! Thanks.

suzimc

Hi, I did but it was about 3 years ago. We definitely went to a market with that sort of thing, I remember buying those trainers with wheels in for my nieces and nephews! There was a big food market there too.

It was near a big shopping area, and a large department store. It wasn't on Orchard Road, we stayed at the Shangri-La and I think we walked along Orchard Road, and past Raffles to get to it, but I can't remember anything more specific than that, I've just looked in my Singapore Lonely Planet, but that's not giving me any more hints - I'll ask my husband if he's got a more complete memory of it than that when he gets home from work.

There were also loads of market traders spread out along the pavements on Orchard Road.

Sorry to be a bit vague - hope it helps a little bit though!
Suzi

sassie

Hi, we recently had a 3 night stopover in Singapore. We stayed in China Town, and if its markets you are after, then you will find plenty there. On our last day, we had a few hours to kill before our flight, so we just went walkabout and came across this great street market, only wished we had discovered it earlier.

Wol

Possibly Raffles City, or past that to the Pan Pacific / Convention centre shopping mall?

Nu-Shooz

There's many many shops and markets in Singapore. China town, India town, Orchard Road with all the high fashion.

Don't forget the night Safari. It's great.

carolk

Thanks for all of your advice. I guessed there would be one in Chinatown, but I didn't know if there was one in particular to look for.
My daughter loves Dora the Explorer so I thought I could keep an eye out for cheap Christmas presents!! (Don't worry, I'm not travelling until November!!)

annb

there is a cheap market area, i think its called Bugis street and there is a train stop there if you are not staying near by
they dont seem to sell much 'fake' stuff in singapore, you have to pop over to Johar Baru in malaysia for all that
got this info from trip advisor which would be a great place to look and ask questions of the expat locals about where you can get what you are after

This is a lovely flea market. Stalls are set up in the alleys and lanes of the shophouses. Though it has become a tad commercialised, nevertheless it's still a great place to find fantastic bargains.There are 100 stalls selling a variety of different goods along that long, humid and narrow street. The alleys are dark and stuffy. The whole Village is not a building, but a 'make-shift' market. The whole pathway is not covered by concrete shelter, but big plastic tents pulled over your head! Wear shorts, T-shirt & slippers. It's going to be very hot in these alleys. Certains stalls will allow you to try on the clothes for size before you purchase them. So, wear something which will be easy to remove and put on again because these 'fitting rooms' are really, really tiny.

You will find stuff ranging from women/men/children's clothes to pirated CDs, accessories, shoes, slippers, bags/backpacks, sunglasses, watches etc. You will also get mobile phones & accessories here. Most clothing sold here can be found at shopping malls in Orchard. I have made comparisons for some of the items & found that the clothes in Bugis can go up to 150% cheaper than the ones sold in air-conditioned malls. Ladies will be able to find lots of lovely batik printed dresses, skirts & tops here. I would suggest that you check out the items here first before shopping at FarEast Plaza or The Heeren. The exact items can be found in Bugis Village for a much cheaper price.

You might want to bargain, especially if you buy many pieces. You could usually get a 10-20% discount. If unhappy with the service of any one shop owner, simply go to the next one. Be careful, the next shop might be cheaper, so scout around. I bought a pair of thongs for S$7. The next shop was selling it for S$8. I also bought a pair of pineapple crystals. The first offer was S$6 a piece. After a haggling session, I managed to get 2 for S$8. Denim short skirts & 3/4 denim pants are about S$25.00. You can get T-shirts for kids from as low as S$2.00. Average T-shirts for adults will cost between S$10-S$18.00. Collared shirts for men will cost between S$20-S$30.00. Shorts for men will cost from S$15.00 onwards. Ladies will be able to find great bargains for tops starting from S$10.00 onwards. There is a stall which sell all tops for S$10.00 and all dresses for S$25.00. Worth a visit, aye?! =)

Red_V_Roger

Don't forget where you are with your excess baggage.

A cheap pair of shoes ain't cheap if you then have to pay excess baggage!

Tintsexpert

We did a 3 day stopover in dec last year, we loved it. You really could do a week there. Sentosa Island is great, but you need quite a few hours (all day well in to the evening). Our girls loved the shopping, but then again, so did me & Mandy!!

Wol

Bear in mind there's no import duty into Oz on clothing - it doesn't go onto the $900 allowance as a traveller so I wouldn't imagine it does for an immigrant either.

suzimc

Too true - when we were flying out of Toronto after leaving our last home in America en route to Australia I ended up dumping loads of stuff (like my hairdryer and some perfume!) at the hotel because we were over the limit. I left a note for the maid to help herself and if she couldn't use it to give it to anyone she knew, I'm an avid freecycler usually and was more upset by the fact that it might all end up in landfill than I was about leaving it behind!