Shopping in Sydney- Sensational Shopping Spree

The perfect way to explore the city’s best shopping attractions is to join a city tour which takes you to all the bustling malls, department stores and markets in the town. If you are familiar with the area, you can plan out your own shopping tour in Sydney.

Apart from the luxury stores located in the Central Business District, there are popular stores in the suburbs including Penrith, Chatswood and MacArthur. Some of the popular streets with booming fashion stores are Crown Street in Surry Hills, Oxford Street in Paddington, Queen Street in Woollahra and Campbell Parade and Hall Street in Bond Beach.

Hip and groovy Strand Arcade, peaceful Skygarden and the stylish Glasshouse are some of the chic malls catering to high-end shopping. You can shop for both imported brands and the best clothing under an Australian label, cosmetic accessories and a wide range of designer perfumes and handbags in these stores.
If you are looking for an even wider range of speciality stores, you must explore several markets in Sydney for products which are cheaper and affordable even for an average shopper. The Rocks Market in the Rocks Historical District and Sydney Chinatown are two such places where you would get a wide selection of souvenirs, art and craft, antiques, jewellery and books.

There are stylish restaurants, cafes and pubs in these shopping districts mainly catering to the shoppers who are involved in sensational shopping in Sydney. Do not forget to savour authentic Australian cuisine such as the famous Australian meat pie while you shop in Sydney.
Shops are usually open from 9 am – 5 pm Monday to Friday and during the weekend these hours slightly vary. Almost all stores accept major credit cards and you can also use electronic network debit cards in most of these stores.

At the end of an exhausting day of shopping, it is ideal to find refuge at a relaxing luxury hotel in Sydney to indulge in all the modern comforts and spoil yourself at an all-inclusive spa. The Langham Sydney boasts to be a serene sanctuary designed to calm and pamper anyone who is looking for comforts of a 5 star hotel Sydney.
Umanga Kahandawaarachchi is a passionate travel writer who writes under the pen name, Maggie Tulliver. Her field of writing covers a wide array of content and articles related to travel and hospitality industry.

Shopping Mania – Xiushiu Silk Street

If you are thinking of shopping in Beijing this maybe the answer, Silk Street, now a shopping centre crammed with around 1,700 vendors, 3,000 sales people spread across 7 floors, selling women’s, men’s and children’s clothing and accessories such as belts, shoes, hats, silk fabrics, sports goods, Chinese handicrafts, carpets, calligraphy, antiques, pearl, coral, crystal jewellery, trinkets, home furnishings, toys, paintings even electronics. As shown by the merchandise it is no longer confined to silk. The Silk Street shopping centre attracts 20,000 visitors on week days and around 50 to 60,000 visitors during weekends. Well known restaurants, pharmacies, coffee shops, fast food chains have set up outlets here to cash in and to become an all encompassing one stop shop and the ultimate shopping destination. Visitors can forage all day in the depths of the shopping centre overwhelmed by the array of merchandise. A combination of bargaining skills, shrewdness and patience will be definitely rewarded with an ideal find.

The shopping centre replaced the old Xiushiu outdoor silk market that was demolished in 2005 as it was deemed a fire hazard, had roots going back to the Qing Dynasty when it was a muddy path perhaps with a few shop. The original Xiushiu Silk market was located on Xiushiu Dongjie near the First Embassy and even then was a huge draw with shoppers. It had 410 stalls selling silk products, knockoffs, souvenirs and other knick knacks and had an annual turnover of UDS$ 12.5 million. It was closed down after twenty years of service. The present silk market has been described by the China Daily News as the third best known tourist destination in Beijing.
Located in the best possible area of Dongchen District, Ascot Raffles City Beijing is in the middle of the city’s business, cultural attractions, shopping and entertainment areas and transport hubs that gives it a definite advantage as one of the key serviced apartments Beijing. Keeping in mind the convenience and comfort of its clientele, this serviced apartment in Beijing offers fully equipped, spacious contemporary apartments suitable for both long and short stays with modern amenities and facilities, friendly service and a secure environment for an easy relaxing stay in a busy metropolis.