The Best Street Markets to Explore in Delhi

It is frequently said that Delhi is a city of contrasts, and its street markets are no different. Both old-fashioned bazaars and new-style flea markets are found in the city. A wide range of food, textiles, and crafts may be found on small streets and at open-air booths. The following markets are recommended for travelers who wish to experience many different things, purchase authentic mementos, and take inexpensive excursions. Helpful tips are also provided to make trips easy and fun.

1) Chandni Chowk: A live market of Old Delhi



Chandni Chowk is counted among the city's oldest marketplaces. Ancient streets and traditional businesses that are still open are found there. Several specialty alleys are present where sarees, spices, silverware, and wedding clothes can be obtained. Renowned street food stalls are frequented by locals and tourists alike. If crowds are to be avoided, it is best to begin exploring shortly after the stores open. The evenings and weekends are generally the busiest times.

2) Dilli Haat: Crafts and regional cuisine under one roof

A tailored experience is offered at Dilli Haat (INA), with booths from all across India that are rotated frequently to display ethnic crafts and delicacies. The lanes are kept clean, and the stalls are consistently arranged. An admission fee is charged to help keep the market clean and organized. The INA Metro station is typically the easiest way to reach the site, and because it is open all day, visits may be made in the middle of the day or in the early evening.

3) Sarojini Nagar: Cut-price fashion and export surplus



Sarojini Nagar is renowned for its cheap, fast-moving fashion. Trendy clothes, accessories, and seasonal overstock are sold by small stores and street sellers. Large discounts may sometimes be obtained if many items are purchased or if effective bargaining is used. A quieter visit is more likely to be experienced on weekdays, while busyness is typically associated with weekends.

4) Janpath & Connaught Place: Eclectic finds for tourists

Janpath and Connaught Place are excellent places for unique finds to be discovered by travelers. Along a lengthy pedestrian street extending from Connaught Place, kiosks are found that offer jewellery, handicrafts, and clothes evoking a bygone era. Unique items are put on display, many of which are aimed at tourists, and fixed-price shops sit next to street booths where prices may be negotiated. Cafés and galleries that complement shopping can be found by following the circular roads that encircle the market.

5) Lajpat Nagar Central Market: Textiles and bridal shopping



Textiles, ready-made clothes, and ethnic clothing can be bought at Lajpat Nagar's Central Market. Bridal trousseaus and celebratory clothes can be obtained there, and the market has a good reputation for variety and accessibility. Shoes, costume jewellery, and home goods are also sold in the market. Visits are best planned when time is available to try things on and make selections, as bespoke work can be requested.    

Planning Your Market Expedition

A little planning is considered a good idea before the fun chaos enters. Delhi is regarded as a key international centre with strong connections to destinations all over the world. Once vacation plans have been set and a good Dubai to Delhi flight ticket price has been found, the real fun can begin. Comfortable shoes must be worn since long hours are likely to be spent on one’s feet. Carrying cash is also considered a good idea since digital payments are not accepted by all smaller vendors.

Safety, negotiation, and timing recommendations

The busiest bazaars are best visited during the day, and belongings are best kept safe. In most open markets, negotiation is anticipated, and starting at approximately half the asking price for inexpensive items is advisable. A reasonable middle ground should then be reached through polite but firm negotiation. Since cards are not accepted by many sellers, it is considered helpful to keep some small change to be kept on hand.

Transportation options

When long-haul trips are planned, several airlines are looked at and ratings are compared. Flights from airlines like Emirates, Turkish Airlines, and others have been taken by many travelers connecting via foreign hubs. Alternatives for pleasant layovers and luggage limits are usually provided by booking systems.

Conclusion

Textiles, spices, handicrafts, costume jewellery, and memories of street cuisine are often brought back by visitors. When large or fragile items are purchased, careful packing and a plan for delivery are recommended. Respect for local traditions is important, and a great time exploring the market will be had if calmness is maintained. A sensory tapestry is offered by Delhi's street markets, and with a little planning, attention to scheduling, learning how to bargain, and taking basic safety measures, a fun and well-stocked excursion is likely to be experienced.

Note: Some pictures in this article are courtesy of wikipedia.org and have been borrowed under the creative commons license. Each picture has been linked to its host page on wikipedia.org.

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Shopping in Oman’s Traditional Markets

A traditional Middle Eastern shopping experience is quite special. The place where it all starts is a souk, the local name for a traditional market. While such souks used to be omnipresent all through the Middle East once upon a time, today, they are seen in pockets. Thankfully, they are still quite popular in Oman, unlike its neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, who have evolved from traditional souks to air conditioned shopping malls.


Your Oman shopping experience would begin in its various souks located in its different cities. These souks are bound to dazzle you with their color, aroma and rich variety. If you ask me, I will tell you that the rich mixture of smells is what is special about a Omani souk.


Frankincense burns everywhere and as you inhale the smoky smell, you fell like you have been transported to the frankincense trade route of the olden days. The smell is so strong that you can find them on your clothes even a day later. And then there is the famous Aitr of Oman, the locally made perfumes. Each perfume seems stronger than the other and the salesman will keep offering you more and more bottles to sample, until you can differentiate no more between the various fragrances.


Both the frankincense and the Aitr have a lot of importance in a Omani’s life. Every household in Oman burns frankincense as an air freshener and every Omani man and woman wear Aitr every day. Not only do both these items make excellent souvenirs, you can also say that you are carrying back a bit of the local culture.


Then, we have the super famous Omani Khanjar, the iconic dagger seen on the waists of Omani men. These khanjars either come in plain tones or come bejeweled. Both varieties make for great buys, but the bejeweled one will cost you a bit more. This is one of the most popular souvenirs to carry back home and some tourists have been known to spend insane amounts of money to carry the special khanjar back home.


Even the local dresses of Oman make for great buys. I absolutely adore the dish dashas (flowing man dresses) and the stylish head gear. The head gear comes in 2 types. One of them is a kummah, a narrow skull cap and the other is a muzzar, a turban either in white or in a variety of colors. This dress is for the men and should definitely be worn at least once while in Oman. While the dish dasha might not make for great wear outside of Oman, the head gear can make for great accessories.


And who can forget the famous spices of Oman. The entire Middle East has had this long history with spices. Some come from India, some from Salalah, some from Yemen, some from Morocco and so on. The spice markets are quite a wholesome experience in themselves. If you have no use of such spices back home, at least give the rose petals and rose water a try. They are naturally refreshing and make for great room fresheners. And they are a specialty of Jebel Akhdar, the highest mountain range in Oman.


A middle eastern shopping experience is not complete without any antiques. The Mandoos or the jewel box and the Quewah jars (coffee jars) stay on top of the list of such artifacts. But, there are a whole bunch of other items that have so much antique value and look very beautiful too, but when I was there, I was so lost that I just gaped at them. I did end up picking up a mundoos and some handmade bedouin souvenirs.


How can we forget the lovely dates of Oman. The Khallas variety is my favorite here for its succulent sweetness. Most of the souks have a date section and you can go on a sugar overdose here while trying out the different varieties.

Whatever you end up buying at these souks in Oman, you are bound to have a sensational shopping experience. Such an experience will be very hard to come by even in the fanciest of shopping malls. I hope these traditional markets keep  surviving in Oman.

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Mutrah Souk: Rich Middle Eastern Shopping in Muscat

What is a souk? It is a middle eastern market that is very much like our Indian bazaars, but one which is cleaner and more organized. If you are heading to Oman soon and love a good shopping experience, then you should make it a point to visit the lovely Mutrah (pronounced as Matrah) Souk in the old part of Muscat, Oman’s capital.


This air-conditioned ground level market located by the Corniche area and surrounded by many mosques and old buildings is full of vibrant colors and rich aroma. At every nook and turn, you will be offered to test the local perfumes. And above this, you will catch the smell of the burning frankincense wafting through the entire market.


Then, there is the dash of rich colors through lovely Kashmiri and Turkish carpets, bedazzling Mundoos’es (jewel boxes), the sparkle on the iconic Omani Khanjar, colorful local clothes and lots of Omani handicrafts and art crafts.


As you weave through the different lanes of the Mutrah souk, you will notice a very interesting and nice attribute of this market, which is non—persuasive shop keepers. Unlike other markets in this part of the world, the shop keepers give a lot of space to the shoppers and only start talking about their products when you ask them.
 

The Mutrah Souk is also the best area in Oman to pick up traditional tourist souvenirs like fridge magnets, postcards, Mundoos boxes, Perfumes, Dish Dasha, Khummah, Dates and much more. Do remember to bargain here as prices are typically quoted double if not more. A healthy bargain is appreciated by all shopkeepers.


The ideal half day in this part of town would be to have lunch and then spend shopping in the post afternoon session in the air-conditioned lanes of Mutrah Souk. And on sun down, grab yourself a nice glass of cold fruit juice and then head to the Corniche area for a walk by the sea with the evening breeze blowing in your hair.

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Sukowati Market: Bali’s Shopping Paradise

If you are in Bali, love shopping, like to indulge in bargain shopping and wish to see some of Bali’s best goods under one roof, you have to visit the Sukowati market, about 10 kms outside of Ubud in Central Bali. The proposition gets even more interesting if you are female as most of the stores stock goods that aim to woo female travelers across the world. This is the place where you can get authentic Balinese goods at local prices and I promise based on my personal experience that these prices would make your mouth open wide in wonder and make you catch the first flight to Bali just to shop here.


To start with, the Sukowati market is not your fancy shopping mall, but an association to promote the goods manufactured and hand-crafted by the people living in Bali. It is due to this very vision that the prices here are the cheapest in Bali. In fact, most of the shop owners in the tourist areas of Bali buy/procure their goods from here.


The market is open from 7 AM through 4 PM all days of the week. There are small stalls around the market to take care of the hungry and thirsty shopper. These establishments dish out some of Bali and Indonesia’s best drinks and dishes making it a street culinary cum shopping experience. If you get lucky, you might see a temple procession go by, like how I saw on one of the days I was shopping at Sukowati.


The people running these shops are poor and hence look to start their opening prices very high, just to land a significant profit somehow. But, they do not like to lose a prospective customer and hence are always open to bargaining. In fact, bargaining is welcomed with a warm smile here. Depending on the goods you purchase and its volume, the final price can be as much as 20% to 30% of the opening price. Sometimes, even 10%.


Like I said earlier, this place is primarily for the female traveler with beadwork, necklaces, lots of clothes that include alibaba pants, dresses, tops, t-shirts, sarongs, beachwear and more,  and Bali Batik handbags. The motifs are vibrant and colorful in a way like the Balinese culture, which is very warm and graceful. If you have good bargaining skills, you should be able to land a dress for $1 to $2 per piece. And a Bali Batik handbag for $1. That is how cheap this place is and the quality is the same as you would see in a shop in Kuta or Ubud. The cost is just 5 to 10 times lesser.


For the men, there are the usual clothing items like T Shirts and shorts. But, the more interesting ones are the Balinese paintings, Bali masks, Barong motif designs, a variety of statues, wooden carvings and intricate work, the garuda works and stunning metal work. In addition, one can find the usual souvenirs like Barong T Shirts, Fridge magnets, Bali batik work, wooden crafts and more.


For me, it was the Balinese paintings that piqued my attention. These very beautiful and creative paintings would be designed by local artisans and kept at parking lots on under the shaded roof of another shop for lack of money to rent out shop space. These paintings depict everything from Balinese culture, the countryside living, Balinese temples and homes, paddy fields, underwater life and generic stuff like flowers, waterfalls, gods and more.


Even though these Balinese paintings are set by the roadside and in sidewalks, they have to be the hottest selling item in the entire Sukowati market. The price for this quality of painting (A2 size) can be as low as $2 or $3. Personally, I was very tempted to pick at least 4 of these paintings, but due to the fact that I was going to travel for many more months, I gave up the thought. But, on my next Bali trip, I know the first thing that I want to buy.


Like the batiks are Indonesia’s culture symbol, I think the masks of Indonesia are also one of their main culture icons. Each island of Indonesia and to be more specific, each region of each island has their own style. Bali has its own style too and it resembles the Bali Barongs and in fact, it similar to the ‘asuras’ of India with more vibrant colors and vivid definitions.


Whatever your taste may be and whether you like bargain shopping or not, you should visit Sukowati market just to see all of Bali’s work in one place. It gets even better when you can carry it back home for an affordable price. The Bali’s umbrella shaped temples draw a lot of attention. Bali’s surfing waves and pristine beaches are world famous. I think the Sukowati market falls in the same category. The main positive outcome will be the money spent by us will go right to the roots, to the actual people creating and producing these goods. Do not forget Sukowati market, Bali’s true shopping paradise.

Note: Sukowati market does not have bus service from Denpasar, Kuta or Ubud. The best way to get here is a rented motorcycle or a taxi.

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Best shopping streets in Europe

During a visit to Europe, you'll want to be sure to check out some of the city's very best shopping streets. Spend a few hours, a few days or your entire stay browsing through the wide variety of stores found here, carrying everything from the latest apparel to hit the fashion industry to fun souvenirs to take home for friends and loved ones. The best way to shop within Europe is to use credit cards from American Express. Travelling with credit is much safer than carrying around large sums of cash with you on the streets. In addition to all of the amazing safety features that credit cards offer, you may even be able to take advantage of special discounts and receive points just for doing what you love best, shopping!

Oxford Street in London Oxford Street is known around the world as one of the best shopping streets out there. This world renowned street is one of the largest and busiest destinations for shopping in the entire world. Here you will find a wide selection of flagship stores, larger shops, department stores and locally owned businesses offering merchandise at all price ranges. From upscale boutiques to affordable chain stores, Oxford Street has it all. Some of the most popular stores that visitors will find here include none other than Selfridges, Topshop, House of Fraser and HMV.

Grand Vía in Madrid Grand Vía is known as one of the most upscale shopping streets in all of Madrid, Spain. Starting out at Calle de Alcalá, the Grand Vía shopping district stretches all the way to Plaza de España. In addition to shopping, this street is also home to a variety of entertainment venues, restaurants and hotels. Local shops and commercial stores can be found while walking around this tall-building lined street.

Avenue Montaigne in Paris Located in Paris, France is the famous Avenue Montaigne. Because Paris is known as one of the fashion capitals of the world, Avenue Montaigne features many luxurious boutiques and high-end stores for your shopping pleasure. Splurge on fine jewellery and apparel from shops such as Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Ralph Lauren. While this street was once known for women who would gather to mourn here in the early 18th century, it has now transformed into one of the most popular high fashion shopping streets in all of Europe as well as in the world.

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