Singapore - Shop

Buy hand-blended perfume from Jamal Kazura, traditional Chinese remedies from Yue Hwa and a cheap MP3 player from the Mustafa Centre.

Pick up semi-precious stones and perfume oils around Arab Street in Kampong Glam, and indulge yourself along the mammoth Orchard Road with its malls, department stores and fashion boutiques. Wade through the floors of electrical goods in the Mustafa Centre, and smell the spices in the bazaars of Little India's Serangoon Road. Buy herbal remedies, a cheap cheong sam and Chinese tea around Chinatown's Trengganu and Eu Tong Sen streets.

Singapore's markets are a perfect way of getting to the hub of street life. The night market around Chinatown's Trengganu Street sells fun Chinese fashions with trinkets, cheap CDs and clothes at crowded stalls in Bugis Village. Join the housewives choosing fish and veg at the noisy wetmarkets in Geylang Serai and Little India.

All department stores and most small independent shops have fixed prices, although it's worth asking for the "best price" in smaller shops, especially markets. Foreigners can claim back the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on each item over S$100 in any store with a Tax Free Shopping logo, on production of a passport. The money is then refunded at the airport. If you're planning to buy valuable jewellery, check out stores that are members of the Quality Jewellers of Singapore (QJS), www.qjs.org.sg.