Love to shop and eat? Travel to the Ubud market in Bali or Siam in Bangkok for your next vacation

Ubud market in Bali
The best places to Shop in Bali are its local markets and Ubud tops the list, is packed with galleries and shops selling handicrafts to clothes, dream-catchers to faux branded bags etc. A must stop here for lunch is ‘Ibu Oka’ which offers traditional local food. Anthony Bourdain in his episode of when he was in Ubud, Bali also states that the delectable ‘babiguling’ is the best that he’s ever had and I second that. The pork is incredibly succulent and the crackling is the best I have ever tasted! Go for the set meal which comes accompanied with rice, sambal and some local vegetables. When you are done with shopping and eating head to ‘Room 4 Dessert’, the perfect place for coffee and dessert and calling it a day!



Siam in Bangkok
Get down at the Siam station if shopping is your cardio and you will find various shopping centres in every direction. There are entire floors dedicated to shoes and handbags, fashion and clothing, mobile phones and furniture and yes there is also an enormous food court with lots of affordable and yummy Thai and International food to choose from. A must stop is definitely the eHello Kitty Housef at the Siam square Mall, The three storeyed cafe is generously adorned with pink Hello Kitty themed designs, down to every tiny detail, counting the tables, chairs, food, and drinks! A strawberry shortcake and coffee will totally refresh you for more shopping!



Stroget in Copenhagen
Europe’s longest pedestrian (read 3.2 kilometres) shopping thoroughfare in Copenhagen aka Stroget demands regard so dress accordingly. You can drool over the beautiful shoes all you want, but as far as your own feet are concerned, go for comfort…trust me you’ll thank me for this tip. In the length of Stroget, including its squares and side-streets, is an entire congregation of boutiques and stores – enough to keep the most zealous shopper engaged for days. Between shopping gorge a couple of classic Danish open sandwiches known as Smorrebrod which come with various toppings. Recommendations go all out for the marinated herring with curry salad, onions and capers and spiced meat roll with onions and aspic …superlative indeed! And yes the coffee, fresh Danish pastries and pancakes are yummy too.



Carmel market in Tel Aviv
The real satisfaction in Tel Aviv comes from simply walking around. It’s not all about history and architecture. In the Carmel market is another sort of gem – shops that sell all kinds of fresh produce and local food stuff. You can taste and buy, or not, depending on the profundity of your ethics and pocket. That said; do not miss the Lapa, its decadent! For Lunch move on to a restaurant called ‘The Bun’ at the end of the market, the food is fabulous!



Gran via in Madrid
Gran Via is where you can buy the best pair of designer coats, see the latest theatre productions or just delight in the sweet urban clamour. A great idea is to start from Puerta Del Sol Plaza which is one of the main centres of Madrid, with its streets splintering out to other famous landmarks and is full of shops and cafes. Spend time walking the busy alleys and streets that sprout from the plaza and do not miss trying Churros with your coffee between breaks and certainly some eTapasf and wine when you are done for the day!