The newest shopping and entertainment area in Strasbourg is Rivétoile. Here you’ll find a good assortment of stores, including Leclerc Hypermart, a variety of restaurants, including McDonald’s, and all the services you associate with super malls in the US/UK/Europe. Galeries Lafayette at 34 rue du 22 Novembre is smaller than the one in Paris, but you’ll find almost everything you want...

Skye’s 2000-strong capital, Portree, gathers on harbour-side cliffs overlooking the wild Isle of Raasay and has a cheerful feel thanks to its multicoloured houses. There’s a clutch of good little shops to wander around, but probably the most impressive – if you’re on the lookout for local arts and crafts – is the Aros Centre (01478 613750), about a mile south of town on...

Mas is the village best known for its long tradition of woodcarving , even though the word “mas” means gold in Bahasa Indonesia.  As is usual in Bali, this means that you will find a glut of workshops throughout the area, all offering similar product. It is worth visiting a woodcarving studio such as Dewa Malen to watch the craftsmen...

Asiatique is a good place to spend a leisurely evening strolling on the breezy boardwalk near the river. Browse through some of the shops housed in the historic warehouses that once belonged to the East Asiatic Company. Here you can find everything from Thai handicrafts to mass-produced souvenirs. For dinner, consider Baan Khanita which serves Royal Thai cuisine in an elegant...

BACC opened its doors in 2010 in the Siam neighborhood, and since then, small galleries, arts organizations, designer shops, and cafés have filled the storefronts of this swirling, multi-level structure. BKK Art House curates installations and talks by Thai contemporary artists that attract students and creative types. The established nonprofit Thai Film Foundation also has a shop where they sell...

Is it Chatuchak, or Jatujak? The Weekend Market? JJ? It’s all of those; it just depends on which sign you’re reading, or whom you’re talking to. Whatever its name, the market is a colossal, fun, and chaotic destination. JJ also lends new meaning to the term “hot and crowded,” and this sprawling mammoth of stalls sells just about everything under...

Roj Siam Ruay repurposes cool old Thai designs and letters and prints them on messenger bags, notebooks, t-shirt, and more. Then they sell them at this lovely little shop just north of Banglampoo. They also carry crafts on the micro label Poom Din, which has a stall at Jatujak, Section 4 Soi (3) 51/2 No. 279. Recent gems here were...

American GI turned Thai silk expert and entrepreneur Jim Thompson introduced the world to Thai textiles and crafts and revolutionized the industry. He was a connoisseur of Southeast Asian art and culture, and visitors to his home, a little group of houses he purchased from different parts of Thailand and reassembled beside a canal in Bangkok, can see the Thai...

Karmakamet’s essential oils are all natural and come in over 40 different scents, including uncommon ones like Cajeput and West Indian Lime. They have a couple of shops at Jatujak Market, and they also sell their candles, colognes, essential oils, and teas at Central World, next door to their tea and pastry shop. The scentology empire is expanding, and they...

Opposite Wat Po and the Museum of Siam, you’ll find this cozy little bookshop stocked with titles of regional interest, as well as a few other items including postcards and Thai handicrafts. River Books is in the publishing business because they love what they do: producing beautiful coffee table books in English (and occasionally in Thai) that focus on the...

The front of this shop doesn’t have a word of English on it and that’s probably why it gets overlooked by a lot of foreigners. It has Thai snacks and desserts that you see here and there on the streets of Bangkok, but all together under one roof. Spicy sweet dried tamarind, rice cakes with caramel on them, coconut jellies,...

A pocket apron for grannie’s walker? Check. A microwavable tater bag? Got that, too. A cloth bag to keep plastic baggies in? Go for it. But you’ll also find antiques, wind chimes, birdhouses, jewelry, posters, kitchen items and much more at Branson’s largest crafts and antiques mall, with more than 300 vendors. In business for more than 25 years, Apple...

There was lots of local opposition when the bucolic but under-used Taneycomo waterfront just east of downtown was transformed into this 1.5-mile-long shopping and dining complex some years back. But there’s no doubt now that Branson Landing has revitalized the downtown district. More than 100 specialty stores and restaurants line the boardwalk, anchored on either end by Belk Department Store...

Of Branson’s many craft malls, Branson Mill is my favorite. In addition to 150 booths selling jewelry, clothing, quilts, fudge, musical instruments, soaps, candles, photography, embroidery, home decor and more, there are craftsmen working their trade, from leather carving and woodworking to pottery. There’s also free entertainment (like gospel and bluegrass music once or twice a week) or the Kevin...

Located in Waterbury, Vermont, the Ben and Jerry’s factory attracts visitors from all over the world looking to take a behind-the-scenes peek at the how the popular ice cream is made, and a chance to try the latest flavors.  The half-hour tours include the showing of a short video about the company. The video tells the story of childhood friends...

While not the oldest brewery in town, Magic Hat Brewery was one of the first that really put Burlington on the map for craft brews.  A stop by the South Burlington brewery is a great way to taste their wide variety of beers – in addition to their popular and widely available #9 beer (a pale ale with an apricot...

Whether you just want to stroll around the beautiful grounds, buy some of the cheese produced on site, or stop for a drink at the Shelburne Inn, Shelburne Farms is a great spot to enjoy the Vermont outdoors and makes for a fun family outing. It’s a working farm that produces cheese, organic fruits and vegetables, and pasture-raised veal, lamb...

A visit to Vermont’s Teddy Bear Factory is a popular trip for families – especially those with kids who would just love to be able to make their own furry friend. The factory runs 30-minute tours every half hour throughout the day. On summer weekends these tours do fill up, so you might end up having to wait for the...

This privately owned aquarium boasts a million gallons of tanks. Aince 1964, this massive complex has lured travelers looking for a respite from the breezy air up along the North Coast. Start with a 45 minute tour of the facility, led by informative guides. Touch tide pool creatures and sharks. Then check out the bat rays, various fish exhibits, and...