Welcome to Hot Spots to Shop…

Along with your photos, what could be a better remembrance of a trip than that perfect little gem of a purchase you snagged at a back-street boutique, the one where the owner offered you a cup of tea, shared local lore and gossip, and showed you his personal stash of merchandise, the stuff that doesn’t make it to the shelves! Years later, long after you’ve stopped looking at the pictures, a mere glimpse of that purchase, that gift to yourself, will transport you back to Bangkok, Shanghai, Hanoi, Melbourne… And you found that boutique through Hot Spots to Shop!

Whether it is a jewel-toned cloisonné vase, a one-of-a-kind garment tailored exactly to your proportions, an exquisite necklace that elicits comments whenever you wear it, a dusty antique that cleans up to gorgeous! or a vibrant tapestry that ‘makes the room,’ how delightful to have acquired at leisure what you could never find at home – certainly never at the price you paid!

And what is the best way to shop in unfamiliar areas? In the company of a patient and knowledgeable friend – a shopping guru! – who saves you from tramping all over the city by pointing out the best shops for the best bargains and the best craftsmanship! Whether you’re on a group tour with limited free time, a fast-paced business trip or a totally unstructured holiday, having insider knowledge about the shopping scene saves your feet, your energy and your money!

When no expert local is available, turn to Hot Spots to Shop, the guidebooks that step in for the knowledgeable, patient friend you wish you had. The brain child of Wendy Johnson McFarlane, this popular, easy-to-use series – and the tours that spring from them – are a distillation of Wendy’s years in the travel business: of scoping out shops, bazaars, markets and malls, hunting down tailors, leather workers, and artisans in wood, gems and precious metals, finding bargains up and down Asia and Australia and then setting them down systematically in handy guides for the curious shopper.
Unlike the tour guide who takes you to a mediocre outlet in quest of kickbacks from the store.

Hot Spots to Shop finds you the best merchandise at all price points without wasting your time. Featuring guidebooks for Bangkok, Hanoi & Hoi An, Shanghai and Beijing, and Kuala Lumpur, Hot Spot to Shop guides bring you the best shopping advice in popular and emerging destinations in Asia.

In development are comprehensive guides to shopping in Australia, produced in cooperation with, and as a fund-raiser for, charities that support research into ovarian cancer.

Read on to find out more about the Hot Spots to Shop series, Wendy’s monthly newsletter, and our periodic shopping tours led by the Shopping Guru herself, an economical and totally enjoyable way to shop Asia!