Hill Station

Munnar''s greatest buy is, of course, tea. Tea is in fact, probably one of the few things that are really worth buying from Munnar. In Munnar you can also buy luscious strawberries and locally produces spices but nearly all other so-called souvenir items, such as coir or metal ware, are from another part of Kerala.

Munnar is essentially a hill station. Hence, there is hardly any scope for shopping in Munnar as such. In Munnar, shopping areas are limited to just small markets and shops that sell small items as souvenirs. You may not find information on where to shop in Munnar. So the question of what to buy in Munnar doesn't quite have an answer.

Munnar is famous for its tea and spices plantations. So if you want, you can buy different varieties of spices and different varieties of tea. You can get the spices packed in small transparent pouches and take them home. Better still, visit a factory and they will be all the more glad to give you free samples of their spices and tea leaves. Apart from that, you can always shop for small handicrafts and other knick-knacks that are easily available in the roadside shacks. While in Munnar, it is better if you look out for the small items that can be given as souvenirs than hunt for branded stuff that are available all around the world.

Khandala is well known for the fast foods such as Chikkis, Jams, Chiwda, Wafers and various types of Sevs.

Naga Bazaar: The Naga bazaar is one place which can be considered as the nodal point for all roads to converge. The market is the main attraction of the city and is famous for the trading of live stock. The definition of live stock is a bit comprehensive at Nagaland; it consists of all living things including the favourite Naga dish, the black dog.

The Naga cuisine accommodates the widest variety of chow the human brain can comprehend. A visit to the market will also provide an opportunity to mingle with the local crowd and the tribal saleswomen who roam the market in their splendid tribal costumes and provide exquisite collection of tribal handicraft and poultry and fishery products.

Darjeeling is a nice place to buy decorative items. The roadside bazaars of this hill station come alive with a wide variety of products in the evening. The main shopping areas are Chowrasta and Nehru Road.

Among the best buys of Darjeeling are thangkas, brass statues, religious objects, jewellery, wood carving, woven fabrics and carpets. It may be mentioned that there is a strong Tibetan influence over the products of the place.

One can buy anything typically Himalayan from this beautiful Himalayan town-brass statues, religious objects, jewellery, wooden carvings, woven fabrics and carpets. For Tibetan carpets, the cheapest place in the area is at Hayden Hall, a women's co-operative, opposite the State Bank of India on Laden La Rd.
Chowrastha and Nehru Road and places were you can check out for curios and other trinkets.

Handloom can also be bought at West Bengal's Manusha Emporium, on Nehru Rd, which is a fixed-price shop selling Himalayan handicrafts, silk and hand loomed products.

There is also a market off Hill Cart Rd next to the bus and taxi stands where you can find relatively cheap patterned woolen sweaters. You can also carry home a bamboo umbrella as a souvenir for quite a bargain.

Darjeeling tea makes excellent gifts. The prices vary according to the flavor and quality of tea. You might have to follow the age-old way of testing tea. The way to test tea is to take a small handful in your closed fist, breathe firmly on it through your fingers and then open your hand and smell the aromas released.

The main shopping centers in Darjeeling are Chowk Bazar, Chowrasta, Ladenla Road, Nehru Road, Supermarket, Motor Stand and Mahakal Market.

Shops in Kalimpong have a wide variety of traditional handicrafts making it a paradise for souvenir collectors. Look out for embroidered items, woodcarvings, scrolls, Tibetan jewellery, artifacts, bags and purses, chinese lamps and copperware.

Visit the local bazaar at Kalimpong to get a glimpse of the traditional handicrafts that can be collected as souvenirs. You have a wide variety of embroidered items, wood carvings, scrolls, Tibetan jewelry, artifacts, bags and purses, Chinese lamps and copperware to choose leaving you in a dilemma to choose the best among them. Also enjoy the amazing sights of the snow covered Kanchenjunga.

Kalimpong also offers some good items to be purchased. The Kalimpong is famous for the tapestry bags and purses, copperware, scrolls and paintings from Dr Grahams house. Shops selling Tibetan Jewellery and art effects can be found in the streets to the east of Dambar Chowk.

Teesta Bazaar: Teesta Bazaar, also known as tenth mile among local people, is the main bazaar area in Kalimpong and is named after the lifeline Teesta River of Kalimpong. The market places thrive with many handicraft items and artifacts. One can shop for all kinds of commodities in this splendid market. The worthy and costly crafted items are the main attractions in this bazaar.

One can shop for variety of wares from China, Tibet and Bhutan. The local items like thankas, daggers, tea cups, footwear and lanterns are abundantly available here. Copper and Silver ware, Jewelry items, fruits, vegetables and cloths can also be shopped in moderate rates from this bazaar.

Buy some Tibetan handicrafts - go shopping for fine quality tea as also some hand woven Tibetan carpets withe the signature dragon on it!

Siliguri also offers great shopping opportunities: genuine and fake-labelled garments can be bought here. The local speciality is cane ware – letter racks, sofas et al. Some of the good places to go shopping in Siliguri are- the Hong Kong Market, Bidhan Market, Seth Srilal Market, Hill Cart Road and Sunflower Shopping Mall. All the places offer wide array of inexpensive Chinese and imported products at competitive prices.

The best buy in Siliguri is loose tea, available almost everywhere. With the Nepal and Bhutan borders being near, a certain amount of smuggled goods are also available. All the better markets/shops are located on either Hill Cart Road or Sevoke Road. Excellent cane furniture is available.
With rising demand from locals and visitors, all the upmarket goods with international labels are now available in Siliguri.