Take Times' Square!

Hong Kong is a perfect place for non-shopaholics, because shopaholics will soon spend themselves dry when they venture to Hong Kong's famous shopping malls (which apparently, Hong Kong is full of).

Hong Kong has nearly everything you can imagine to buy: from decent dressing gowns advertised by skinny models, to exquisite stationary which costs more than you could imagine.

For first time visitors, shopaholics, or non-shopaholics, I recommend you to one of the best-known plazas in the city, Times' Square, situated in the heart of Causeway Bay. Arriving there will definitely not be a problem-most transportation can take you there. Apparently it is not as huge as some of the magnificent shopping malls in, say, America, but I promise you will find the greatest shopping pleasure.

There is a wide range of featured shops: tuck shops, souvenir shops, famous brands of shoes and clothes and scarves, electronics shops that are equipped with the cutting edge of technology, just name it and you will find it on the map!

I suggest you start with the basement, where you will most likely find a themed carnival (if you are lucky). Sometimes this will be a mid-autumn fesive food feast, while other times you can find all sorts of Christmas decorations, depending on what time of the year you visit-perhaps this is why it's called the Times' Square!

Then you can continue your tour to the first floor, where you will find shops selling prestigious chocolate and coffee shops displaying mouth-watering treats such as milk toffees and sweet lemon tart served with a decent cup of coffee, sit, relax and watch the world go speeding by.

One thing you should know is that, the canny famous brands often keep visible price tags in the smallest possible size, thinking they appear less intimidating to buyers. So I suggest you always consider the price before you consider the design of the item! Next, you have to know that as you climb to a higher floor, you get a higher price. So if you can't afford agnes'b on the third floor, you shouldn't visit Calvin Klein or Armani on the fourth. It will only make you disappointed by just looking at the prices.

Despite all the negative comments about the unaffordable prices, I recommend you go to the ninth floor by the lift. You can find an interesting collection of shops there: the Apple store where you can press on buttons on the keyboard and be starred at by the staff, the Page One bookstore where you find books from all around the world, and a cozy Starbucks at the corner where you can spend the whole afternoon, reading books you have just bought from Page One. These two shops are really made for each other, and come together very well!

Anyway, I hope you can find fun in Times' Square while still managing to keep some change in your purse!

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Published on 3/19/10