When you travel, you bring back a piece of the place you’ve visited with you — often it’s in the form of souvenir! Here’s our guide to mastering the art of souvenir-shopping.
Check out ‘tourist’ markets first : Seasoned souvenir-shoppers never buy things the minute their feet touch the duty-free zone. Smart souvenir-shoppers tack on a visit to ‘tourist-trap’ markets around famous monuments when they go sightseeing. Not to shop — just to see what’s on offer, and to get an idea of what things are a dime a dozen. Eiffel Tower key-chains from Paris, green plastic Statues of Liberty from USA and mini Taj Mahals are what discerning souvenir-shoppers would call ‘instant landfill’.
Hit the museums: No real traveller can resist a good museum. Museums give you a sense of what the region or city’s best art and crafts are supposed to look like. Sure, you may not get a solid silver palanquin, but when you spot a one-off carved wooden specimen, or just one piece of a painted China item that looks remarkably like its historic cousin, you’ll know you’ve hit pay-dirt.
Say no to plastic: And not just to reduce your carbon footprint. Plastic is usually used in mass-produced stuff, which has little to do with local tradition — turn them over to see if you can spot the label which says they were made in a certain oriental nation with a reputation for reasonable goods. So skip the plastic fridge-magnets, plastic flowers or flimsy plastic plaques emblazoned with the name of a country.
Dive into that little curiosity shop: Follow your nose — if you are simply dying to explore a tiny, folksy, old-world shop, go ahead. And even if that Tibetan silver ring or mahogany statuette seems just a tad expensive, it is worthwhile to splurge on something unique that nobody else will have. Online travel websites where real people review places they’ve travelled to are great ‘insider’ sources that’ll help you find shops that sell the best and most authentic stuff.
Widen your definition of ‘souvenir’: Not all souvenirs need to be for the drawing room. Pick up anything different and special that isn’t available at home. You can even collect ticket-stubs from museums, coins from different countries, China figurines, recipe books — anything that tickles your fancy.
Make it personal, make it count: Souvenir comes from the French word that means ‘to remember’. It is something that evokes a memory. \The best souvenirs are usually intensely personal; and often have a story attached to them. A single seashell from a lonely beach can be a reminder of a perfect vacation, and can be a treasured possession all your life.
The writer’s pick
Cuckoo clocks – Switzerland
Bamboo items – Assam
Jade – China
Navajo blankets – USA
Dresden China – Germany
Blown glass – Venice
Tribal masks – South Africa
