7 New Cities For Shoppingholic

1.Haneda Airport Tokyo, Japan

Best for Hello Kitty memorabilia

Photo: Sanrio.com

This may seem a strange entry but any avid collector knows that their love know no bounds - whence there is merchandise, there they shall go. The Hello Kitty Japan store at the airport has one of the largest varieties of feline memorabilia anywhere in the world, and it's all officially licensed Sanrio products.

2. Marrakech, Morocco

Best for Middle Eastern bric-a-brac

Photo: Michael Runkel, Robert Harding World Imagery for Corbis

Since its starring role in Sex & The City 2, souks, the Middle Eastern equivalent of a market, have been gaining immense popularity. Shoppers can delight in finding everything from carpets to camels and love potions on sale. It's best to begin at Rue Souk Smarine before wondering off to Souk el Attarine for spice, pottery and textiles, and Souk el Kebir for leather bags, carpets and traditional Moroccan clothes.

3. Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Best for luxury under one roof

Photo: Gavin Hellie, Robert Harding World Imagery for Corbis

The desert city is all about the extremes and the shopping equivalent of this is found at the Mall of Emirates. The largest mall outside of North America, there is more than 520 international prestige brand stores on the directory. To cap things off, there's also an indoor ski slope and a 5-star hotel within the premises.

4. Hangzhou, China

Best for Chinese arts and rare crafts

Photo: Mike Kemp for Corbis

The stores on Xinhua Road are famous for artefacts reminiscent of the Ming Dynasty. The swatches of silk, clothes, artwork, and souvenirs are some of the best you'll find, and very reasonably priced. Other places selling similar products include Qinghefang Street (find silk parasols and the iconic big-eared Zhang Xiaoquan sewing scissors here) and Hangzhou Silk Town (encased between Fengqi Road, Tiyuchang Road, Xinhua Road and Jiankang Western Road).

5. Manila, Philippines

Best for cultural artefacts and local furniture

Photo: Paul A. Souders for Corbis

The capital city of the Philippines is known for its book stores, handicrafts, antique shops and small local speciality shops focused on home decor. Ayala Centre is popular for designer casual wear. Shopping malls litter the city with one at every second block (at least), and if you're looking for souvenirs, these are your best bet.

6. Hanoi, Vietnam

Best for silks

Photo: Thinkstock.com

The quality of silk that comes from Hanoi is lauded around the world, and the city also produces beautiful embroidered goods and ethnics crafts. Customised silk clothes can be made ready within a day and the best place to find these are at Hang Gai Street and Khai Silk. Try Hong Hoa Hang Dau Street for silver, antique bric-a-brac and local crafts.

7. Jaipur, India

Best for precious and semi-precious stone jewellery

Photo: Thinkstock.com

As the mothership for jewellery of this sort, you'll find pieces at half the price of what you would normally pay in a high street store. While counterfeit products are common, reputable shops like Gem Palace can be trusted for silverware and precious stones. While there, don't miss Johari Bazaar for clothes.

The View From Above - Famous Cities

1. New York City, United States





2. Dubai, United Arab Emirates



3.  London, United Kingdom



4. Beirut, Lebanon



5. Paris, Perancis



6. Las Vegas, United States



7. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil



8. Jurusalem



9. Istanbul, Turkey



10. Sydney, Australia

The world's best bed and breakfast (B&Bs) establishments

An annual ranking of the world's best bed and breakfast (B&Bs) establishments has suggested that the UK offers the best in the world. TripAdvisor revealed the results of its annual Travelers' Choice Awards January 18, with British B&Bs taking eight of the top ten places around the world -- here, a round-up of the winners.


10. Bindon Bottom B&B, West Lulworth, Dorset, United KingdomBindon Bottom B&B is a Victorian country house and is heaven for walkers, situated close to the South West Coast Path which runs along the bottom of the United Kingdom.



9.The Manor Coach House, Worcester, Worcestershire, United Kingdom

The Manor Coach House offers five guest rooms and adjoining gardens.



8. One Alloway Retreat, Ayrshire, Scotland
This luxury B&B in Rabbie Burns' birthplace was a new entry on the list.

  

7. Byfield House, Cotswolds, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

Byfield House is situated in a picturesque English countryside village.



6. The Green House, Sacred Valley, Peru

The Green House was the highest-ranked non-European B&B.



5. Kenley Hotel, Blackpool, Lancashire, United Kingdom

The Kenley Hotel sits between the Pleasure Beach and Blackpool Tower in the popular seaside destination.

4. Casa Portagioia Bed and Breakfast, Tuscany, Italy

Casa Portagioia offers five independent guest bedrooms and two suite apartments, all with luxury bathrooms and air-conditioning.



3. Riverside Hotel, Ambleside, Cumbria, United Kingdom

The Riverside Hotel, a Victorian B&B, took third spot.



2. The Old Manse, Invermoriston, Scotland

The Old Manse dropped from last year's top spot to second in the global rankings.



1. The Twenty One, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom

The world's best B&B was The Twenty One, a boutique B&B in the coastal city of Brighton which offers some of the amenities seen in luxury hotels, such as flat screen TVs with DVD player, bathrobes and slippers, iPod docks and a full English breakfast -- for rates beginning at £55 (€66).

Image of the week (3)

Title: Dancing waves
'A stormy day along the California coast. There's beauty in nature everywhere you go, and luckily in this moment I had my camera to capture it'.

Title: Cheetah cub with mother'This cheetah cub was hiding beneath its mother for protection.'

Title: Ndebele Smile
'As colourful as the rainbow nation itself, I saw this Ndebele woman sitting outside a shop in Pilgrim's Rest (South Africa). I had always wanted to photograph these beautiful people and thought this was too good a chance up pass up. Once she saw my softbox she burst out in laughter and I was able to capture this image.'

Title: Winter in New York
'Central Park captured during a romantic break last Christmas!'

Title: Tibetan Buddhism - train to Lhasa
'These novice monks were on their way to Tibet to begin their studies in a monastery outside Lhasa. They were full of fun and mischief. At this quiet moment, however, they were looking out onto the vast Himalayan plateau and seemed to be contemplating what the future would hold for them at the end of this long journey across the roof of the world.'