tipsnowflake

Hi All,

I am headed to India and Singapore for a few weeks and will be bringing one bag with me. I believe by the time I head home, I will need 2 to accomodate gifts, etc. As I am bringing the maximum checked bags over (bringing some things to an expat friend in her bag), I will need to buy a bag over in Asia.

This will likely be a bag I may not use again...so doesn't need to be durable--just good enough to make it home in one piece.

Would anyone with experience recommend buying the bag in Singapore or India? Also, what would I expect to spend?

Thanks in advance,
TIPSnowflake

joannay

It doesn't matter where, buy it when you need it. Or better yet, mail your purchases home. There's nothing that says "India" better than a trip to the local P.O.! Really, great fun. And surface mail is a bargain and reliable. From one who knows.

qwovadis

Sadar Bazar Delhi best deals especially leather in the past.

Singapore has become more expensive over ther years

As value of their dollar has increased.

qwovadis

indiamike.com might post there for best current info...

Happy Hunting!

Cicerone

If you are allowed only 1 checked bag, you might first consider bringing a light and foldable bag like a duffle bag (or Sportsac) which can fit into one suitcase on the way out, and can then be used as a second bag on the return leg.

I would agree that India would be a better place to but an inexpensive bag than S’pore. I think you will find things to be quite a bit cheaper there than in S’pore.

I would agree that mailing some stuff home may turn out to be cheaper than having to pay to check a 2nd bag (which seems to cost about US$70). One brilliant suggestion I saw a few years ago here by another poster was to mail your <i>dirty clothes</i> home, and bring gifts back in your suitcase. Most post offices in India or S’pore will even sell you a box you can use for the shipping, and will insure it as well. You can send the clothes surface mail (which is very cheap, albeit can take a while). You also won’t have to pay any duty on the package when it arrives in the US, as used personal goods are not dutiable. (Which would not be the case with new items/souvenirs.) You can also use air mail or speedpost, but check rates to make sure that it will actually be cheaper than just paying to check a 2nd bag.

You could also consider donating your clothes in India to a charity before you leave to lighten your load further.

For mailing rates from India and S’pore, see http://www.indiapost.gov.in/ and http://www.singpost.com/. Be sure to compare surface mail to air mail to see the difference in rates. Personally, I would feel a lot more confident in the mail coming from S’pore than India, so if you have a choice, I would mail things back from Singapore.

Finally, speaking as an expat myself, if someone were bringing me a lot of items from home in their suitcase, I would not mind at all paying for all or part of the cost of checking a second bag. If this is something you can mention to your friend, it may save you the time and hassle in having to shop around for another bag, or mail items back.

joannay

Just a note on mailing your purchases home. I've mailed a good number of packages from India and they've all arrived safely on schedule by surface mail at very reasonable rates. They pack your things at the post office and sew them up in fabric covers for next to nothing. It's a very good way to relieve yourself of the bother of carrying everything.

tipsnowflake

Thanks, all--there's some really good advice in here! I am quite liking the "shipping" idea and plan to look into that, as well as trying to maybe bring a duffel that will go inside my suitcase (I had considered this, but was worried depending on what I pick up in India/SGP it may not make it home in one piece.

As an aside, I actually can check 2 bags--I just won't have an empty. I am bringing 2 with me--my own and one I am carrying for an expat friend of mine--so I won't get to "reuse" that one on my return (bummer!!!).

lincasanova

I have seen the woven plastic textile large square bags many people use just for that purpose. they can usually be bought at dollar stores or at a street market, probably in singapore, too, but for sure in india. They fold totally flat, weigh nothing but are very strong.

joannay

I have a number of the bags you describe, bought primarily to contain things inside a box when I mail them home. While very strong they're also very flexible and porous and so I don't believe they'd be particularly suitable as checked baggage although I know some people use them that way. Maybe if there was a rigid box inside they could be used in that way for items that don't break, fabric and that sort of thing. But I think a folding duffel would be better.

lincasanova

I would just put clothes and non-breakables in that one.. shoes.. etc. You could even line it with cardboard at destination. good luck!