5 Best Places to Shop in Little India, Singapore

This used to be a humble store frequented only by local shoppers—until word spread about its low prices and mind-boggling variety of goods. A visit to this sprawling, 24/7 complex just might be your most memorable Singapore shopping experience, provided you don't mind patiently navigating the sometimes overwhelming crowds. Surrounded by scores of Indian restaurants, some of which are similarly open all day and night, Mustafa Centre carries just about any manufactured product you can imagine—and they're often sold at cut-rate prices. It's great fun to wander and see what kind of treasures you can turn up. Be sure to check out the massive supermarket, and, if you have spare money to change, do it here as the foreign-exchange rates (available online) are competitive.

Spread across eight shop spaces, Haniffa Textiles has made a name for itself with its stock of saris. Try this silk shop for a cornucopia of richly colored and ornamented fabrics, scarves, bedspreads, and the like, often at surprisingly affordable prices.

You'll find plenty of colorful eye candy at this cluster of shops near the Little India MRT. Jewelry, music, Indian-style sweets and snacks, and fabrics are all available. Across the street at the Tekka Market, you can also walk through a bustling food market and feast on cheap Indian eats at the hawker stalls.

Handmade and beautifully imperfect, the ceramics from this shop make perfect mementos. The bowls, plates, vases, and other items are so popular that even local eateries—including Burnt Ends, Le Binchotan, The Ottomani—use them. You can plan ahead to attend one of their classes, or get a piece delivered to your hotel. Custom orders are accepted, but all visits must be scheduled.