Visakhapatnam, INDIA – SHOPPING for sarees

I admit, the best part of the Vizag trip was the shopping.

Ok, maybe the Simhachalam Temple too, for it was an eye-opener. And yes, the food, though humble fare, was simply satisfying.

But I love shopping.
And I just got to buy stuff whenever I’m away from Malaysia, just because you know, “Don’t know when I’m coming back here again…“, “..can’t get this in Malaysia”, ” sure cheaper than Malaysia“; yes, all that excuses.

But it’s true, there are unique items that one should buy (depending on your interest) when one is away from your own home country.
Heck, there’s shopping to be done even within your own country, for items vary state to state; Penang tau sar pneah for example, Melaka nyonya kuih and fresh lekor from Terengganu.

So yes, when in India, buy spices and SAREES.
That’s for the ladies.
The gents? Well, there are cheap cloth and shirts, if that interest you.

Back to SAREES.

The pictures above aren’t the best since I wasn’t able to take them myself but I passed my iPhone to one of the shop assistants and some were taken by our tour guide. Needless to say, they aren’t trained for photography so angles are bad.

Still, you get what I mean right? The sarees are gorgeous! 😀

And notably cheap too. The ones you see me wearing above are about RM300 – RM499. Such gorgeous beadings and lovely materials for that price!
In comparison, these might set you back about RM1000 – 1500 here in KL. And frankly, I doubt you can find similar quality in Klang or Brickfields.

So where to shop for these?
This is at the Jagadamba, Visakha area. Right in the city of Visakhapatnam.

Recommended shops:
1. Chandara Brothers
2. Lucky
3. CMR

Our itinerary was focused on the cultural, religious and nature side of Visakhapatnam so we were in trains and buses most of the time, traveling 20 – 40 km just to see a temple.
Shopping wasn’t a priority but upon our insistence our guide had obliged.
However we were allocated barely 2 hours on one night and about 4 hours on the last day.

Hence, if you are serious about shopping and would like to be able to select your items carefully, do allocate one full day or 2 days at least. It will be well worth your effort and time!
The number of sarees shops are many, and each shop stocks designs in different colours, embroidery work, materials and patterns. It is unlikely that what you see in one shop is similar to another.

Hence take your time. Let them drape it on you. Check the sarees inch by inch to ensure there are no defect, especially on the beadwork and edges.
All in all, trust me, you do not want to rush the experience.

Besides clothes, we bought cashews as well, which is popular here. And of course some Indian sweets.
I was told the mangoes in India are really delicious, so a couple of us bought kgs of it!

The shops are air-conditioned though some were still stuffy due the the heat and amount of people. Keep an eye on your belongings at all times.

PS:I’m organising a photoshoot with the sarees I’ve bought so if you know anyone who can sew the blouse, loan me some accessories or get my make up done, let me know!:)

**This experience was made possible by the team at Air Asia. Thank you! 😀
AirAsia flies to Visakhapatnam, INDIA every Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday.
Check the flights at www.AirAsia.com