Visiting a flea market is a great way to immerse yourself in whatever local culture you find yourself in, and Asian markets are some of the most elaborate, decorative, and impressive markets in the entire world.
However, flea market etiquette varies from country to country, and especially on different continents. If you’re in Asia and want to visit a flea market, there are a few things you’ll need to know before heading off on your journey.
Whether you’re looking to snag some last-minute souvenirs or simply want to spend the day hopping from stall to stall getting to know the locals, here are seven tips to help you before visiting an Asian flea market.
Tips For Visiting An Asian Flea Market
How do these rankings work?
1. Familiarise Yourself With Famous Asian Flea Markets
What’s the largest flea market in Asia? There are a few, but the Panjaiyuan Antiques Market in Beijing, China is one of the most popular. It’s a 520,000 antique market that feels like more like a fantastical journey through a maze as you walk through it.
Other popular flea markets in Asia include the Bazaar Baru Chow Kit market in Kuala Lumpur and the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market in the Ratchaburi province of Thailand.
2. Check Flea Market Opening Hours
Remember, you’re in a foreign country and you’re not familiar with their business hours or even national holidays. It’s extremely important to double and triple-check that the market’s even going to be open when you visit.
A website like Fleamapket is a great resource when looking for the best flea markets in Asia and other places. Find the market you’re looking for and see if they have a Facebook page or any source of contact. Call if you can, confirm with a local, or ask your hotel’s staff.
3. Learn How to Haggle
Bargaining is a learned sport, but you’ll have to learn how to haggle if you want to make your way out of an Asian market alive. Despite the fact that most flea markets in Asia offer greatly reduced prices when compared to shops near hotels, you’ll find that you still need to haggle a bit to get a bargain price.
Make sure to engage in respectful haggling, which means to remain respectful of the vendor’s lowest price, especially if it’s already dirt cheap in any currency. Asian vendors often accept trades, so you could bring similar souvenirs from home and trade them for goods at flea markets.
4. Bring Local Currency
Few Asian flea markets accept credit cards, so it’s extremely important to bring the local currency with you. If it helps, download a currency exchange app so that you can have it handy on your phone to double-check their asking price in your local currency.
Having a currency exchange app on your phone can also help you make sense of what you’re actually spending. When visiting a flea market, it can be easy to get lost in the sea of seemingly cheap trinkets. Then, when you’re back in your hotel you realise you’ve spent hundreds of dollars.
5. Arrive to Flea Markets Early
Flea markets in Asia get crowded. And by crowded we’re talking about can’t move, can’t breathe, brushing bums with hundreds of strangers kind of crowded. To avoid being put in that kind of anxiety-inducing situation, it’s best to arrive to a flea market super early
This will also ensure that you’ll have access to all of the freshest food. Plan on eating an early lunch and enjoying the fact that you’re there before the day gets too hot.
6. Keep Your Receipts
It might not seem important, but you should always keep your receipts when visiting a flea market, regardless of the country you’re in! This is especially important if you purchase any food items.
Oftentimes, customs agents or airport security will ask to check your luggage upon leaving the country. While this is a standard control, they’re doing so to ensure you’re not transporting illegal goods or removing any protected items from the country. If you have your receipts on hand you can easily show them proof of what you’ve purchased.
7. Be Respectful When Taking Photos
Visiting a flea market in Asia is a rich cultural experience that many travellers want to preserve. As they’re usually filled with colourful spices and vibrant decorations, and indoor flea market especially can seem like a photographer’s paradise.
However, you’ll want to remain respectful and practice caution when taking photos inside of flea markets. Not everybody wants their photo taken and some even put up specific signs to avoid having photos of their goods out on the internet.
