There is nothing unusual about finding a street market in Hong Kong. In fact, you would have to go out of your way if you wanted to avoid them. Some street markets make the city a great shopping destination by coupling high-end designer shopping with bargain prices. Stanley Market stands out from the others as it is situated in a quaint fishing village on the south side of Hong Kong Island, giving it a great relaxed vibe compared to the usually frantic pace of the markets in Kowloon or Central.

Stanley Market is a dry market, meaning that it doesn’t sell food or drinks. However, it does sell practically everything else. Save all your present buying until you visit here as the goods are of decent quality and you should be able to find something for all the family. You can find unusual pieces of Chinese artwork, silks and souvenirs. You can also find plenty of sports gear from rugby jerseys to ski pants to swimwear, and everything else in between. Woman often particularly like this market as there is a plentiful selection of handbags, shoes and jewellery. A nice thing to note is that it also stocks a lot of clothes in western sizes which can be difficult to come across in Hong Kong. Stanley Market is definitely geared towards the tourist so don’t be surprised to find woollen scarves and cashmere sweaters on sale at the height of summer. Vendors are usually happy to offer discounts on these items during the summer months to make way for new stock.

If you haven’t had enough of shopping after the market, visit Stanley Plaza, a six-storey shopping centre at the end of the main street, for additional browsing. Right next to it is Village Square which serves as an outdoor performance venue and general seating area. Stanley has recently undergone a facelift and a new promenade now stretches along the waterfront, home to many restaurants which are great for lunch or dinner, pre or post bargain hunting.

The market itself is open seven days a week and is open from 9am to 6pm daily. To get there you can catch a number of buses. Buses 6, 6A, 6X, 66, 260 leave from Exchange Square in Central or you can get the MTR to Chai Wan (the last stop on the Island line) and then catch a green minibus no 16M. The bus journey will more than likely be the highlight of your day as the half-hour trip sees the bus meandering around the beautiful countryside that is often forgotten about during a visit to the city.