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Laos...
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In
Luang Prabang,
I'd like to recommend L'Etranger
(French for foreigner) bookstore and cafe. Address:
Ban Aphay (near the Hive Bar). This is a briliant
second-hand bookstore with a whole wall of books
to rent for about US50 cents a day. You'll find
an amazing collection of books on Laos and south
East Asia in general. Part bookstore, part café,
this is the place to linger over a pot of tea or
a fruit shake and read your new purchase.
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Mexico...
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I
just spent a month in Merida,
capital city of the state of Yucatan, Mexico. The
English Library on Calle 53 was
a life saver for me. Run by volunteers, it's a great
place to pick up tips on getting around in the city,
and they sell used paperbacks if you're desperate
for something to read in English. The library is
open five days a week and two evenings.
Jan,
Canada
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A great bookstore
in Oaxaca
is El Amate Bookstore
on Macedonio Alcala 307.
It carries almost every English book in print on
Oaxaca and Mexico as well as many books on culture,
history, folk art -- great for browsing and cruising
--very friendly place!
Selma, Vancouver,
Canada
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My
favorite bookstore in Mexico is Alma
Libre Books. You will find them
in the quiet little seaside town of Puerto
Morelos, which is about 25 minutes
down the coast from Cancun. Robert and Joanne,
the Canadian owners, welcome you warmly as if
you are family every time you visit. The shelves
are crammed with an amazing assortment of new
and used English books and they even have some
for those who are able to read in Spanish. I am
able to browse for hours to pick the next books
to become my new treasures. I always stop by for
a chat and a good book every time I am in town.
It is well worth a visit for the bookstore and
to experience Puerto Morelos. Also, if I want
to check for a special book in advance I e-mail
them through their website http://www.almalibrebooks.com
and often they have it waiting for me. Great town,
great book store!
Suzanne, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
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One
of my favorite haunts in Mexico, San
Cristobal de las Casas, in the southern
state of Chiapas has a bookstore called La
Pared (just off the Zocalo) and
its run by an American woman. Besides new books,
she also accepts trades and donations, and kept
me in reading materials during my six months in
that area. This mountain town itself is a joy, a
colonial treasure with cobbled streets and the opportunity
to visit indigenous villages nearby.
Annie,
Sarasota, USA
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Nepal...
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To
all other Journeywoman readers I'd like to recommend,
Pilgrims Book House
in Kathmandu,
Nepal. It's located in the center of Thamel, the
bustling tourist center of town (with
a branch in Kopendal District). Everyone knows where
it is, just east of the venerable Kathmandu Guest
House. Sorry not to give an address, but there are
none as we know them in Kathmandu. Great collections
feature S.E. Asia focused: travel and touring; mountaineering;
Buddhist and Hindu religion, practice, culture,
art, and history; current political/social events;
maps; yoga; out of print collectibles; antiques;
trinkets; cook books; gifts galore; clothing and
household textiles, and Feed n'Read where you can
enjoy delicious fresh Indian food, chai, and just
squeezed juices in a garden. Knowledgeable staff
in each section of the big shop know all their stock,
speak English and will help you. Owners Pushba and
Rama Tiwari are often there. They take credit cards
and ship. Website: http://www.pilgrimsbooks.com
Joyce, California, USA |
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New
Zealand...
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Here's my
favorite bookshop 'down-under' in Auckland,
New Zealand.
It's called Hard
to Find Book Shop (but worth the
effort) in Devonport. Address: 81a Victoria Road.
Telephone: +64 9 446 0300, email: books3@hardtofind.co.nz.
Devonport is a lovely village in Auckland - just
hop on a ferry across the harbour from downtown
and enjoy the quiet relaxed (and more genteel)
part of the city.
Karen, Whangarei, New Zealand
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The Women's Bookshop
in Auckland,
New Zealand won independent bookseller of the
year in 2005. It's a really lovely place to visit
and has a regular calendar of events. Take a peek
at
their website. The staff are great and I think
it would be a haven for travellers to New Zealand.
Fe, Auckland, New Zealand
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In Auckland,
I'd like other members of the Journeywoman Network
to know about The
Women's Bookshop and in Wellington
and Auckland, there's Unity
Books. Their website, http://www.unitybooks.co.nz/
doesn't come close to reflecting the truly wonderful
experience of browsing in this store, the great
service, and their stunning and comprehensive range
of New Zealand books.
Marion,Wellington,
New Zealand
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Nicaragua...
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I
visit Granada,
Nicaragua every three months and one of the places
I enjoy going to every time is Maverick's.
It is a wonderful bookstore with new and used books
and magazines, as well as arts and crafts from Latin
America. The expat community gathers here to catch
up with what is going on over a great cup of coffee
or freshly made fruit juice. There is always something
delicious to munch on as well. Nadine, the proprietor
who came from Canada, is a most gracious hostess.
It's like home away from home!
Micky,
Canada
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Singapore...
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I'd
like to recommend Cho
Lon (Holland
Village, Singapore) to other Journeywoman
readers. For me, Cho Lon is by far the best bookshop
in Singapore. It’s a bit off the beaten
track but don’t let that put you off –
taxis are plentiful and cheap in Singapore and
it’s really worth the effort. Inside, it
feels like being in the library of an eccentric
collector – there’s usually some interesting
music playing in the background and the books,
all in English and covering everything from sport
and history to food and children’s books,
are displayed in small groups. Then again, books
aren’t Cho Lon’s only temptations
– there’s also a collection of unusual
furniture, clothing and jewellery from all over
Asia.
Elizabeth, Paris, France
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Check
out my friend's bookshop, Books
Galore selling mostly used (second-hand)
books -- Fiction (Novels), Non-Fiction (Self-Help,
Inspirational, Motivational, Business, Fashion,
General), Children's Books, Comics, and Imported
Magazines. Best bookshop downtown selling and
renting used books. No regrets walking into Romie's
bookshop 'coz I've been buying used books and
magazines from Romie since 1991. This is the man
who has been selling books since the good old
school days at Bras Basah Road. He will gladly
answer all your questions about books. 14 Scotts
Road, #05-107 Far East Plaza, Singapore 228213.
Telephone Numbers: 67328773 and 93852696.
Vincent, Singapore
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Spain...
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I've
just returned from Barcelona and while there, found
a wonderful second-hand, English-language bookshop.
It's called Hibernian
Books and it has a great selection of books.
They also have a 'buy back' policy so once I'd read
them I returned them and bought more. Mind you,
I didn't get much money back for the ones I returned
but, frankly, I was happy to be able to keep replenishing
my reading supply.
Sandra, Victoria, BC, Canada
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Taiwan...
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I'd
like to tell other travelling women about Caves
Book Store in Taipei.
Sorry, I can't remember the street. It is a large
street on the way to Tien Mou.
Cheryl
EDITOR'S NOTE:
I believe it is located on Chungshan N. Road in
the bustling downtown area of Taipei. They have
an excellent assortment of children's books as well,
I'm told.
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Thailand...
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Along
the busy and dusty streets of Bangkok,
I found a cool retreat in which to while away
a few hours. Skoob
is a quaint bookstore on the 2nd floor of a small
mall called Penny's Balcony. Skoob sells used
and new English and Japanese books, has a small
corner to relax with a cup of Lavazza coffee and
cookies while you browse. The ambience of relaxation
is enhanced with some quiet jazz playing in the
background, and there's a rack with a small selection
of jazz CDs that visitors can purchase as well.
Skoob carries a fairly decent range of books given
their limited space, and I'm sure all readers
will find at least a couple of books that will
interest them. It also has a great trade-in program
for books so you could always bring any books
that you've finished reading and trade them in
for other books on their shelves. Address: 2nd
Floor, Penny's Balcony, Thonglor 16, Sukhumvit
55, Bangkok. Website: http://www.skoob-bkk.com
Caroline, Hong Kong
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Billed
as "Bangkok's Funkiest Secondhand Bookshop,"
Dasa Book Cafe,
off the BTS Sukhumvit Skytrain line is a great
little bookstore. They've got two floors of quality
second-hand books and the owner is more than happy
to help you find that 'perfect' book for your
holiday reading pleasure. The desserts aren't
too bad either! Check it out next time you're
in Bangkok.
Catherine, Bangkok, Thailand
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When
in Bangkok
it will be worth your while to seek out the Kinokuniya
Bookstore
on the 3rd floor of the Emporium shopping centre
on Sukhumvit Road. The Phrom Phong stop on the
Skytrain goes right to the door. Kinokuniya is
an excellent store with books on all aspects of
Thai and south-east Asian life, art, history and
reference, current fiction titles, a terrific
children's section and very helpful staff. Once
inside it is difficult to leave empty-handed.
Lauren, Hamilton, Canada
WANT TO KNOW MORE
ABOUT FEMALE-CENTERED TRAVEL IN THAILAND?
Check
this link.
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Look for other bookshops:
Page 1: Australia, Bali, Bulgaria,
Canada, China
Page 2: Ecuador, France, Germany,
Greece, Hawaii, Holland
Page 3: India, Israel, Italy,
Japan
Page 4: Laos, Mexico, Nepal, New
Zealand, Nicaragua, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand
Page 5: United States
Page 6: United Kingdom
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