Mark is a great fan of Mombasa in Kenya and on his recent visit he did a bit of shopping: Whenever I travel overseas I always bring back a few knickknack souvenirs, despite the fact I have a house full of the stuff anyway – wooden carvings, paintings, spice boxes and the like. When I go to Mombasa, though, I buy stuff more for fun of the bartering than the goods themselves. On this trip I’d set myself a mission – I wanted a small plate to use as a spoon tray in the kitchen at home, and under no circumstances was I to buy any form of wooden carving – and definitely not an animal of any nature. Bartering for souvenirs on the beaches of Mombasa can be quite an intimidating process if you’re not expecting it – lots of sellers shouting random prices to you faster than you can work out the Sterling equivalent. On past trips I’d also been asked for pens and socks as these items are harder to get hold of in Kenya, so on this occasion I’d come prepared. Armed with my previous experi...

There's more to Dubai than skyscrapers and luxury hotels, says local travel agent Mark Haughton of Escape Worldwide. The city also acts as a hub for destinations across the Indian Ocean and beyond. Dubai is one of the Middle East's most dynamic cities, and one that has seen more change in the last decade or so than anywhere else on the planet. Major construction projects, including offshore islands, the famous man-made 'palms', huge shopping centres and even the world's tallest building – the 829-metre-high Burj Khalifa -  have turned Dubai from a fairly small town in to one of the world's most visited cities. It's a great place to start a holiday, with water parks, beaches, museums and superb shopping in the form of the historic souqs as well as the more modern outlets, with the likes of the Dubai Mall, three times the size of our own Westfield Stratford City. Spend a few days exploring the city, or a little longer to take in the beach too, before...

We're celebrating our 10th birthday at  Escape Worldwide , and looking back at 10 years of globetrotting in the name of bringing you great holidays - at least that's our excuse! We're having a look at our personal top 10 favourite travel experiences of the last 10 years. Natalie picks up a bargain - or three!  "This was my first visit to  Bangkok , and as an experienced shopper and bargain-hunter back home I was pleased to see that there were tons of shops and lots of shopping to be done - I am a self confessed handbag addict and was pleased to see that there was plenty on offer! Before shopping comes sightseeing, and I started at the Grand Palace, a real 'must see' for anyone visiting Bangkok. The palace is a series of palace buildings and temples, and is very much in use - it dates back over 300 years and although the current King doesn't live here, the palace is still used for official events, and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha i...

If your ever in the Far East and looking for somewhere to stopover for a few days to spend abit of money on yourself, or others if you’re feeling nice... Bangkok is great! There are tons of shops and lots of shopping to be done in Bangkok . Anything from clothes to watches and handbags can be found for the collectors out there. These can be purchased in various parts of the city. There's a bargain to be had everywhere depending on what it is that you want and how much luggage allowance you have left! A trip to the Grand Palace and the surrounding areas is fantastic and getting around here is easy on foot or by tuk tuk, which you can rent by the hour for next to nothing. One place that is well worth a visit is MBK, which is a fantastic shopping centre for the bargain hunters! It’s full of floors and floors of merchandise from upmarket designer outlets to market-style stalls. It’s situated at the end of the skytrain line and the port for the river taxi is at the other end. On ar...