One of the joys of travel is finding new things overseas and bringing them back home. When we were living in Singapore and came back to London, I shopped in London for things to take back to Singapore.
UK's Unique Finds & Souvenirs
NB Check what you are allowed to bring into your home and places en route and what is banned by transport and countries. Many countries ban certain foods, as well as animals and animal products. You also need to watch out for not importing larger knives, replica guns, magazines or tee shirts with suggestive pictures - even in clothing catalogues in the Middle East, or blasphemous sayings, and drugs, including both prescription drugs and over the counter drugs. You might even get in trouble with chewing gum and poppyseeds in Singapore. Fake watches from Hong Kong, even if you knew you were conned and are not giving or selling it to somebody else, could be classified as contravening the law. What else? Shells from the beach in New Zealand.
Chewable Adcal tablets.
Egg cups. (Known in India but unknown in Singapore and China, even though they are often made in China, for the British market.)
Lavender soap, bath gel and stick. (Anti-mosquito.) Yardley and others.
Couscous.
Self-threading needles. (Hotel sewing kits have tiny needles.)
Christmas cake and Christmas pudding.
Christmas crackers.
Marmalade, thick cut.
Cadbury's chocolates, Thorntons, and many more.
Biscuits, such as chocolate digestives.
Cheap clothes from Primark.
Souvenirs showing the union Jack, red phone boxes, and the Royal Family.
Scotland and Scottish Souvenirs
Tartans and woollens.
Whisky.
What have I saved from my foreign travels?
Australian Souvenirs
Aboriginal art. Boomerangs.
Opals in jewellery. Tim Tams biscuits.
Vegemite.
Lamingtons.
Hats with corks (to keep off flies)
Soft toys such as koalas and kangaroos.
The classic children's book by May Gibbs, who invented the Sumnut Babies, Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.
Austrian Souvenirs
Mozart chocolates.
Belgium and Belgian Souvenirs
Chocolates.
Lace.
China and Chinese Souvenirs
Chinese carpets from a factory near Shanghai. I bought one which was old and dirty, and flew home to Singapore with the carpet folded in a suitcase. I used the carpet with a table covering the stain and it looked gorgeous.
Silk clothes.
France - French Wines, Food & Finds
Aligote - dry white wine, and Cassis for, Kir, or Kir Royale. We went around the factory. The smell hits you as you walk through the door. Addictive. Sweet.
Chestnut paste.
Pain au chocolat. We had this for the first time in France when it was a novelty. Now croissants and pain au chocolat, called chocolatine elsewhere in France, is available from Tesco Express in England. We heat it up in the oven and it is delicious. Unbeatable.
Double net curtains with left and right halves of embroidered pictures of city or rural scenes for windows and archways.
Flat pancake pans.
Nougat.
Indian Best Buys and Souvenirs
You can buy sarees in London.
Religious paintings of gods and Goddesses in bright colours with gold paint.
Indonesian Souvenirs
Carvings
Wooden carvings to hang on the wall, 3D.
Israeli Souvenirs
Metal work, jewellery and tableware with symbols such as the six-point star, known to Jews as the Star of David and to Moslems as the Seal of Solomon.
Other symbols are the seven branch candlestick called the menorah, the eight branch (plus one) candlestick called the hanukiah; and the two biblical spies (or surveyors, if you will) sent by Moses) bringing back a huge bunch of grapes.
Diamonds from a diamond factory.
Northern Ireland, Ireland and Irish Souvenirs
From Northern Ireland and Eire, souvenirs from the Guinness Museum, glassware, clothing and bar accessories, from Guinness Storehouse in Dublin, Eire, going towards Belfast in Northern Ireland, memorabilia from and the Titanic Museum and Game of Thrones.
Irish Whisky. Claddagh rings, showing tow hands holding a heart with a crown. Connemara Marble jewellery and carvings.
Italy
Prosecco from Northern Spain.
Venetian Murano glass. Venetian masks inspired by the carnival.
Baci Perugia, chocolates.
Japan
Kimonos in embroidered silk. Yukatas (thinner, cotton items). See the videos on Facebook which start, only in Japan.
Wooden dolls, painted, wearing Japanese costumes such as kimonos and clogs.
Fans, circular on flat sticks, can be flat discs of strong paper or card, or pleated and folding.
Malaysia
A Moslem country but not Arabic. Modest styles of clothing with high necks, long sleeves and ankle length skirts, not black but bright oriental colours.
The Netherlands
Diamonds.
Items decorated with windmills.
New Zealand
I could not remember the name of the gorgeous green iridescent stone so I asked Gemini for souvenirs and was reminded about all of these (which I have edited and shortened.
Pāua Shell Jewellery & Decor: Derived from native abalone, Pāua shell features an iridescent blend of blues, greens, and purples. It is commonly used in necklaces, earrings, and home accents.
Māori Wood Carvings (Whakairo): Intricate carvings made from native timbers like Kauri or Totara, showcasing traditional patterns and stories.
Clothing & Textiles
Merino & Possum-Merino Knitwear: Soft, warm, and highly durable clothing made from local merino wool. Blends featuring brushtail possum fur are exceptionally lightweight and insulating.
All Blacks / Rugby Apparel: Official merchandise for New Zealand's famous national rugby team.
Food, Drinks & Sweets
Mānuka Honey: Renowned globally for its distinctive flavor and natural antibacterial properties. (Check your home country's agricultural import rules before flying back).
Whittaker's Chocolate: An iconic local brand famous for blocks like the Peanut Slab, Hazelnut, and local flavor collaborations.
Pineapple Lumps & Toffee Pops: Classic "Kiwiana" candies available at any supermarket.
New Zealand Wine: Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough or Pinot Noir from Central Otago.
Beauty & Skincare
Novelty & Movie Souvenirs
Pop Culture Keepsakes: Official replicas or prop items from the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit series, available from venues like Wētā Workshop or Hobbiton.
Buzzy Bee: A classic wooden pull-toy featuring bright colors that has been an iconic part of New Zealand childhoods for generations.
Portugal
Madeira from the island of Madeira.
Port.
WOW , a wine theme park, like Disney, a day full of attractions, in Vila Nova (new city) de Gaia across the river from Porto, everything from unbreakable drinking glasses to socks with wine themes.
Sandeman, merchant of Port (fortified red wine 'the first duty of Port to be red' although there is a white one), has a remote hillside centre which cells capes and hats like the ones on the bottle, some big capes and grand hats very expensive, but I bought a cheaper hat.
Madeira, a fortified white wine, from white grapes, from the island of Madeira, where you can tour the huge shop and production area and historic barrels on the rafters (canteiros) where the wines are cooking in the heat.
Singapore - Special Items
Tiger Balm. with wonderful aromas of eucalyptus, a bit like Vick's Vapour Rub from when I was a child. One dab under your nose and you breathe more easily. I used it most days and still do.
Durian flavour for ice cream and cakes.
Mango rice.
Paper lanterns.
Spain
Red wine from Rioja, both a region, like Catalounia, secondly a DOC; wine Admin, appellation. Another use of the word Rioja, thirdly, a type of wine made there. So, the geography, the grape, the style. Rioja Alta, from the highest area, upstream. Rioja oriental (used to be called lowest but that sounded derogatory, so it was renamed East). DOC is the Controlled attribution of the area it comes from. La Rioja Alta, is a company.
On the pilgrims' walking route across Rioja and the north, the cathedrals have souvenir shops selling religious items and jewellery.
White Cava wine.
Flamenco shawls with long fringes.
Castanets, for those who are musical or like decorative objects.
Spanish Extra virgin oil.
Fans.
Spanish nougat.
Thailand
Silk clothes and accessories such as bags. Heavy Thai silk with glamorous appearance for wrap skirts, tops, dresses.
Jim Thomson house has silk.
Compare prices with various outlets. Shops could have cheaper or dearer fabrics than museums and different styles and colours.
Synthetics, not real silk, but glamorous evening wear.
Elephant motifs on clothes, and accessories.
Switzerland
Swiss army knives. Yes you can buy them overseas. But Switzerland has many more combinations of attachments and sizes of penknives.
USA Souvenirs
Hershey chocolates. Designed not to melt in the heat. Originally ordered for soldiers in hot countries so that chocolates would not melt in their hands, or pockets or kit bags.
Every style of t-shirt and blue jeans you can imagine, at all prices. Sale rails in most clothes shops and stores including seasonal sales, so that the day after the Spring sale ends, the Summer sale starts..
Webster's Dictionary with American spelling which Webster started and promoted to simplify learning for foreigners and immigrants. You can visit his house.
Useful Websites
Australian authors' homes to visit
https://kids.kiddle.co/Norman_Lindsay_Gallery_and_Museum
https://maygibbs.org/story/snugglepot-and-cuddlepies-underwater-adventure/
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