Zen Bangkok

Location: CentralWorld
Expect to find: Trendies, fascinating objects, affordable designer goodies and many other surprises (don't want to spoil it for you).
Value:  Pricey, but look out for sales promotions.
Verdict: It's places like this that give Bangkok shopping an edge.

Here is an uber-trendy interpretation of the department store as a 'lifestyle speciality store'. ZEN epitomises living in the moment - and their frolicsome accessories of the moment reflect that outlook. Come here if your definition of shopping equals fun. There are six floors to explore and afterwards you can sit in one of those leather-meets-machine massage chairs. Shoes by Naughty Monkey and fashions from Fly Now, Nagara and Koi are sensations to look forward to. The grooviest jewellery, watches and accessories under the sun redefine the meaning of cool. As for stationery, you could spend a day oohing and aahing. And if you ever had a sticker fetish, you may just regress.

In homage to the Japanese cult of cute, you will find yourself surrounded by the progeny of 'Pooh san' and 'Neko chan' (Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty). But the ultimate has to be the boys' section. Where else can you can find Light Guns (with laser recoil function), iDOGS - yep, you guessed it, the post-modern pet accessory - and the loveliest beauty treatments for your car? Lavish selections of liquid car wax, air fresheners, radio coolant and Do Not Disturb signs encapsulate the relationship between man and his machine. More mundane novelties include suction shower-caps, picnic ware, cookie trays and flowerpots with battery-operated plants that nod. Life is a contradiction to be embraced