Dear Suzy,

I’m planning my first beach trip of the year and need to stock my beach bag. Where can I find all the essentials from sun block and cover-ups to beach reads and an oversized towel?

Thanks,

Sunsationally Stocked

Dear Sunsationally,

This is a tricky one given the local culture of not really going to the beach for a holiday, unlike foreigners.

If I was shopping to fill my bag with beach items, I would head first to IKEA where for RMB 129 you can pick up oversized beach towels in bright stripes or hot pink, bright blue, lime green and navy plaid. When heading through the checkout, grab a RMB 3.5 IKEA shopping bag to use as a beach bag, the new shape is perfect for the beach, will hold everything and is waterproof – an added bonus.

Sun hats for the kids and a limited range for adults are available at Carrefour, but head to Decathlon for a much larger selection. Decathlon also has swimwear and rash suits in modern colours and great beach balls and games for the kids.

Zara has fabulous oversize hats that would look right at home on the beach, and H&M and Uniqlo have some great oversize shirts for throwing on over your bathers when the sun gets too much – or too little!

Stock up on sunscreen at Sephora, which as far as I know is the only place that stocks two kinds of non-whitening sunscreen, both for the face and body. For an amazing array of hats and sunhats, visit the street vendors on Fangbang Lu, east of Yishui Lu and pick up a cute topper for around RMB 35.

Head to your little local plastics store on the side of the road for buckets and spades to keep the kids entertained.

Another fabulous item to add to your beach bag is one of the local bamboo mats, (the ones used on top of single beds). Put this down before (or instead of) your towel for a quick drying, sand free experience. Best of all, it rolls up and fits in your beach bag!

If the IKEA beach bag isn’t doing it for you and you want to really hunt down the bargain beach towels, totes, etc, head to Qipu Lu for a one stop shop for everything. Don’t forget to bargain hard and watch out for your purse!

Shopping Tours Shanghai offers set tour options or custom designed tours to cater to your needs (or the needs of your visitors). For more information, visit the website, www.shoppingtoursshanghai.com, or email Suzy on [email protected]