Tibetan Market

Just off Mall Road, families from the Tibetan settlement run a row of stalls that is the town's best-value stop for anything woollen: shawls, sweaters, socks, mufflers and caps, with carpets, jackets, boots, jewellery and Tibetan metalware alongside. The local wisdom that knits are cheaper and better in the hills than down in the plains is easiest to act on right here, especially if the plan involves going higher and colder. Bargaining is normal and expected. Busiest from April to June and again through the winter season.

The best-value woollens in town, from the Tibetan settlement's own stalls