On vacation, where do you go when you want to learn about a country and its people?

The museum, yes, but literature tells a different story — and independent bookstores have mastered that. These indie shops around Asia are known to stock curated titles to bring readers closer to a variety of topics and human experiences. Above all, they’re known to foster creativity and community within their walls.

From Singapore to Cebu, here are some of the independent bookstores worth visiting around Asia.

Basheer Graphic Books (Singapore)

Tucked away on the fourth floor of Singapore’s Bras Basah Complex, Basheer Graphic Books has been around for more than three decades. Over the years, this Singaporean bookstore has become a hub for reads on art, design, culture, and anything that has to do with creativity. Think of any art form or topic — say tarot or the anatomy of insects — and Basheer is sure to have it. 

Occasionally, it doubles as a venue for zine and book launches, exhibitions, and all sorts of literature and art-related events. 

You will spend at least 30 minutes browsing the shelves by the entrance before you even make it inside. They’re stocked with print magazines from publications across the world, along with zines published by small presses. 

In 2025, Singapore’s National Heritage Board even named it a heritage business for its “commitment to enriching the creative landscape” — and the golden plaque now sits against a pillar towards the back of the shop. 

Basheer Graphic Books is located at Block 231, Bain Street, #04-19, Bras Basah Complex, Singapore. It’s open Mondays to Saturdays from 10 am to 8 pm, and Sundays from 11 am to 6:30 pm. 

moom bookshop (Taiwan) 

If you’re into the arts and all its disciplines, moom bookshop in Taiwan is the place to be. Here, you can find books on photography, film, food, interior design, music, tattoos, and everything in between. They work with independent publishers from all over the world to bring both classic and fresh titles to their space. 

There’s a full shelf of zines and short reads situated against the window by the entrance, and they come in several mediums and formats. Just as the formats vary, the topics do, too. You can find zines on mahjong, small books on selfie-related deaths and Tokyo’s toilets — you get the gist. 

It’s a quiet place, and you’re free to browse all the books in-store (and maybe even take home a few yourself). From time to time, they also host talks and exhibitions for photobooks. 

Bonus: they have a resident cat! 

moom bookshop is located at 16 Alley 8, Lane 251, Section 3, ZhongXiao E. Road, Taipei, 10654, Taiwan. It’s open from Monday to Sunday from 12 pm to 8 pm. 

Vacilando Bookshop (Thailand)

Thailand’s Vacilando Bookshop focuses on art books and niche topics on food, design, music, film, photography, heritage, human relationships, writing, and anything that enriches creativity. 

If you’re in search of journals and zines by Thai and Asian writer-artists, consider coming here. 

Vacilando may be a bit hard to spot, so just keep your eyes peeled for the storefront’s unique feature: the abundance of greenery placed behind two hexagonal windows. 

Vacilando Bookshop is located at 96/2 Chakkraphat Di Phong Road, Wat Sommanat, Pomprap Sattruphai, Bangkok, Thailand. It’s open on Fridays (12:30 pm to 5 pm), and Saturdays and Sundays (12:30 pm to 6 pm). 

Everything’s Fine (Makati, Philippines)

Makati isn’t just home to great cafes, restaurants, and concept stores. It also houses Everything’s Fine — an independent bookstore and small press that stocks curated titles on poetry, essays, fiction, and non-fiction, with topics ranging from community, design, and art, to feminism, queer voices, society, and political struggle all around the world.

Everything’s Fine is hidden towards the back of Prince Tower along Tordesillas Street, and what will grip you as soon as you enter is its thematic table of books right in the middle of the shop. For women’s month, books and zines written by Filipino women took center stage. And at the height of the Iran war, they stocked zines by Iranian artists published by Tehran Zine. 

Everything’s Fine is also a member of Publishers for Palestine, and through the use of literature, made it a point to shed light on the genocide Palestinians continue to face. 

Everything’s Fine is located at Unit G8, Prince Tower, 14 Tordesillas Street, in Salcedo Village, Makati. It’s open daily from 12 to 7 pm. 

Mt. Cloud Bookshop (Baguio, Philippines)

When readers visit Baguio on vacation, it doesn’t really come as a surprise to see them drop by Mt. Cloud Bookshop during their trip. 

Since 2010, it’s served as a haven for locals and travelers in search of good reads, from poetry and essay collections to novels and non-fiction books written and published by Filipino authors and publishers. 

What makes Mt. Cloud Bookshop special, however, is its dedicated section for Cordillera literature — both fiction and non-fiction — so that anybody who pays them a visit can immerse themselves in the very places that made these stories happen. 

This Baguio bookstore also fosters community by hosting regular open mic events for artists of all kinds, storytelling sessions for kids, a range of workshops for curious individuals, and book launches. Check out their Instagram page for announcements. 

Mt. Cloud Bookshop is located on the Lower Ground floor of Tulip’s Place, 3 C.M. Recto Street, Baguio City. It’s open from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm daily. 

Lost Books (Cebu, Philippines)

In Cebu, there’s the cozy Lost Books, which shines a light on writers from the Visayas and champions local history and culture. This bookstore believes that Cebu is home to many amazing writers, and that the province is a rich source of inspiration for storytelling. 

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“Personally, growing up, the books that I’m reading about Cebu are not written by Cebuanos. That is why my partners, co-founders and I wanted to create a space for local literature to be front and center, to be celebrated for what it is,” Lost Books Cebu co-founder Donald Villamero told Rappler in 2025. 

When you pay Lost Books a visit, then, expect to see rare, antiquarian books, Cebuano classics, and a thoughtful curation of literature from the regions. And when you finally pick your book of choice, you can sit down at the shop to enjoy a cup of coffee while flipping through the pages, too. 

Lost Books is located on the ground floor of the CAO Mercado Building along Osmeña Boulevard, Capitol Site, Cebu City. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 7 pm. – Rappler.com