What you can buy in Vietnam: the best purchases and their cost. Shopping in Vietnam - what to bring and where to buy

ana for travelers seeking to discover a piece of distant, alluring culture and traditions in another corner of the globe. For most tourists, shopping in Vietnam is of immediate interest.

There are several good reasons for this:

• On the one hand, Vietnam is the "homeland" of the production of major global brands, such as electronics and light industry goods. This means that here you can find branded goods at a price an order of magnitude lower than what visitors to Vietnam see in the windows of their country. You can also shop here for very cheap consumer goods of decent quality if you are not after a branded product.
• Another reason to go “shopping” to this part of Asia is the wide range of exclusive products that will be presented unforgettable experience about travel. These are goods of traditional Vietnamese crafts, products handmade, decorations.

In addition to standard souvenirs, here you can take with you:

• exclusive leather goods
• exotic spirits
• high quality pearls
• bamboo souvenirs
• impressive ethnic masks and more

You will learn more about this in the article.

Do you want to know where you can profitably buy exclusive Vietnamese goods or just take a ride through specialized shops and factories?

I offer my services - a shopping guide.

The cost of my services, depending on the size of the group, will be from $25 for a person.

What to buy in Vietnam

First of all, we will consider the categories of Vietnamese goods that are widely demanded by tourists and see what the benefits of buying them are.

Clothing and footwear

Adidas, Ni ke, Hugo Boss, Valentino, Gucci… This list of famous clothing and footwear brands can go on and on. And the important thing is that their licensed factories are in Vietnam. And this is not about the release of dubious products for third world countries. These are goods that then find their way into branded stores in, say, Western Europe, the United States, and Japan.

With a high concentration of branded factories, it is logical that some of the branded goods from them are sent to local stores and shopping centers large cities. And their price in shopping centers and shops in Vietnam is much less than anywhere else. This is a chance for guests of the country to save on high quality.

And if the “brand” question does not interest you, there are many light industry factories in Vietnam that “take in quantity”. In other words, they produce a good product at a very low price. The customer still benefits from looking at local markets and small shops focused primarily on trading with locals.

Pearl

Pearl is one of business cards Vietnamese shopping tourism. Here you can buy original high quality pearls at a price that is an order of magnitude (30-50%) less than export ones. But here the tourist needs to be careful. To save as much as possible, you will have to move away from the large settlements of Vietnam and go to the province where pearls are directly grown and mined.

For example, it is believed that the best pearls come from the popular tourist island of Phu Quoc today, part of which is still occupied by fish farms and pearl farms. A string of pearls "on the spot" can be found even for $ 10, in cities it is already an order of magnitude more expensive.

Electronics

To bring from Vietnam a large household appliances meaningless, since you will not save money due to expensive shipping. But you can look, for example, a laptop or smartphone. The same principle applies here as in light industry - major global manufacturers assemble branded products in Vietnam. It is economically beneficial for them. Part of the goods goes on sale within the country, and their cost will be lower. The only thing is that then the equipment will need to be “reflashed”.

An important point: it is better to buy equipment only in branded stores, so as not to encounter fakes. Wouldn't you be lucky to return an item that broke after two weeks?

Souvenirs

In Vietnam, there are plenty of original arts and crafts industries, familiarity with which will save you from the need (and desire) to buy banal fridge magnets at home.

Folk craftsmen create impressive household goods. Bamboo, valuable mahogany, and porcelain deserve special attention. These are elegant decorative dishes filled with the color of local culture, carved wood paintings, caskets, trays, vases, combs and much more.

Most arts and crafts are in the sub-$20 price range. That is, you can take away a lot of outlandish everyday things from here - for your home and for gifts.

It is better to look for souvenirs in the markets (for example, Ben Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City), or in small craft workshops and shops at large manufactories. As for the latter, good examples- the village of artisans Thanh Ha (Tha nh Ha) in the province of Quang Nam, where you should go for clay souvenirs, or the city of Hoi An with its numerous shops of bamboo and mahogany.

Leather products

By leather goods we mean local exotics. If you were afraid of the prices for accessories made of crocodile, python, ostrich or stingray skin in your city, it's time to look around for wallets, business card holders, bags, covers and belts. Many specialized leather goods stores are located in Nha Trang, and in the city center you can also look at the Hom My Cho market.

I advise you to pay special attention to leather products - local exotic. If you were afraid of the prices for accessories made of crocodile, python, ostrich or stingray skin in your city, it's time to look around for wallets, business card holders, bags, covers and belts. Many specialized leather goods stores are located in Nha Trang, and in the city center you can also look at the Hom My Cho market.

Important: the risk of acquiring a fake is great, so do not hesitate to demand quality certificates.

Alcohol

Also connoisseurs of good alcoholic beverages It is worth paying attention to the brands of Vietnamese rum. It is not as famous in the world as Cuban, but is famous for its very good quality at a low price. Important: do not buy the cheapest options for $ 2-3 per bottle and immediately focus on the price of $ 10-15. This, for example, rum brands Rhum Chauvet and I SC Rum.

You can read about what other types of alcohol should be purchased on the page

pharmaceuticals

Health products from Vietnam deserve a separate article. The Vietnamese have long formed an entire industry of exclusive medicines based on the unique flora and fauna of their country. These are therapeutic, pain-relieving and rejuvenating cosmetics made from snake venom and fat, shampoos and toothpastes with coconut oil, and much more.

Medical products have been actively exported from Vietnam for decades, but buying them here is much cheaper. $1-2 for a tube of anesthetic ointment is the real price. For example, in Russia, such a tool will cost 2-3 times more.

As an example, a good remedy for joint and muscle pain from Vietnam is Cobra Atoxan. Even for the treatment and prevention of colds, you can buy here widely popular in Soviet times ointment "Asterisk". And to improve brain function and concentration, you should pay attention to the popular natural herbal drug Cebraton.

Furniture

Since the days of the French colonial presence, Vietnam has been famous all over the world for original furniture made of precious wood. The handmade furniture industry began to revive in the 1990s and is constantly increasing its export turnover. In Vietnam itself, you can buy exclusive handmade furniture sets - products of incredible beauty at a high but reasonable price.

A large selection of products can be found in the "furniture" village of Dong Kee, where almost all residents specialize in this particular craft.

In this case, the question arises of the delivery of bulky furniture. But the growing tourist demand creates an offer: today the furniture business is closely connected with logistics companies who can carry out container delivery of your purchase by sea to any corner of the world - at a favorable price and in a short time.

Silk

Vietnam is one of the world's largest silk producers in our time, which is famous for good value prices and quality of silk goods in general.

You can buy silk products literally everywhere, but there is a risk of encountering a fake on the market. It is best to pay attention to the shops at silk factories. All kinds of clothes, pajamas and bathrobes, bed linen and a fan made of silk are what you should pay attention to.

One of the classic crafts of Vietnam is silk screening, or silk embroidery of pictures. Such art objects will perfectly complement the home interior with impressively beautiful scenes with oriental flavor. A number of factories with branded stores are concentrated in Hoi An (for example, XQ).

Tea and coffee

Approximately every fifth pack of coffee on the planet is Vietnamese. Vietnam is one of the world's largest exporters of this drink, and strict production traditions have long been established here. Vietnamese coffee is a genuine abundance of varieties and flavors at an affordable price. In other words, taking home only one pack of coffee will not work.

Coffee gourmets should definitely consider buying high-end coffees, such as Jeon. This variety is obtained by passing through the digestive system of animals (luwak). The grains are not completely digested, but they lose their coffee bitterness and acquire a unique palette of taste and aroma. A kilogram of such coffee can cost $1,000 or more, but it's still more profitable than buying the same product at home.

As for tea, there is also a wide choice here: traditional black and green types, and oolong, and teas based on ginseng and lotus, and even red tea.

Shopping places in Vietnam

Vietnam is a country of large modern cities and colorful provinces that have preserved their national identity as much as possible. Choosing the best places to shop depends on what you want to purchase.

Shopping malls and company stores

In such major cities of Vietnam as Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, you can easily find modern shopping centers where branded clothing, footwear, and electronics stores operate. These are always proven places to buy original products at a reasonable fixed price.

Markets

Also in major cities of the country you can pay attention to the markets. They are famous for their very high rental prices. retail space for entrepreneurs and the ultimate cheapness of goods for the buyer.

Here you can look for extremely cheap shoes, clothes, accessories, souvenirs and household items, but be careful - the probability of buying a fake and poor quality product is very high. These are mainly goods of small Vietnamese manufacturers serving domestic demand. Looking for very cheap consumer goods you can also visit the large markets on the border with China.

floating markets

Floating markets are a phenomenon typical of the Mekong Valley in the southwest of the country. They deserve special attention in the tourist context, being one of the hallmarks of this part of the country. And here you can buy mostly fresh farm products - fruits, vegetables and much more.

Trade shops at manufactories

In the cities of Vietnam, there are many small-scale productions of quality goods for everyday use. Here you can buy, say, silk fabrics, exclusive dishes or decor items at prices lower than in tourist shops. By putting up for sale their products directly in the shops during production, artisans do not make extra charges.

Provincial markets and shops

If you expect to buy pearls, various exotic sweets, jewelry and souvenirs in Vietnam, it is best to look for them closer to the places of production. You should pay attention to small provincial markets who specialize in the sale of local handicrafts. For example, it is most profitable to look for pearls on the island of Phu Quoc, where most of the country's farms are located.

What else should a tourist know about shopping in Vietnam

In Vietnam, there are a number of specific trade features that visitors to the country are not even aware of.

To make shopping in Vietnam even more productive and enjoyable, you should know the main facts:

• Any plant products without safety certificates can be detained at customs - also, for example, seeds and houseplants.
• Keep sales receipts - before returning home at the airports of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, every tourist has the right to receive a refund of VAT on purchases made in the country. There are a few details: the amount of purchases on a single check must exceed 2 million dong (about $88), 15% of the amount is charged for the return service, and the goods must not be classified as prohibited for export or second-hand.
• Sellers in the markets significantly overestimate the initial price of goods - in Vietnam it is customary to bargain. Get ready for it and count on good discounts. This does not apply to branded stores and shopping centers - prices are always fixed there.
• If you decide to buy clothes in places focused on the local consumer, consider the dimensions of the average Vietnamese. It will be impossible to find clothes larger than 4-6 sizes. Branded clothing stores take into account the needs of guests of the country and offer the necessary assortment of clothing sizes.
• Alternatively, in the cities you can find an express tailoring studio where you can sew a simple model in a few hours at an affordable price. Such ateliers can often be found, for example, in silk fabric stores.

As you can see, shopping in Vietnam is a limitless abundance of opportunities and specific details that are difficult to cover in one article. Now you know in general what you can count on when going to this interesting country. But at the same time, every corner of Vietnam deserves a separate description, since certain crafts have long been practiced in the provinces and settlements.

Tourists come to Vietnam not only to soak up the beaches under the hot sun or try exotic dishes. Vietnam is the realm of shopping.

In order not to get lost in all the variety of goods that the markets are simply “littered with”, you can use the advice of experienced tourists.

The visitor, perhaps, does not know that any, even the smallest village in Vietnam, is famous for a certain kind crafts.

Here you can buy a wide variety of goods:

• souvenirs, unique and original;
• all kinds of clothing accessories;
• Leather Products;
• clothes made of natural silk.

Goods made by small artisans are unique and are sold quite inexpensively. Therefore, the desire to acquire something should not be restrained.

In pursuit of goods, you will have to visit shopping centers, markets, small shops. Before buying a thing, it is better to take a closer look, compare the assortment and prices.

To get your bearings in the Kingdom of goods, you can invite a guide to become a partner in such walks. I'm sure his advice will be helpful.

Where can a shopping lover go?

A shopaholic, finding himself in an unfamiliar country, does not let go of his laptop: he tells you where to go shopping. Relying on intuition, he sets off to wander around the city, entering any open doors of shops that come across on the way.

Shopping lovers in Ho Chi Minh City are waiting for a real expanse:

• This is the largest market country that accommodates everyone.
• Numerous shops in the city, famous for silk products (silk everything, even bags and ties), practically do not close the doors: it seems that the line of buyers will never stop.
• Crowded and at the stalls offering famous Vietnamese souvenirs.
• Attract and outlets selling gold jewelry.

If we give a general description of the markets of Vietnam, then the picture will be as follows:

1. Central place for shopping is the Ben Thanh market, which is famous for its cheap goods. The market is noisy with polyphony in the town of Ho Chi Minh City. Tourists and locals go here.
2. Second clothing market works in the town of Moc Bai. The trading place occupies a smaller area, but surpasses Ben Thanh in the number of visits. Prices here have been reduced to such an extent that the question arises for sellers: “Or maybe just give away the goods for nothing?”
3. The following markets are located in Lang Son. Their names are Ki Lya and Tam Thanh. It is striking not only the species diversity of the goods sold, but also the prices for them.
4. Any shopper should go to Hanoi and travel (you need to cover a distance of 150 kilometers). Here the traveler experiences real pleasure walking along the streets of the city, which are remembered not so much by the sights as by the goods sold on them. Each street has its own assortment. Having come to his senses that he did not buy the right amount of things, the tourist returns, because he will no longer find exactly such a thing.
5. Another place worth visiting- Hoi An place, where you can become the owner of an exclusive item, made to order.

The article may be of interest:

A tourist, captivated by the beauty of pearl peas, does not think at all that the history of the stone goes back three millennia, and that “ The Iron Lady» preferred pearl jewelry.

But the words of Madame Coco Chanel that pearls are always right, many remember, because they emphasize the romantic beauty of the stone.

You can also buy pearl products in the resort town of Nha Trang, which has:

• specialized jewelry stores;
• special farms where pearls are grown;
• many small private jewelry stores;
• stalls right on the streets, but they can sell flawed pearls.

Regarding the Angkor treasure jewelry center, we can say that this store is the largest. The price of the products corresponds to the quality: there are no fakes in the store, because all jewelry is checked for authenticity by a hematological examination.

A tourist who buys pearls has a question how to choose a genuine product.

Tips may be as follows:

1. Must be carefully examined holes in pearls: they must be even, because pearls are very durable. Roughness on the edges indicates that the product is a fake.
2. Can you scrape a pearl with a sharp object (unless, of course, you can do it imperceptibly). The smallest mother-of-pearl pollen confirms that the pearls are real.
3. Run a pearl across your teeth. If you hear a creak, then you can safely buy the thing you like.
4. The last tip can only be done in a hotel: You must throw the pearl on the floor. If she jumps like a ball, the tourist rejoices that he has become the owner of a real treasure.

Stones, precious metals

Vietnam is valued for its jewels, because deposits of precious stones are found in various regions of the country. Gold is expensive to buy here. Residents of Vietnam do not open bank accounts, but prefer to create their own collections of gold jewelry.

The country sparkles with a kaleidoscope of gems:

1. Sapphires and rubies mined high in the mountains or in the jungle, as many centuries ago - by hand. Therefore, the volume of production is small, but it is enough to satisfy the demand in the markets (it is calculated in tons). There is a legend about the world's largest ruby ​​mined at the Tan Huong mine. The jewel weighs about twenty kilograms. Precious stones of an unusual shade - pale blue, emerald.
2. Spinel, which is actively mined in the province of Yen Bai, burns with all shades of the red spectrum: here it is red with reddish sparkles, brightly shiny - purple. Some stones change color with the reflections of the sun: purple becomes bright burgundy, blue turns into lavender.
3. Tourmaline, whose color variety can only be described by an artist, is also mined in only one province - Luc Yen. Its annual production is small - only 200 kilograms, much less than sapphire and spinel. Shiny pebbles connect two colors.

Tourists can be advised to purchase other gems:

• chrysolites;
• aquamarine;
• grenades;
• topaz;
• quartz.

Jewelry fascinates with its beauty, it is very difficult to break away from them, but shopping continues.

Ceramics and tableware

The tourist approaches more prosaic goods. But who said that Vietnamese ceramics and dishes are prosaic goods. It is unique and unique in its own way.

For crockery and pottery, it is best to go to the suburbs of Hanoi.

You can buy them in several ways:

1. Visiting the market and having chosen several ceramic vases, plates, pots, ask the seller to pack it all.
2. The second route is suitable for adventurous tourists, who negotiate with workshops that make porcelain dishes on direct deliveries to Russia. Thus, there is no need to carry around a heavy, voluminous package.

Furniture

Experts talk about Vietnamese furniture, because pieces of furniture are real works of art. Tourists, listening, are in a hurry to buy tables and sofas, and much cheaper than in their homeland.

However, after the purchase, you will need to find a ship in the port of Saigon, sailing to Russia, and send a container with it.

For furniture, you should go to furniture factories, which, by the way, are located right behind the shops, in Vietnamese villages.

All adult villagers work on the production of carved masterpieces:

• men saw logs, carve patterns;
• women are busy grinding, but only by hand.

There are two types of wood in production:

• red is a real exotic;
• ebony that practically does not rot.

In addition to massive wooden furniture, here you can buy light furniture made of bamboo and rattan.

digital world

It is predicted that in the near future tourists will also buy laptops in Vietnam. Who knows, maybe computers with Russian letters on the keyboard will also be sold?

And digital discs are still bought for only one. This:

• licensed DVDs with all kinds of films;
• CDs with Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

Sale of disks with antiviruses is not accidental. Nguyen Thu Quang, the country's leading programmer, can talk for hours about anti-virus software. He himself has been "fighting computer viruses" for many years.

Clothing and footwear

Vietnam can be called a huge wardrobe, which, by the way, is used by the whole world.

Vietnamese things can be seen in countries that are located near an exotic country or many thousands of miles away, namely:

• in USA;
• in Russia;
• in Japan;
• in almost all European countries.

Only China can compete with Vietnam.

A tourist is amazed by the variety of manufactured clothes, the packages of which occupy all the space in warehouses, but do not linger there. While a batch of clothes is being viewed by tourists from Europe, tailors are cutting out new designs.

Selling here:

• traditional clothes;
• clothes according to patterns of world brands;
• a small number of models of local designers.

Many shopaholics do not visit small shops, but go to malls - huge shops where you can:

• buy everything at once;
• feel that prices are fixed and cheaper than market prices;
• you can exchange the product if you suddenly no longer like it;
• tired of shopping, you can have a bite to eat in a small Vietnamese food court.

Shopping lovers can be advised to visit:

1. Three huge markets– Ben Thanh, Diamond, Saigon Tax Trade Centre, which are famous for equally cheap goods, differ in species diversity. For exclusive things, you should go to Diamond, buy consumer goods clothes in the third market.
2. "Frontier" markets in the towns of Lang Son and Mongait.
3. Famous Hanoi with express tailoring workshops.

Travel health insurance in Vietnam

Medicines and creams

The fame of Vietnamese medicine is spreading all over the world, so every visitor to the country asks guides about miraculous ointments and creams, which are based on compounds given by nature.

Worth buying:

1. Ointment based on snake venom, which relieves pain in the back, spine. Interestingly, tourists are buying up Cobratoxan in batches.
2. The famous ointment in a small red package- "Asterisk", which was popular back in Soviet times. It is enough to anoint whiskey, as flu symptoms disappear.
3. And the purpose of Linci mushrooms- regulation of blood pressure. The drugs do not give side effects, so they are very popular.
4. Another ointment is based on glucosamine. Buy ointment should be after consulting a doctor.
5. Generic drug Cebraton because it improves brain function.
6. From creams, maybe buy protective, sun protection, (kem chống nắng). It will save the skin from the burning sun.

The list above can be continued, but it will be the same for people of different nationalities.

What not to buy home?

In this country, you want to buy absolutely all goods, because you will not find such cheapness abroad. However, one should be wary of vitamin greens without proper permission, because there is a law on quarantine safety.

Customs officers will not allow to carry out:

• all kinds of fruits, vegetables;
• ginger root;
• exotic lotus tubers;
• sweet potato;
• beans.

They will definitely ask what the palm leaves are in the bag for.

Eastern country is famous for its shopping all over the world

Not only Vietnamese-made goods are sold here, but also goods that are thundering all over the world. Only a tourist is not a real shopaholic if he does not know how to bargain.

To make shopping in Vietnam successful, you should use the following tips:

1. Going to buy a thing, you should not immediately give the amount uttered by the seller. You need to bargain, even if the tourist is not used to doing this. Ignorance of the language is a simple excuse, because the sellers know how to pronounce phrases that are understandable to the tourist. But the result is a cheap thing of excellent quality. These are the shopping rules. Subsequently, when shopping in the markets of your native country, you can remember the golden rule of shopping.
2. When buying street goods you can also apply a “psychological maneuver”: move away from the tray with an offended look. The merchant will call back and will definitely give in.
3. But in supermarkets they are not traded: their prices are stable.

The article may be of interest:

Prices in Vietnam

If a tourist decides to stay in Nha Trang, then he should not be surprised at the high prices for accommodation and meals. The traveler will not lose anything if he settles in another city, where prices are almost two times lower.

In general, the cost grid might look like this:

• A room in a simple hotel costs up to 500 rubles per day.
• Lunch costs about three hundred rubles.
• A taxi ride around the city - about a hundred rubles.
• But you can update the fall-summer wardrobe for a family of three for $100.

You can pay in foreign currency or dong. Interestingly, change is always returned in Vietnamese rubles. On the go and bank cards, but they can only be paid in big stores, hotels.

Bargaining is appropriate

Shopping in Vietnam is interesting because in many markets, such as Chinatown (this market is not popular), bargaining is appropriate. It seems that sellers are specifically waiting for a buyer who knows how to bargain in order to sell him something at significant discounts.

They will sell a lot of goods here for Vietnamese dongs, namely:

• local souvenirs;
• dried shrimp;
• of course, Vietnamese hats;
• as well as clothing and footwear.

So, if a tourist likes a thing or a souvenir, you can safely bring down the price.

Don't forget to refund VAT!

Tourists who spent 2 million dong on goods, which is about $95, can return 10% amount spent, provided that all receipts are kept.

You can return VAT when leaving the country at the airports of large cities. The item must be labelled. The tax does not apply to prohibited goods.

For those who are going to Vietnam, the advice of experienced tourists will help:

1. In any market, when buying a product you like, you should remember that with each purchase, the weight of the tourist bag gradually increases ( customs control will not let luggage over 20 kilograms). Tourists find a way out by declaring the bag as hand luggage, which is not weighed. However, you will need to take it with you to the cabin of the aircraft.
2. Acquisitions should be made in a planned manner. to be constantly "in the system" of trends and prices. It is better to shop in small batches, having bought samplers in advance (especially for creams).
3. To take part in a shopping marathon knowledge of the local dialect is not required. Sellers understand foreign buyers. In pharmacies, there are managers who speak Russian.
4. There are a lot of markets in Vietnam. You can ask the guide to suggest their addresses.

Be mindful of the weight of your luggage!

Buying everything that the eyes see, the tourist runs the risk of not flying home, because Vietnamese airlines carry luggage up to 30 kilograms per passenger, Aeroflot lines are only up to 20.

Vietnam is exotic, a lot of new experiences, especially for shoppers who can hone their buying skills. And a simple tourist, having enjoyed a good rest, along the way will master the craft of a shopaholic.

Cheap flights to Vietnam

Shopping in Vietnam: what to bring from Vietnam, where to buy souvenirs and fashion brands. Markets, outlets, famous shopping centers in Vietnam. Expert advice and tourist reviews about shopping in Vietnam on the "Subtleties of Tourism".

• Hot tours to Vietnam
• Tours for May around the world

Shopping in Vietnam is pleasant primarily for its cheapness. Here you can buy inexpensive silk clothes, ceramics, pearl jewelry and souvenirs made of mahogany and bamboo. Large Vietnamese cities have shopping centers and large malls, but the most interesting and colorful shopping here is still in the markets.

Shop opening hours

Shops in Vietnam are open from about 7:30-8:00 until late in the evening - 22:00-23:00, only a few small private shops close earlier. There are no lunch breaks, in large cities and popular tourist resorts there are supermarkets that are open around the clock.

Sales

Organized seasonal sales not in Vietnam. Here the goods are sold at a discount if they are not taken at full price or if they have some kind of defect. Often, goods that have expired, such as cosmetics, become cheaper.

There are such price reductions at any time of the year and in any season. It is very easy to notice the store where the sale was announced: there will be an inscription Dai Ha Gia (“very low prices”) and a crowd of people at the entrance. You should not be tempted by low prices and take a queue - discounts there are usually no more than 30%, and prices without sales are quite low for almost everything.

duty free at the Saigon airport is considered the cheapest in the world.

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What to buy in Vietnam

• clothes and shoes,
• cosmetics,
• traditional medicine drugs,
• ceramics,
• Jewelry,
• technology and electronics,
• food, alcohol and coffee.

Clothing and footwear

Vietnam, along with China, is considered the largest sewing workshop in the world. Nike, Adidas and other popular brands of clothing and footwear sew their collections here, so the prices for goods of these brands in Vietnam are slightly lower than in the rest of the world.

Vietnamese clothing is worth special attention. These are, as a rule, high-quality items made of natural silk, linen and cotton: T-shirts, dresses, tunics, stoles, etc. The colors are very bright, and the styles are youthful, there are many clothes with colorful prints - this applies to both T-shirts and rag bags and backpacks. The national Vietnamese women's clothing "ao dai" is also sold in local stores and markets - an outfit consisting of a tight-fitting long shirt-dress with slits and pants (they are usually sewn to order, but you can also find ready-made ones).

Here you can buy high-quality and inexpensive leather accessories (bags, belts, wallets) - both quite traditional and exotic - from the skin of crocodiles and snakes. Traditional straw hats are usually bought for the sake of one photo on the beach, but the legendary flip flops are a very comfortable thing and not for one season.

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Cosmetics

Vietnamese cosmetics are not as popular in the world as Korean ones, but they are also of very decent quality, they are made mainly from natural ingredients. In Vietnam, cold-pressed coconut oil (both pure and in skin care products), aloe gel, and snail extract are popular. Snail mucus is an almost magical substance, it contains a high content of natural collagen, elastin and glycoic acid - everything you need to maintain skin elasticity and youth. Creams, lotions and disposable fabric face masks are made with snail secretion.

Vietnamese women pay a lot of attention to protecting their skin from sun rays: firstly, to preserve her youth, and secondly, fair skin is the local standard of beauty. For a whitening effect and slowing down the aging process, pearl powder is often added to cosmetics.

The Vietnamese ride bikes a lot, so the problem of acne from road dust is almost eternal here, and Vietnamese cosmetics manufacturers pay close attention to it. Acne products are made here with turmeric root extract (a very powerful natural antiseptic) and activated charcoal. The choice is huge, there are many brands - you can choose any, the quality is very good everywhere.

A very unusual and effective face mask - from seaweed seeds. The smoothing effect is instant (enough for about 20 applications), but the manufacturer warns that it is impossible to wash it down the sink - the seeds can germinate in the sewer and cause blockage.

One of the most popular cosmetic brands in Vietnam is Thorakao, with soaproot shampoos, rice powder face masks, and snail slime cream being especially good.

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Traditional medicine drugs

Vietnam is known for its traditional medicine, and some balms and tinctures can be purchased at the pharmacy for home use. It sells the famous Asterisk balm “for everything”, ointments based on scorpion and snake venom for sprains and bruises, aloe extract, which is excellent for sunburn, a variety of herbal infusions and preparations from seahorse for male potency. Drugs can be sold in souvenir shops and supermarkets, but it is better to go to a pharmacy for them - they more carefully monitor the correct storage conditions.

In Saigon, there is an interesting Museum of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine, where you can try different healing teas, ointments, and then buy what you like at a local store.

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Ceramics

The most famous variety of Vietnamese porcelain is called batchang, it is produced in the village of the same name near Hanoi. Previously, it was made from rare white clay and supplied to the imperial table. One fine day, this clay ran out, but this did not stop the local craftsmen.

To this day, there are many factories and small private workshops in Batchang that make dishes and other porcelain products, and almost every family has its own kiln. The design of porcelain products is very different - from traditional to minimalistic a la Ikea. It is best to go for porcelain here, to the village of Batchang, but, of course, it is sold everywhere.

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Jewelry

In Saigon, beautiful gold items of a fairly high standard are sold. You can also buy 925 sterling silver, ivory jewelry, sapphires, emeralds, rubies and other precious and semi-precious stones there. gems, one of the most popular jewelry stores with nice prices - Sapphire.

Jewelry made of pearls is also popular, mainly from artificially grown river pearls, less often - cultivated sea pearls. It is most profitable to buy pearls in cities and resorts on the coast, where they are grown or mined.

The best pearls are grown on the island of Phu Quoc. Stores do not provide guarantees, but if you doubt the quality, you can order an examination, there is definitely such a service in Saigon.

It is not difficult to distinguish real pearls from fake ones: genuine pearls are irregularly shaped and heavy. A perfectly round shape is, as a rule, plastic coated with mother-of-pearl paint.

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In Vietnam, as in all countries near China, you can buy inexpensive, but good quality gadgets: laptops, smartphones, tablets, etc. For electronics, you need to go to big cities- there is more choice, but it is best to do it in Saigon. For example, the latest generation iPhone will cost much less than in Nha Trang.

All equipment is sold here without Russian firmware, in Vietnam you can still find DVDs with films of varying degrees of propriety at every step.

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Food, coffee and alcohol

Vietnamese coffee considered the best in all of Southeast Asia, the best region in Vietnam to buy coffee is Dalat. You should buy grains or already ground coffee in specialized stores, where, most likely, they will also offer a cup for testing. The price depends on the variety. Che Phin 4 coffee is very good - a mixture of Arabica, Robusta, Catimor and Excellence (one of the main components of elite coffee blends). However, the usual coffee from the supermarket here is very good.

A separate story is Kopi Luwak coffee or, as the Vietnamese call it, Cheon coffee. This variety is one of the most expensive in the world, primarily due to the specific processing method. Musangs (animals resembling martens) feed on coffee fruits, the pulp is digested, and the coffee beans that have passed the digestive tract of the animal are then collected by people. Connoisseurs believe that coffee chon has a special taste due to the fact that substances that give bitterness break down in the stomach of musangs. When the musangs live in freedom and choose the berries themselves (that is, the most juicy and delicious), they manage to collect no more than two or three hundred kilograms a year - hence the high price.

IN Lately"chon" began to be produced on an industrial scale: musangs are kept in large quantities on farms in the vicinity of Dalat. There they can no longer choose the best food and eat what they are given, so it is believed that such coffee is inferior in taste to that collected in natural conditions.

Tea in Vietnam it is not as popular as coffee, but there are interesting herbal teas, such as artichoke flower tea, green tea with jasmine or ginseng, tea with dried ginger.

Worth bringing from Vietnam fish sauces"nuokmam", which are produced in Fukuoka and Phan Thiet. The aroma is not for everyone, but experienced chefs know how to use them correctly so that the dish acquires a special taste. Noteworthy are local spices, especially fragrant Fukuoka black pepper.

Little is known about Vietnamese wine in the world, but it is also produced here. In Dalat there are plantations of Cardinal grapes and strawberry fields, they make pretty good wines that are not inferior in quality to French ones. A more popular alcoholic souvenir from Vietnam is snake or scorpion tincture, which is placed in transparent bottles and poured over whiskey.

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• The best cities for shopping in Vietnam are Saigon and Hanoi, you should go there for clothes, appliances and jewelry;
• in Sapa, excellent sports equipment of local brands is sold, the quality is not worse than Nike and Adidas, and the prices are several times lower. It is also worth buying inexpensive bed linen and pillows, as well as clothes and other textiles with handmade embroidery;
• for gold and silver it is worth going to Chau Khe village in Hai Duong province and Cat village in Lao Cai province;
• for silk, tourists go to the village of Nha Sa in the province of Ha Nam;
• Hoi An city (30 km from Da Nang) is known for inexpensive sewing workshops. They sew very high quality and quickly - from taking measurements to trying on the finished outfit in just 5-6 hours.

Right at the Chinese border are the cities of Lang Son and Mong Cai, where, in addition to Vietnamese goods, there are many Chinese goods, local clothing markets are of particular attention.

Haggling in Vietnamese stores is a must. Refusal to bargain the seller may perceive as disrespect - here it is part of the ritual of buying and selling. The trader always names the price taking into account the future bargaining, sometimes it can be doubled or even tripled.

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Shopping malls in Vietnam

There are shopping centers in major cities, the largest selection is in Saigon and Hanoi. Duty free at Saigon airport is considered the cheapest in the world. You can’t shop there upon arrival, but you can make very good deals before flying home. Here you can find both the usual assortment of duty-free shops - cosmetics, perfumes, alcohol and accessories of famous world brands, as well as local products: Vietnamese cosmetics, spices, sauces, scorpion tinctures and much more.

There are no outlets in the usual sense in Vietnam. In the cities there is a Factory Outlet network, but they don’t even pull on a shopping center, this is a small store.

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Saigon

• Vincom Center is a huge shopping complex in the city center with more than 250 stores on 5 floors, a standard assortment: clothes, shoes, cosmetics, accessories, jewelry, etc.
• Diamond Plaza is a city landmark, a shopping mall shaped like a giant diamond, hence the name. Here you will find luxury boutiques, the most expensive brands in particular, exclusive designer clothes.
• Parkson is a three-storey shopping complex, which also belongs to the elite segment. In addition to shops and a food court, here is one of the most fashionable nightclubs in the city - Bounce.

The Kenly Silk store in Saigon offers the largest selection of quality silk clothing in the country. Shirts, blouses, kimonos, peignoirs, ties, scarves, homewear and pajamas are sold on the first floor, and fabrics such as chiffon, taffeta, cotton, muslin, wet silk, etc., are sold on the second floor.

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Hanoi

• Vincom City Tower is a huge shopping complex that occupies three buildings (three high-rise towers). Boutiques and shops of the middle and high price segment are located here, Entertainment Center and a concert hall that regularly hosts fashion shows and other shows. This is one of the few malls in the world that has a residential section with private apartments.
• Parkson Moll - mainly imported brands are represented here: clothes, perfumes, jewelry, home goods and accessories. There is a supermarket and a good food court with Vietnamese dishes and more.
• Savico Megamoll is one of the largest malls in the country, with both local and global brands. It is located on the outskirts of the city, so prices here are lower than in many other shopping complexes.

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Nha Trang

• Nha Trang Center - the largest shopping center in the city, 4 floors of clothing stores, perfumes, watches, etc. There are few branded clothes here, but a good choice gold and others jewelry as well as souvenirs. There is a children's room with animators, a cinema, a bowling alley, slot machines and a huge food court with panoramic windows overlooking the city.
• Maximapark is one of the most popular shopping malls among tourists. It is also 4 floors, but smaller than Nha Trang Center. However, the prices here are slightly lower (by about 10-15%), the assortment is almost the same.

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Markets

You should definitely visit the markets in Vietnam: these are not so much bargains (although this too), but national flavor and entertainment. It is always necessary to bargain in the markets, and in order for the seller to reduce the price to the maximum, in no case should one demonstrate interest, it is best to consider the goods indifferently and lazily. This little spectacle is a common part of the deal here, the price can end up being halved or even tripled.

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The most famous markets in Vietnam

• Ben Thanh (Saigon)- the largest and most popular market in Saigon, the main assortment - fakes under famous brands (sometimes high quality), Rolex from samovar gold, cosmetics, fruits, coffee and souvenirs. There are express sewing workshops where you can adjust a thing to size or sew a skirt or trousers of a simple cut from a piece of fabric in a few minutes and for an additional fee.

• Night Market (Saigon) opens in the evenings on the site of the Ben Thanh market immediately after it closes. People come here not so much for shopping, but for walking and hanging out, trying street food in eateries and drink beer. In the evenings, prices rise, but there are always a lot of tourists and locals here.

• Street of Antiquaries (Saigon) located next to the Grand Hotel. Here you can buy a real rarity - gramophones, old books, vintage clothes and much more. There are many scammers in this market, so there is a risk of shelling out a large amount of money for "antiques" from a Chinese flea market. You can also buy inexpensive and original souvenirs on the street of antique dealers.

• Cho Dam (Nha Trang)- the largest and most popular among tourists universal market in the city. Here you can buy everything from fresh papaya to silk pajamas, but due to the crowds of tourists, prices in this market are higher than in less popular places. It is convenient because here you can buy everything you need at once and save time, often visiting Cho Dam is included in sightseeing and other excursions.

• Night Market (Nha Trang)- located next to the waterfront and is designed primarily for tourists who come to relax on the beach. Open from 18:00 to midnight, everything is sold here - from souvenirs to clothes and cosmetics.

• Dong Xuan (Hanoi)- the oldest bazaar in the city, built during the French colonization in 1889, and reconstructed in 1994. The building itself of this covered market is very colorful - 5 separate entrances in the form of domes, and everything that is produced in Vietnam is sold inside on 3 floors. After 19:00, a night market opens here, but not in the building, but on the streets around it. In the evenings, Dong Xuan hosts performances, performances by local comedians, exhibitions of artists, people sit in eateries and walk around until about midnight. =

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tax free

In Vietnam, you can return up to 10% of the money spent on purchases, but this is not very easy to do: there are few shops that work with the tax-free system.

To do this, you need to spend at least 2,000,000 VND in the store, fill out a special check at the checkout and present it along with your passport and purchases at the airport before flying to Russia. The money will be returned immediately in cash or transferred to the card minus 15% - this is the cost of the return service.

The best places for shopping

All articles about shopping on "Subtleties"

• Austria Vienna
• England London
• Vietnam: Nha Trang , Ho Chi Minh City
• Germany: Berlin, Düsseldorf and Munich
• Georgia: Tbilisi, Batumi
• Hungary: Budapest
• Greece (fur coats): Athens, Crete, Rhodes, Thessaloniki
• Israel: Jerusalem and

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Vietnam, being one of the very cheap countries, is considered a real paradise for true shopping fans. Tourists like low prices for any goods and at the same time - always high quality products. It definitely makes visitors to this country think about what to buy in Vietnam. After all, the choice is very wide, everything worthy of attention is difficult to buy, and even more difficult to take away.

First of all, Vietnamese silk products, precious stones, jewelry, clothes and shoes, delicious and high-quality teas and coffees, ceramics, natural wood products, bonsai, old stamps, coins, snake venom balms, alcoholized amphibians, herbal balsams (including the asterisk balsam familiar to us since Soviet times).

There is another one important point: in local retail shops it is very important to bargain with the seller and bring down the original price. In the practice of the Vietnamese, a tangible overestimation of the preliminary cost is envisaged. The Vietnamese appreciate and respect bargaining, which is a kind of entertainment and always takes place with mutual respect between the seller and the buyer.

What to buy in Vietnam is a must?

Speaking about what you can buy in Vietnam, as well as what is worth trying here, you can mention the local traditional cuisine. The food of the Vietnamese adopted a lot from Thai, Indian and Chinese, although it still remains unique in its own way. The food of this country is not too spicy, greasy and heavy to eat. Many dishes are based on rice, seafood and fruits. A truly unique delicacy is cobra and other amphibian dishes. You can try these exotic dishes in many restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City, Phan Thiet, Hanoi and other major tourist cities.

It is noteworthy that in Vietnam guests with any income are welcome. This applies to both shops and hotels, cafes and restaurants. You can dine here for a couple of dollars per person. And besides, the most delicious food often ends up in small unpopular restaurants where you can dine with a family of four for only $10-15.

Note also that Vietnam is the world's third largest supplier of coffee. The Vietnamese are used to drinking this drink almost everywhere, always and in any form: cold or hot, with milk, with spices and in other forms.

It is worth tasting Dalat wine here, which is almost as good as French wine. trademarks, but it is an order of magnitude cheaper than well-known well-known wine brands. And in Vietnam, everywhere - in supermarkets, local shops and grocery stores - you can buy local or foreign strong alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, beer and various tinctures. Therefore, we can safely say that in food and drink there will be no problems with the choice.

Going to the market, remember a few words in Vietnamese: mua - purchase, zam za - discount. You need to know these words, since bargaining is a local custom. Although merchants in places with an influx of tourists know the necessary words in English, and even in Russian. By the way, the Russians are always treated well here: the Vietnamese rumpled the help of their "big brother" during the American-Vietnamese war, so they have historically determined sympathy for our compatriots.

Taxi free in Vietnam

Foreign travelers returning home depart from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh airports. Here they can get their VAT refund on purchases in Vietnam. To do this, tourists need to keep sales receipts, and each must be in the amount of at least 2 million dongs. Refunds are not made in full - 15% of the amount is withdrawn for the service.

It is also worth noting that the refund is carried out only within thirty days after the purchase of the goods, and the items for which they receive a VAT refund must be new (not used), not prohibited from export or withdrawn from circulation.

Places for profitable shopping in Vietnam

One of the most interesting and popular places to visit and shop in Vietnam is Ben Thanh Market, one of the largest markets in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). This huge bazaar is distinguished by the high cost of retail space and at the same time very cheap goods.

It is also worth visiting the Diamond shopping and entertainment center, where you can find expensive fashion clothes and accessories.

Tax Trade Center is a department store that sells inexpensive local and foreign products. Tourists love it for favorable prices and excellent quality of goods.

An equally interesting activity is visiting the markets at the border crossings of the cities of Lang Son and Mongkai, on the Chinese border. Everything here is also very cheap and a huge selection of quality local products.

If you set out to buy souvenirs, visit the Old City in Hanoi, as well as new modern shopping centers. Fortunately, there are a lot of these establishments in Vietnam. So there is where and from what to choose.

Hoi An is famous for its variety of shopping streets and shops. But, the main "trick" of this city is inexpensive sewing workshops for individual express tailoring for customers. Impressive is the high quality and fast turnaround time for orders (from taking measurements to trying on a semi-finished product - only 4-6 hours).

It is worth noting another important point. In Vietnam, as elsewhere, shopping is cheaper in places where there are fewer foreign tourists. Therefore, it is worth asking your guide or guide to show a couple of such places where locals, and not visitors, are purchased. True, it is also possible that the guide can lead you to a familiar merchant, although, of course, this will not necessarily mean poor quality or overpriced.

Now for some specifics...

Pearl of Vietnam

Jewelry with pearls is most profitable to buy on the coast, where it is mined or grown. The cost of good Vietnamese pearls is about 20-30% lower than in many other countries in the world. The only sad thing is that there is no guarantee for the purchase of high-quality pearls in stores. The only guarantee can be the ability to identify real good pearls yourself. If you do not have the right understanding and knowledge about this subject, use the services of an expert. There is such a service in Saigon. And also remember that the best pearls are grown on about. Phu Quoc.

Stones and precious metals

Ceramics

Ceramic dishes and handicrafts are best bought in Bat Chang (a suburb of Hanoi). There are many factories and workshops involved in the manufacture of dishes and other goods from porcelain.

On the way from Hanoi to Ha Long city, there is a small ceramic market where prices are much more loyal than in other places, and the choice is much wider.

Furniture

From what you can buy in Vietnam, it is worth mentioning furniture and various household goods: reed mats, bamboo kitchen utensils, various fabric products are also a bargain in Vietnam. Furniture with handmade elements, wood carving, inlaid and forged metal in Vietnam will cost much less than the same in other countries. But these are all rather heavy things, so it makes sense to buy them here if it is possible to send cargo to Russia cheaply, for example, on a large cargo ship.

digital world

Profitable purchases in Vietnam, as in many countries close to China, are laptops, smartphones and other electronic equipment. True, it is unlikely that you will be able to find a Russian keyboard. In large cities there are many shops selling DVDs with music, games and films of various contents. The average price per disc is $1.

Many tourists want to buy an iPhone 5 in Vietnam. Remember that in Nha Trang you can make such a purchase, but more expensive than in Ho Chi Minh City, by $50-100. In Saigon in big stores iPhone 5 32GB will cost from 16 to 19 thousand dong, which is approximately equal to $ 950 or 29 thousand rubles.

By the way, in Vietnam it is five times cheaper than in the Russian Federation to buy a licensed Kaspersky antivirus, however, again, not a Russified version.

Clothes and shoes: high quality and cheap

Vietnam, following China, is gradually becoming the second "clothing workshop in the world." Clothes, bags, shoes and other products made in Vietnam are exported to the US, Russia, Japan and Europe. Western tourists are very fond of shopping in Vietnam, not only because there is a wide range of various interesting goods and souvenirs, but also because it offers excellent value for money.

Vietnamese shoes and clothes are made from quality materials, genuine leather, silk and linen. Clothing is also made under world famous brands. Nike and Adidas produce their products here, others well-known firms. In addition, one of the "chips" of Vietnam are silk products: dresses, ties, scarves and much more.

What not to buy in Vietnam?

Don't buy herbal products permits confirming its safety. There is a high probability that it will be confiscated at customs in Russia. Most often, fruits, herbs, vegetables, lotus, palm leaves, seeds, indoor flowers, ginger and sweet potatoes are seized.

What souvenirs to bring from Vietnam?

Do you want to buy such a souvenir to remind you of an unforgettable trip to Vietnam? Fortunately, the souvenir shops of this country are full of original goods and crafts: various products made of mahogany, bamboo, ivory, ceramics and silver, cobra vodka, silk fabrics, traditional Vietnamese non hat, T-shirts, opium pipes. And also - beautiful hand-embroidered paintings and tapestries. Silk patterns are really embroidered by craftsmen by hand. It is possible that sewing machines will soon replace them, but so far everything is done according to old technologies. Therefore, paintings where hand embroidery is used are also a bargain, having a pronounced national flavor of this exotic country.

Returning from a tourist trip, we always strive to keep warm memories of it, bring different things and souvenirs with you to please relatives and friends or leave it as a keepsake.

Modern fancy phones no longer have firmware issues like they used to. Russian language is displayed correctly.

Are in special demand exotic spirits. They are sold in glass bottles and are based on snakes, scorpions or lizards. Such drinks can be prepared even in the presence of a tourist.

girl

All girls love jewelry, jewelry. That's why immediately pay attention to pearls. In Vietnam, you can buy it of good quality and at a bargain price.

They sell it on almost every corner, so you need to approach the choice very carefully. Better to buy jewelry in well-known stores - HungVuong, TranPhu, Nguyen Thien Thuat.

Here you can provide a certificate for the products, but you will have to pay more. In the tourist area, prices are cheaper, but the rice to buy a fake increases.

When choosing a gift for a girl, you should once again return to branded Vietnamese cosmetics, sweets, fruits and clothes. We will not dwell on them in detail.

To kid

What souvenirs to bring from Vietnam? For children, they often bring different national souvenirs and toys made of wood and fabric, as well as fruits, sweets, tea, clothes. The markets sell a lot of quality children's clothes at competitive prices.

Vietnam is an amazing country with a rich culture, special life and long history.

There are so many different interesting things, souvenirs and gifts that you can bring from this country. They will be able to please and remind you of a warm trip for a long time.