Vietnam is a country with extremely attractive tourist, thousands of years of history and incredible landscapes, however you can't let pass the opportunity to do some shopping in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Here we review the best shops, the best markets and above all, places where to find the best prices and deals.
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What to buy in Ho Chi Minh City?
In the former Saigon can buy clothes, bags, accessories, accessories, shoes, lingerie, jewelry, cosmetics, makeup, perfumery, sports footwear, sportswear, books, computing, photography, mobile covers, fabrics, silks, coffee and Vietnamese tea, handicrafts, seeds and Oriental ingredients, clothes tailored... in Ho Chi Minh City you can buy everything cheaper than in Spain, with the exception of Apple mobile phone: the iPhone.
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A list of our favorite shops that we recommend to do some shopping in Ho Chi Minh City.
Clothing Stores
Council: in Vietnam should not rely on sizes, because sizes are Vietnamese, if something you like try you.
Before buying clothes in Saigon: in Ho Chi Minh City can buy designer clothes, imitation brands quality, medium quality clothing and Vietnamese brands.
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| Saigon shopping guide |
Us you we recommend to buy good clothing replica of big brands (Armani Exchange, Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, etc), it is better to pay a little more and bring us good genre, which not allow ourselves to be carried away by the cheap prices and as well other worse quality forgeries that look at first sight.
For shirts, polos and t-shirts is important to look at the quality of the cotton. A cheap cotton to a good cotton price may be double, but certainly outweighs by far.
Counterfeit medium quality / low
In the Ben Thanh market, night market or the market day is the tourist shopping centre par excellence.
There you can buy t-shirts, shirts, Polo shirts and trousers of replicas of all brands of the market (Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Lacoste, Armani, Calvin Klein, etc), jackets and The North Face Kit, etc... Also in Ben Thanh Market, it is easier to find European sizing.
The clothes we buy clothes there may be considered as tourist or as souvenirs for family and friends. It's very cheap, but the quality is medium - low.
High quality fakes
Asia is the factory of the world. Most of the clothes that circulates around the world is manufactured in China, Vietnam and surrounding areas. The same factories being mass produced clothes for big brands (authentic clothing) used those production processes and manufacturing to generate surpluses of very similar quality. We are talking about exact replicas, of quality that you can wear on a daily basis for years.
Maximark mall is Midway Airport, it is necessary to travel by taxi, but the ride is worth. On the second floor of the Mall you can find replicas of the best brands of the market top quality: Armani Exchange, Diesel, Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, DKNY, Tommy, Polo, etc...
If you decide to buy local brands clothing Vietnamese, you'll find clothes of high quality at very good prices.
Our two favorite of Vietnamese clothing brands are Unicolor (mens) and Blue Exchange (fashion casual men and women). You have a Unicolor store at the Mall Maximark. Blue Exchange shops are scattered throughout the shopping streets of Saigon, but you have a very large tent with few people on the top floor of the Citi Plaza Mall.
Throughout the city of Ho Chi Minh City will find brands most fashionable of Vietnam, and for example Nhat Minh Anh Dieu. In stores Pierre Cardin sells An Phuoc Vietnamese brand, but for shirts's man one of Vietnamese brands by his relation quality / price is Viet Tien.
Clothing brand
If you intend buying in Saigon is your favorite designer clothes you're in luck, all the brands in the market will cost you less money than in Spain with the exception of Zara.
We advise you to go to a mall to make this kind of purchase, since in any small shop, you can be paying a high price for a fake, good, but fake.
Saigon Centre
Because of its great location, right in the middle of the main avenue Le Loi, one of the best areas in purchases of clothing brand is the commercial centre Saigon Centre, where you will find a little of everything. The appearance and distribution of Saigon Centre a little reminiscent of El Corte Inglés, with several floors dedicated to man and woman, escalators, etc...
Sai Gon Square
To little meters of Saigon Centre, in a perpendicular Street, we have the Sai Gon Square Mall. Sai Gon Square is a chain of shopping centers scattered throughout the city of Ho Chi Minh City, although the prices are the same. Sai Gon Square mixes great with small positions of market stores inside. There we can find, in addition to clothing, jackets, coats and much equipment The North Face, which are not capable of ensuring is its authenticity.
Zen Plaza
A couple of streets from the Ben Thanh market we have the Zen Plaza shopping center, situated in the shopping street Nguyen Trai. In addition to restaurants and leisure area, this Mall has a lot of offer of casual clothing, for example Diesel brand clothing.
A point in favor of this mall is that once we get out of the mall, we are on a street full of shops.
NowZone
A little further away, but also in District 1 have the Mall NowZone. This shopping center of the city of Saigon is relatively small and with fewer offer the previous, however have shop talk and very good prices for the Levi's brand.
Stores Sportswear
There are relatively few sportswear shops in Ho Chi Minh City. Our favorite is the official Adidas store. They have the same catalog, the same clothes and qualities than any other store in the group, but generally the prices are 20% cheaper than in Spain already that practically all items are manufactured in Vietnam.
The vast majority of the models of Nike shoes to run, the so-called line Nike Running, are made in Vietnam, and therefore quite cheap.
Luxury Shopping
A whim not hurt anyone and if you can afford it, these are your stores. In the city of Ho Chi Minh City luxury and super luxury stores are all in District 1, in the vicinity of main street Le Loi and strategically situated front of 5 star hotels.
Le Loi to go to A Street crossing City of Ho Chi Minh City, at the foot of the hotel Rex, have stores of Vertu, Bulgary, Burberry, Cartier, Channel.
A couple of streets of this place, just in front of the Theatre of the Saigon Opera House, in the basement of the Caravelle hotel we have Louis Vuitton shop and stores of luxury watches.
Malls Parkson and Diamond Plaza
To finish the list of luxury shops, we must refer to upscale Parkson and Diamond Plaza shopping malls. In these stores you do not pretend to find good prices nor 70% discount, you can however give you the pleasure of buy to the Pretty Woman in a mall in fancy paying Spanish prices.
As curiosity will say that marks which in Spain are very normal as Zara, H & M and Mango, in Vietnam are considered luxury brands. Having said that, that don't be surprised seeing the jet set Vietnamese buying on the handle or the Vietnamese teenage girls pining for a shirt from H & M.
Tailors and Clothing as
It tailoring Dung is without a doubt one of the best options when it comes to making and buy clothes tailor-made, either for men or for women.
Are you interested / to make custom clothes on? Want more information on Dung tailoring shops and more tailored suits for men and ladies? here you go: Tailored suits in Ho Chi Minh City.
Fabric, silk and textile
The reference for the purchases of fabrics, silks and textiles in general is An Dong market. Located in district 5, also it is necessary to take a taxi from the 1st District. This Vietnamese market in any rule, is located just behind the modern, luxurious and expensive shopping center An Dong Plaza, where there are obviously not many customers (see Markets in Vietnam).
An Dong Market is the place where many Vietnamese traders make their purchases of textiles, clothing, tourism, etc... before selling in other parts of the city of Ho Chi Minh City (eg Ben Thanh market).
Although the An Dong market can find practically the same items as Ben Thanh market, at a price much like Ben Thanh Market unless you buy multiple items.
The strong point of the An Dong market are fabrics. If we have in mind let us a tailored suit, either of man or Knight, and buy An Dong to later visit the Dung tailoring fabrics on the market interested that compile you the costume.
shopping streets
As best enjoy shopping in Saigon is going to store the various shopping streets of the city. The most prominent shopping streets are:
Commercial Le Loi Street: the most tourist street in the city of Ho Chi Minh, the precious Saigon Street so to speak. Located in the heart of the city, begins at the Saigon Opera and ends at the Ben Thanh market.
We have lots of small shops and luxury shopping malls. It is a constant temptation for travelers by the number of items sold and prices. Le Loi Street is a good place to start shopping, but usually prices will be the most expensive.
The great advantage of Le Loi Street is that we can find almost anything and sizes also suitable for foreigners.
Commercial Nguyen Trai Street: following street Le Loi, after passing the Ben Thanh market, Nguyen Trai starts the shopping street. Here all the shops you find are small shops at street and multitude of posts Street by way of improvised street markets. It is one of the best places to buy accessories and backpacks
Calle commercial Luu Van Lang: is one of the corners of the Ben Thanh market have small shopping street Luu Van Lang, where are your specialty shoes for women.
Commercial Hai Ba Trung Street: shopping street, close to the Cathedral of Saigon, full of stores covering the 1 distitros and 3 of Ho Chi Minh City. The best of this street are shops (man and woman), clothes shoes and restaurants.
Calle commercial Cach Mang Thang: also called CMT 8 Street is a lengthy commercial Street perpendicular to Nguyen Trai covering several districts of Saigon. The more away from District 1, higher probabilities of finding good sales and offers. We recommend to rent a bike to explore the street from beginning to end and quietly stop at any store that you like.
Shoe Stores
If you like the shoes in Vietnam you will require several suitcases to get all the pairs of shoes that you are able to buy for 50€.
With regard to man shoes there are variety and quantity, but Madam shoes is the strong point of Vietnam: sandals, shoes heel, ballerinas, shoes, boots, slippers, etc... the amount of designs, colors and models that are offered in Saigon is overwhelming.
Most of the shoes are made of plastic and / or leatherette, if you want a good leather shoes have to look a little more.
One of the best places to start looking for shoes is the Street Luu Van Lang (attached to the Ben Thanh market), we recommend you pass through there at sunset, about 7 in the evening.
The Ben Thanh and An Dong markets also have plenty of shoes and footwear. If you have little time we recommend the Ben Thanh market, if you have a couple of free hours to go shopping, please read the An Dong market, you won't regret it.
The Street Hai Ba Trung is very good choice for buying shoes dress or to find some shoes that convinen that something in your wardrobe.
Stores Handbags, belts, watches and accessories
After the clothes and shoes, their turn to handbags, belts and accessories.
We venture to say that 90% of the bags that are sold in Vietnam are forgeries, in some cases, handbags replicas are so good that it is impossible to distinguish authentic bag. The only site where you can buy an authentic bag (eg: Louis Vuitton bags) is in the official shop authorized, not you fies from any other store.
Bags
Important note about bags: the Vietnamese authorities do not allow that fakes of brands that have shop in Vietnam sold, that is not allowed, does not mean that it does not. If you are interested in a bag of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Carolina Herrera or similar you speak with the owner of the store and will teach you a catalogue with all models that can not put in conspicuous places, but it does have on sale. Negotiating price or directly ask to see the bag and any dependents will bring your bag from a nearby place wrapped in bags or inside any box so that it is not very visible.
The best place to buy handbags is Ben Thanh night market, all bags that are sold there are replicas whose prices ranging from 4€ (120.000VND) to 35€ (1,000.000VND).
Here's the detail of a few bags that we bought in Saigon, Louis Vuitton bag seems 100% authentic, inside actually says made in france.
The price of the bag depends on materials and the quality of the copy. A good price for a bulk bag are 15€ (380.000VND), for an exact a Louis Vuitton handbag copy have to pay 30€ (900.000VND) after much bargaining.
As an alternative to buy handbags at the Ben Thanh night market we have the shopping street Nguyen Trai, or better said, the Street stalls located on both sides of the street Nguyen Trai. The best time to walk the street in search of bags is in the afternoon (around 16: 00), you will not find as much variety as in Ben Thanh night market, but the price is cheaper.
Bags are also sold in the market An Dong. As there are many small shops scattered inside, it costs more find what we want. The prices are almost the same as in the Ben Thanh night market, with what we recommend to go to the An Dong market only if we have not found the bag that we want in the other stores or if we want to take advantage of the visit to buy clothing or textiles.
belts
When buying belts in the city of Ho Chi Minh we have to keep in mind that not only models available have exhibited belt, but we also assemble and customize the belt in the act in the event that we do not like the buckle closure, etc..
Basically you choose the type of material (we recommend leather), the color and the type of buckle. The owner or any dependents will take you measures and they will cut and adjust the belt in the Act.
Belts prices ranging from 5€ to 12€, depending on the material and the type of closure. The vast majority are black leather belt / brown where they change the buckle with the emblem of the various brands: Hugo Boss, Polo, Armani, Gucci, Energie, Channel, DKNY, etc...
As for handbags, one of our favorite places to buy belts is Ben Thanh night market.
Purchases of belts and accessories in Saigon
Belts and Accessories
Glasses and complete purchases Ho Chi Minh
Sunglasses
Watches
Do you want a rolex? or maybe more like it perhaps a Seiko?, James Bond Omega watch or you are more than one Channel Watch... no matter, in Saigon you can buy copies of all models on the market for less than $10, but if the clock is late you don't;-) protestes
Watch stores in Vietnam
Stores Watches
Inside the Ben Thanh market you have replicas of all conceivable models. If you want to buy a watch a little more curious but you don't want to spend a fortune, for 50€ you have good authentic watches at Citi Plaza shopping center.
Sunglasses and Accessories
In Vietnam, we can buy many models of sunglasses so genuine as replica sunglasses. Gives equal to be a street post or an optics, they all have copies and forgeries of sunglasses Ray-Ban, Channel, Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani, Oakley and the like.
The best authentic sunglasses in optics and after asking the clerk, in Vietnam there is any kind of problem admitting that a goggle is false, but on the contrary, it justifies the high price of a genuine product that precisely because there import.
The prices for authentic glasses are slightly lower than Spain (for the tax issue), copies made-in -china are much cheaper. To buy sunglasses we recommend any of the malls in Saigon.
In Ho Chi Minh City, there are two very good stores to buy backpacks, bags, briefcases, suitcases, etc... the first store is called Thuong is nothing but pass the Ben Thanh market, just opposite the Park (Le Lai 10 Street). This store has lots of backpacks replicas of The North Face, covers for cameras, etc. The second store is called popularly Lo Ba 70 Nguyen Trai Street (1 kilometer shop Thuong, following that same street in a straight line).
Both stores are 2 small neighborhood shops at street level, are recognizable because they have so many genre that leaves the store.
Jewelry
The price of gold, gemstones, diamonds, jade, etc... is set by the market, however the low taxes paid in Vietnam joined the labor is cheaper, made in Vietnam and in particular the city of Ho Chi Minh raised a good place to buy some jewelry.
Throughout the 1 district there are many jewelry stores, mostly in the vicinity of Ben Thanh market, however, I recommend Cartino jewelry, located in a small shopping centre the 182 Ly Chinh Thang Street. Various designs and prices of jewelry, pendants and rings that sold in the store can be viewed on their website www.cartino.vn
Jade Bracelets
One of the most typical jewels of Vietnamese women are Jade bracelets, easily recognizable by its green colour. Depending on the quality and purity of the jade your price will be greater or lesser, a good Jade bracelet costs about 35€ (1,000,000 VND). Sell this kind of bracelets and bracelets of Jade Ben Thanh market, the Citi Plaza Mall and also in An Dong market.
Lingerie stores and swimwear
Most malls have a section of lingerie and swimwear. For swimwear we can find deals at the supermarket Coopmart, although best prices throughout the city you will find in the lingerie in the 298 Street Hai Ba Trung Trang Phuc Lot store.
Camera Stores
For the picture and above all, photography enthusiasts SLR are in luck. Cameras photos are slightly cheaper in Vietnam than in Spain, but everything else is 3 times cheaper: objectives, lenses, filters, tripods, memory cards, covers, triggers, etc...
Strategically located to have a couple of photo shops on Le Loi Street, but if looking for good deals you should first stop by May Anh KTS Camera shop in the 22 Street Huynh Thuc Khang (parallel to Le Loi Street).
You can buy filters neutral reflex camera imported from Japan for 3€, leather cases for 6€, etc.
Computer stores and electronics
The precious iPad is priced almost the same as in Spain, the same goes for the iPhone and in general with other Apple products. In Vietnam we fake Apple Store, iCenter calls with an aesthetic very similar to genuine Apple stores.
We can find a good deal for laptops, although we recommend buying consumables and peripherals in Vietnam, as they are much cheaper.
Huynh Thuc Khang Street is one of the best places to do some purchases of computers, technology and electronics in Vietnam.
Shops to buy coffee, tea, herbal teas and ingredients eastern
Vietnam is a country famous for its coffee and teas. Try an authentic Vietnamese coffee and you'll know why.
If you like and finally decide to buy coffee, tea, herbal teas or any other Vietnamese ingredient / oriental, markets are best to buy coffee. Whether any street market of Saigon, large markets such as Ben Thanh and An Dong or even the floating markets of the Mekong delta.
Bookstores, stationery, toys, souvenirs, etc.
To buy this kind of articles it is best the Street Le Loi. The vast majority of shops and street stalls of District 1 of Saigon are very tourist-oriented and we find curious souvenirs to bring back home, apart from the famous Vietnamese Hat called Non the.
If you like reading or want to learn Vietnamese, do not hesitate, stop by any bookstore and buy any book, whose prices are around 3€. We recommend the Sai Gon Bookstore Bookstore, Le Loi 60 Street, whose top floor is dedicated to books on languages. Our second recommendation is the Fahasa Bookstore bookshop located on 52nd Street Nguyen Hue.
