Ho Chi Minh City Shopping Tips by Audia

Name of Shop: Coop Mart or Tax Centre supermarket

Coop Mart is a well known supermarket chain in HCMC while Tax centre has a local supermarket on the top level. Both prices are more or less the same. There is one supermarket in Parkson shopping mall, but the price is a bit higher than those two.

What To Buy: 1. Lotus Tea (any brand).
2. Dilmah Tea (Brandy Spice and Rum flavour).
3. Highlands Coffee.
4. Trung Nguyen Coffee.
5. Coffee container.

What To Pay: Lotus tea is less than Dong 10,000. Dilmah tea around Dong 24,000 to 26,000. Coffee (small bag) around Dong 15,000. Coffee container around Dong 14,000.

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Theme: Gifts

Name of Shop: Ben Thanh Market

You can find almost anything in here.

Just about anything.

The key is only to bargain, and bargain.

**Be careful of pickpockets. Put your money on a small purse for easier transaction.


What To Pay: 1. One pair of fridge magnet less than Dong 10,000.
2. One set of lacquerware less than Dong 90,000.
3. Wine holder (lacquerware) from Dong 30,000 to 40,000.
4. Various statue of Vietnamese girls in Ao Dai from Dong 10,000.

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Theme: Local Craft

Name of Shop: Tax Shopping Centre

There are some souvenir counters in the level 3 of Tax shopping centre. Very friendly sellers, I love shopping there. The items are basicly the same as in Ben Thanh market or An Duong Plaza. I bought a pair of Vietnamese couple wearing traditional costume (big size) for Dong 45,000.



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Theme: Local Craft
Address: Tax centre
Directions: Opposite Rex hotel.

Name of Shop: An Duong Plaza

An Duong Plaza is adjacent to Windsor Plaza Hotel the place where I stayed during in HCMC. There are other things such as electronics, cosmetics and hair accessories, souvenirs shops and Coop mart.

**Nicer and friendlier people/seller comparing to Ben Thanh market

What To Buy: 1. Fridge magnets, 10 pairs = Dong 85,000.
2. Lacquerware, 3 pieces/1 set = Dong 80,000.
3. Other lacquerware items = Dong 20,000 - Dong 50,000.
4. Keychain, 1 piece less than Dong 10,000.


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Theme: Local Craft

Name of Shop: Old Post Office


What To Buy: If you hate haggling and bargaining. This place is for you.

What To Pay: Fixed Price. No Haggling. Expect to pay 1,5 to 2 times of the price in the market or any other places.

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Theme: Local Craft
Directions: Inside the old Post Office.

Name of Shop: ipa-nima

This is one of my main reasons to love Vietnam. I love bags and purses so much that I think I can buy the whole items in the ipa-nima store (well, if I don't have to meet a budget constraint of course...). The idea of ipa-nima came from the Hong Kong born fashion-addict Christina Yu who used to be a litigator before settling in in Vietnam and started to grow her own fashion label. Ipa-nima has stores in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

What To Buy: Bags, purses, dresses...

What To Pay: US$ 60 to 300.

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Theme: Other
Address: New World Hotel, District 1, HCMC
Website: http://ipa-nima-boutique.com

Name of Shop: Various shops around Ho Chi Minh City

Oleh-oleh means 'things that we give to our family and friends after coming back from holiday or trip'. The short and easy term is 'souvenir'. Oleh-oleh is an Indonesian language, and also became a tradition for Indonesian people to always bring something for their loved ones after a vacation.

My oleh-oleh from HCMC:
1. Fridge magnet.
2. Lacquerware.
3. Coffee from Highlands Coffee and Trung Nguyen.
4. Lotus Tea.
5. Vietnamese Jasmine Tea.
6. Vietnamese Green Bean snack.
7. Chocolate liquer.
8. Rice paper for spring roll.
9. Sesame cookies.
10. Tan Tan peanut (coconut flavour).

Those oleh-oleh were also 'must buy things' from HCMC or Vietnam. I bought another things such as dried pho noodle, peanut candy, and some authentic Vietnamese food spices, but these were not as special as those 10 items list above.

Happy shopping.

Buy one more luggage then.


What To Pay: Fridge magnets not more than Dong 15,000. Coffee around Dong 15,000. Teas are vary according to the brand. Lacquerware also vary but less than Dong 100,000. Greenbean snack (very delicious) only about Dong 7,000. Sesame snack Dong 2,500. Rice paper Dong 5,500. Tan Tan peanut (big canister) around Dong 20,000.

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Theme: Gifts