Ho Chi Minh City Shopping Tips by dlytle

Name of Shop: Many little shops tucked into odd corners

Model ships, from square-riggers through yachts and junks to ocean liners, are available in many small and large shops in HCMC. While one might normally classify this product line as handicrafts, they are so unique and special in HCMC that they really deserve special note on your shopping agenda. Even if you are not in the market to buy one, do yourself a favor and stop and look at one of the shops selling them. Even if you do not buy one I bet you take a photograph of them like I did!

These are not toys. Ranging in size from one to five feet in length, these models are beautiful display and collector items because of their superb detail and materials.

This was a nice shop behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in District 1 that I stopped at. The models were exquisite. They even had a model Titanic with working lights. I expected the price to be pretty high but was astounded to learn that I could buy one of the cruise ship looking models (maybe a foot long) for around $40 USD. If I could have fit it into my suitcase to take back to the USA it would have been a sale.



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Theme: Local Craft
Directions: All over including in District 1 near many of the finer hotels.