Ho Chi Minh City Shopping Tips by machomikemd

Name of Shop: Citimart Supermarket

Citimart is a popular Supermarket Chain in Vietnam owned by HCMC-based Dong Hung Co. Dong Hung launched the first Citimart in 1994 and seven of its current 16 stores are in HCMC, four in Hanoi and the rest in Binh Duong, Can Tho, Kien Giang and Dalat.

This branch is in the middle of Saigon Square Shopping Mall.

What To Buy: Bottled water for 3,500 VND (10,000 VND at Tourist Places and Street Stalls), Coconut Candy 450 grams at 11,800 VND (200 grams at 20,000 VND in Mekong Delta!), Saigon Beer aluminum can at 7,000 VND (15,000 VND outside), Rice Paper for Spring Rolls at 5,000 VND small and 8,000 VND large (15-20,000 VND at Cu Chi rice paper stores!), Trung Nguyen Chon Coffee (weasel coffee or civet cat coffee) at 29,000 VND per 100 grams, Vinamit Dried Fruits starting at 16,000-39,000 VND (150 to 500 grams), Vietnamese Instant Noddles at 2,500 VND, and a lot more!

What To Pay: better to buy your essential goods here like bottled water, sodas, beer, cocnut candy, etc since it is cheaper than the stores or in touristy areas.

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Theme: Food and Drink
Phone: (848) 8256868; 8233908
Address: 39 Le Duan St., Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Sai Gon
Directions: 39 Le Duan St., Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, ,Ho Chi Minh City
Website: www.citimart.com.vn

Name of Shop: Stores & Markets

SHue ti Tax Supermarket is located on the second floor Saigon Tax Trade Center, you can find lots of vietnamese and foreign goods here. and I would suggest you buy your Drinks here like Bottled water, sodas, juiceseven the coconut candy since it is way cheaper here than at street stalls or at hotel rooms!

What To Buy: Bottled water for 3,500 VND (10,000 VND at Tourist Places and Street Stalls), Coconut Candy 450 grams at 11,800 VND (200 grams at 20,000 VND in Mekong Delta!), Saigon Beer aluminum can at 7,000 VND (15,000 VND outside), Rice Paper for Spring Rolls at 5,000 VND small and 8,000 VND large (15-20,000 VND at Cu Chi rice paper stores!), Trung Nguyem Chon Coffee (weasel coffee or civet cat coffee) at 29,000 VND per 100 grams, Vinamit Dried Fruits starting at 16,000-39,000 VND (150 to 500 grams), and a lot more!

What To Pay: way cheaper than street stalls and touristy places!

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Theme: Food and Drink
Phone: (848) 821-3849
Address: 35 Nguyen Hue St., Dist.1, HCMC, Viet Nam
Directions: 35 Nguyen Hue St., Dist.1, HCMC, Viet Nam
Website: www.thuongxatax.com.vn
Other Contact: Fax: (848) 829-9973

Name of Shop: Clothes

Centrally located and accessible from both Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue Streets, Lucky Plaza is a relatively modern mini-mall. The three floors hold 24 shops and one restaurant. Here you will find everything from cheap toys,Counterfeit Shirts, candy, inexpensive watches and shoes to high quality jewelry and sportswear. Traditional Vietnamese gifts of lacquerware and purses can be bought in several of the shops. The Second floor also houses Russian products (hey russia was once communist too hence they was lots of russian and old soviet goods here!). The top floor consists of a medium range Chinese restaurant with excellent service and traditional ambiance.

It also houses the famous "Bar Underground Basement Lucky Plaza"

What To Buy: Counterfeit jeans (polo, abercrombie, nautica, levis, ols navy, etc) for 75,000 to 100,000 VND, T-Shirts for 40,000 to 80,000 VND, Silk Bags starting from 80,000 to 200,000 VND, Lacquer ware starting at 15,000 VND, Paintings starting at 30,000 VND and a lot more!

Opens: 10am-10pm Mon-Thu; 10am-11pm Fri; 9am-11pm Sat & Sun.

What To Pay: depends on what you buy, some items are even cheaper than in Benh Thanh or Bin Thay Markets!

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Theme: Men's Clothes
Phone: (848) 299079
Address: 69 Dong Khoi, District 1, Sai Gon, Vietnam
Directions: 69 Dong Khoi, District 1, Sai Gon, Vietnam
Other Contact: Fax: (848) 258684

Name of Shop: Saigon Square Shopping Center

Saigon Square is another step forward in the modernization of shopping in Vietnam. It is new, clean and modern. There is a large supermarket in the middle of the Square (Citimart) surrounded by almost 20 small shops including upmarket brands such as Longines, Boss Perfume, Motorola and Nokia. In other shops you can buy eyeglasses, watches, furniture, air conditioners, film and inexpensive clothes, luggage and shoes (Beware, most are knock offs or counterfeit).

You can eat while you shop or take a nice relaxing break for lunch in between shopping at one of the nearby restaurants. Everything from sushi and Chinese food to sandwiches and pizzas is available. The clothes available are trendy and cheap. Cute trendy T shirts can be had for as low as 2 USD. The place is less crowded than the markets in Cholon and since it is roomier easier to move around in.

What To Buy: Come here for cheap local and Chinese-imported copies of designer sportswear, anything from the latest temples for your toes to winter coats. The quality is, well, fake, but the price is right and the stuff is good and rugged. It's not a bad place to stock up on travel items or on things you'll need heading home in wintertime. The massive Saigon Square complex also houses all manner of small budget fashion boutiques, jewelry sellers, and accessories vendors (a good place to pick up copies of the latest Prada or Burberry bag).

What To Pay: knock off shirts at 30,000 VND, Counterfeit Ralph lauren Jeans at 80,000 VND, Knock-off Rolex watches at 700,000 VND, Local shirts at 25,000 VND.

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Theme: Men's Clothes
Phone: (848) 825-6868
Address: 39 Le Duan, Ward Ben Nghe, Ho Chi Minh City
Directions: 39 Le Duan, Ward Ben Nghe, Ho Chi Minh City, Just east of the central post office and Notre Dame Cathedral, at the intersection of Le Duan and 88 Hai Ba Trung

Name of Shop: various stalls inside!




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Theme: Local Craft

Name of Shop: Tay Son Lacquer Shop

Many lovers of lacquerware are very impressed with the artwork of Tay son, because the quality of it is produced based on an imagination for creativity and difference, it may have the same design but it's different in terms of artwork, as it goes "Same Same ... But Different".

In Tay Son lacquerware workshop where you observe the process of making these traditional products of Vietnam into masterpieces and priced lower than in the markets.

What To Buy: Lacquer Dishes starting at 150,000 VND, Lacquer Tray starting at 100,000 VND, Lacquer Box starting at 60,000 VND, picture frames starting at 50,000 VND, Vases & Urns starting at 300,000 VND and a lot more!

What To Pay: Lacquer ware are expensive due to the intensive labor that is used to produce and finish it.

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Theme: Local Craft
Phone: (848) 93-25708
Address: 198 Vo Thi Sau Str., Ward 7, Dist. 3, Sai Gon
Directions: 198 Vo Thi Sau Str., Ward 7, Dist. 3 ,Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Website: www.taysononline.com/
Other Contact: (848) 932-5526

Name of Shop: Stores & Markets

Ben Thanh market was founded since the French occupation in the 19th century. It was originally located on the bank of Ben Nghe River near Gia Din Fort until 1899 when it was moved to the present location. The market is now standing at the intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi and Tran Hung Dao Avenue – the centre of the city. Almost every road in the city is connected to the market. The main gate of the market is a yellow clock tower that becomes the symbol of the city.

Inside is a tightly organized grid of aisles, arranged according to product. Clothes, shoes and fabric dominate the front, before giving over to kitchenware, cooked food, fresh vegetables and a somewhat alarming display of seafood and meat (some of it still alive). There is plenty for the visitor to buy, but the main attraction is the way in which the bustling market is still very much part of the city's life and economy.

Opens 6:00 am to 6:30 pm

What To Buy: Ben Thanh Market is always loaded with varieties of goods, such as consumer goods, lacquerware which are famous handicrafts from Vietnam, t-shirts, food stall, spice stalls, cakes and candies, food and foodstuff, and particularly high-quality fruit and vegetables. Goods are displayed in a very attractive way that always catches the eyes of the buyers. t is one of the best places to buy coffee (especially cafe chon or weasel coffee!), but do try the stalls inside before buying, as the outside stalls are more expensive. Also if you are buying a reasonable quantity you can usually get a couple of free coffee filters. Vietnamese coffee is really delicious, I'm surprised it is not more widely available in the West.

The asking price is usually negotiable and depends on your bargaining skill. The more you buy, the cheaper it is. It is also wise to walk round, check the prices around before decidiing to buy. Do not bargain, having agreed on the price, but you do not wish to buy. It will anger the store owner. If you are not interested, do not agree on the price. Always use VND instead of USD. Reason : you tend to lose count on the changes and it's hard to calculate on the spot especially the currency exchange fluctuates. Always bring enough VND to Ben Thanh.

Apart from coffee, you can get almost anything in the market or the shops surrounding it. You will have to bargain, unless the prices are written on the goods, but that is all part of the experience. And afterwards you can have a bowl of delicious southern style pho hua noodles.

What To Pay: Weasel coffee (Cafe Chon') at 25,000-40,000 VND per 100 grams, Coconut Candy (Keo Dua) at 15,000 VND for 250 grams, Lacquer stuff starting at 15,000 VND, Caps at 25-35,000 VND, Jasmine Tea at 30,000-45,000 VND per 100 grams, Kipling Counterfeit bags at 150,000 VND, Silk bags for ladies at 80,000-200,000 VND, Pho Noodles at 12,000 to 25,000 VND.

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Theme: Local Craft
Address: Quach Thi Trang, Le Thanh Ton, Phan Chu Trinh
Directions: Quach Thi Trang Square; Le Thanh Ton Street; Phan Chu Trinh Street, Phan Boi Chau Street, Le loi Street, District 1, Saigon

Name of Shop: Stores & Markets

In 1788, a group of Chinese from Pho and My Tho Islands came to Ben Nghe River Dike and founded a market which developed into the existent Binh Thay Market, offering a wide array of products. This is Vietnam’s Chinatown market. It is an attractive site for visitors to observe that lively atmosphere.

Cholon remains home to more than 500,000 people, many of whom are of Chinese origin. The area and its side-streets and markets provide an interesting glimpse of Sino-Vietnamese life, as the Vietnamese Chinese strive to retain there cultural traditions and language. In addition to temples, traditional apothecaries, fortune tellers and the like, some excellent Chinese food is available in Cho Lon.

A visit to Ho Chi Minh City's Binh Thay Market reveals the city at its most vibrant, colourful and fun. This mighty market seems to go on for miles, crammed with every possible kind of fruit, vegetable, nut, fish, meat, cigarette, beer and so on. There are cloth shops with every type of silk in every colour and numerous types of cotton, wool and even tweed!

What To Buy: Fabric shopping in Binh Thay Market is a serious treat and prices are usually wholesale. Give yourself at least an afternoon, if not an entire day, so you can take your time, stop for cold drinks and snacks regularly and avoid becoming hot and bothered!

The variety of goods here is positively astounding and will give you uncanny glimpses into modern Vietnamese life. Friendly bargaining should save you 20% to 40%, but don't take it too seriously - Vietnamese people very rarely get angry in public and they feel extremely embarrassed if you do.

Binh Thanh is in the center of Cholon. It is unquestionably the best market in Saigon. Besides a huge array of goods, the market provides a glimpse into everyday life in Saigon. Beware: you pay double (or triple) if you don't haggle.

What To Pay: about 10 to 20% less than in the Touristy Benh Thanh Market in District 1!

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Theme: Local Craft
Phone: (848) 8336753 - 8359090
Address: Tran Hung Dao Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
Directions: Tran Hung Dao Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
Website: www.cholontourist.com.vn/
Other Contact: Fax: (848) 8355375 - 8307577

Name of Shop: Hawker Centers Beside Benh Thanh Market!

Hawker Food Centers abound in asia and here in saigon, there is no exception, but prices here are the cheapest! (even cheaper than Bangkok, thailand! and Hongkong being the most expensive) off course the choices here are less than the other countries hawker centers but you could not beat the price here!

example is Goi Cun (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls) at 2,500 VND (for 6 pieces at $ 0.17!), Cha Goi Re (Fried Spring Rolls) at 15,000 VND ( $ 0.90) even cheaper than in Pho 24 wherein Fried spring rolls cost 25,000 VND!, my favorite Cua Lot (Deep Fried Soft Shelled Crab) for 6 pieces at 40,000 VND ( $ 2.40) while in vietnam house restaurant it costs 75,000 VND!, Tom' Hap Dua' (Steamed Tiger Prawns in Coconut Juice) at 30,000 VND ($ 1.85) for 9 pieces! while in Ngoc Suong Marina it costs 70,000 VND!. If you are a super el cheapo, I would suggest the Dui' Cha Gien' (Vietnamese Fried Chicken Leg) at only 14,000 VND ($ 0.81). A Bottle of the Famous Ba Ba Ba or Saigon Beer is 10,000 VND ( $ 0.62 ).

Opens 6:00 pm to 1:00 am everyday!

What To Buy: Buy anything you fancy here and eat it, it is not bad to pig out once in a while since prices like these are unbeatable elsewhere! then go on a diet after you arrive back to your country!

What To Pay: for a glutton like me, I've Spent 200,000 VND but if you are a light eater, then 20,000-50,000 VND will be suffice!

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Pho Mua Sam and Le Loi Streets, District 1, Saigon
Directions: Pho Mua Sam and Le Loi Streets, District 1, Saigon