Shopping in "Artsy" Vietnam

I knew even then that Vietnam is famous for their art work, lacquer ware, coffee, North Face backpacks, silk, and other knick knacks. So for our recent Ho Chi Minh trip, I had expected to go wild on the shopping. I was looking forward to it all except for that "minor" detail of the baggage weight limitation at the airport. On board Cebu Pacific, each passenger is only allowed to check in two luggages that's no more than 15 kg in total! Carry-on luggage is limited to 7 kilograms apart from a small purse that you can carry with you as well. That's not a lot at all. Sigh. What a downer! ;-(

Jojo and I knew of these limitations so as serious and not to mention, passionate shoppers, we had to give careful thought to what we bring to Vietnam beforehand. We can't at all overpack. As tourists in a new country, it's very tempting to bring "What if" items. You know, that umbrella that you think you might need. Or an extra set of clothes that you might use in case you get stranded. Or that extra underwear that might come in handy. Etc, etc. Jojo and I decided to bring only the bare necessities. So a 6-night stay translates to 6 outfits, 3 sleepwear (each one used for two nights), 6 underwears, 1 comfortable pair of sandals/flip flops, and 1 pair of closed shoes. We brought in the necessary chargers for our cell phones, cameras, and video cam. Everything else -- like toiletries, came in small bottles and small quantities -- just enough for our short stay there. Then, they're thrown out. What's left to bring should fit one of the small carry-on sized bags. The other bags that we brought in were empty. That is, another carry-on bag, a bag that's two sizes larger, and an overnight bag. You see, we had it all figured out. When we leave Vietnam, these four bags will be the ones we'll check in. We're certain that we'll be buying North Face bags so these, in turn, will be the ones that we'll use as carry-on. Jojo and I were certain that we each would be taking full advantage of our 22 kg limitation. As well as a few more kilos that we would be allowed to get away with at the airport. ;-) Hahaha! ;-) Talk about having it all figured out huh? ;-)

To help you out on your Vietnam trip (if ever you plan to go!), I am creating a list of "must-buy" items, how much they cost, and where you can find them cheap. I had planned to list the top 5, but it was just impossible to narrow it down to that. I've decided on a Top 10 list instead. Even that is a feat! There are just too many beautiful things in Vietnam! Anyway, the items on the list can be classified into two categories: items that are not readily available in Manila and items that may be available in Manila but are a lot more expensive. Without further ado, here are my Top 10 shopping finds in Ho Chi Minh:

1.) Vietnam Souvenir Shirts
How much we got it: 30,000 VND ($1.96 CAD/P81.32 )
Where we bought them cheap: Ben Thanh Market
Details: There are many shirts to choose from. There are those that say "Same Same" in
the front and "But Different" at the back. It's a common expression among the locals when
they try to communicate with tourists. There are also shirts with the star in the front --
symbolizing the Vietnamese flag. Jojo and I bought the red kind with a yellow star although it
also comes in black and green.

2.) Paintings
How much we got them: Large oil painting - 600,000 VND ($39.22 CAD/P1,626) ; Small
wooden ones - 50,000 VND each ($3.27 CAD/P135.54)
Where we bought them cheap: Kim Do Gallery (in front of Rex Hotel) / Ben Thanh
Market
Details: Jojo and I were in complete awe of the oil paintings available in HCMC. Want a Van
Gogh or Renoir? No problem. There are a ton of art galleries in the Dong Khoi area which has
one ready for you. Exact replicas too. They remove it from the frame and roll it up for you so
it's easy to transport. We've asked around and the large paintings are often sold for 700,000
dong. We didn't buy ours until our last day in HCMC -- a couple of hours before going to the
airport. We had 600,000 dong left and we needed to get rid of it because as you know,
Vietnam being a communist country, it's illegal to bring Vietnam dong outside of the country.
When we dropped by the Kim Do Gallery, we were surprised that the lady there recognized
us. "It's nice to see you again," she said. She's a very pleasant lady and even talked about how
she's heard a lot of great things about Manila and had wanted to go there for a long time.
When Jojo and I compromised and finally found one that we both liked (now that took a few
minutes since we have varying tastes!), we asked the lady how much it cost. She said
700,000 dong. Now, she accepts credit card payments. We could've paid using that since we
were 100,000 dong short. But we decided to just tell her the real deal. We really love the
painting but we only had 600,000 dong and a few more dongs enough for the airport taxi
ride. Without batting an eyelash, she said "Sure, I'll give it to you for that much." Wow. I gave
her my widest smile and that was that. ;-)

I felt really bad though because costing the paintings 700,000 dong is cheap enough. You
can't get a painting that costs that much in Manila. Not even at SM! We bought five of those
abstract paintings that were a quarter of the size of the Vietnamese painting one. They were
on sale. And even then, each one cost P700 more than the one that we bought in Vietnam!
That's crazy! So please, please do yourself a favor and buy a painting in Vietnam. No wall
space at home? It doesn't matter. Just get one and figure out how you're going to use it when
you get back. You'll be kicking yourself when you get back in Manila if you don't buy one.

Hey, did I say that Kim Do Gallery has a website? It costs a bit more and you have to pay
extra for shipping. Nonetheless, it's still quite cheap. The address is
http://www.kimdogallery.com/

For our guest room, I also bought five of those small wood paintings. Since I got five of them,
I was able to haggle it down to 50,000 dong. They initially quoted 100,000 dong for each.
But don't falter. Stick to your guns and don't buy them for more than 50,000 dong if you're
buying a lot. These paintings can be found anywhere. We saw lots of them at Ben Thanh as
well as the Saigon Tax Trade Center.

3.) Lacquer Ware
How much we got them: coasters for 120,000 VND ($7.84 CAD/P325.29) /jewellery
boxes for 30,000 VND ($1.96 CAD/P81.32)
Where we bought them cheap: Ben Thanh Market/Museum of History Souvenir Shop
Details: Vietnam is literally synonymous to lacquer ware. They're everywhere and they
come in different forms -- vases, bowls, plates, coasters, framed art, jewellery boxes,
keychains, and others. The prices vary depending on whether they have egg shells or mother
of pearl inlays. Those that don't are a third cheaper and lower in quality. We were told that
the paint in the lacquer easily smudge.


I wanted to take home lacquer ware in all its forms! Seriously. They're just so colorful and
beautiful! But due to the space and baggage limitation issue, I had to settle with lacquer
coasters and jewellery boxes. I'm very happy with them. I've only used the coasters once
and so far, they're becoming conversation pieces. Looooove them. ;-)

As for the jewellery boxes, I got them from the museum's souvenir shop. When I bought them, I planned to give them as Christmas gifts this December (I try to do my shopping early!). But you know what, the Scrooge in me wants to keep them both for myself! ;-) Or maybe just the eggshell one. ;-) We'll see...;-)

4.) Magnets
How much we got it: 15,000 VND ($0.98 CAD/P40.66)
Where we bought them cheap: Ho Chi Minh Post Office
Details: Jojo and I collect magnets from all the places that we've visited. We hope that
someday, we'll be able to fill up the whole fridge with them! Usually, we buy those
postcard-like clay magnets which has the name of the country and a picture that represents
the place. We wanted them to be somewhat identical in that they're all clay magnets. I saw
some of these magnets in Vietnam. But I just couldn't resist the magnet with a Vietnamese
male and female in traditional garb. They're soooo cute! They come in different colors too. I
saw a pink, red, green, and black one, I think. Of course we chose the green one to match our
wall. ;-) By the way, you can find these magnets everywhere too. They're at the Saigon Trade
Center, Ben Thanh Market, and even at one of the souvenir stores in our Mekong Delta day
trip! The prices are all the same. They're sold at 15,000 VND and no less than that.

5.) Stamps and Postcards
How much we got them: Stamps - around 30,000 VND??!?? (Just working from memory here); Postcards - $1 USD
Where to buy them cheap: HCMC Post Office and from a lady by the Notre Dame Cathedral
Details: I'm not a stamp collector. But how can you resist these beautiful stamps from the Post Office? It came in booklets with a whole set inside. They only cost me 30,000 VND but it turns out to be an expensive purchase. Why? Because now I think I want to collect stamps! ;-) There were many sets to choose from: Vietnamese flowers, fruits, black and white pictures of pre-war Vietnam, traditional wear, and so forth. We went for the Vietnamese fruits. Vietnam is known for their exotic fruits so we thought it was fitting. ;-)

As for the postcards, you can buy them at the post office too if you want. But while we were taking pictures at the Notre Dame, a nice lady came to us and offered the postcards for only $1 USD. She had a whole set of 10 postcards! Unbelievably cheap! Just a bit cheaper than the ones at the post office. I felt bad for her because she had to stay out in the sun to sell her stuff. I was impressed though. She spoke good English! Much better than the salesladies at the Diamond Plaza! ;-)

6.) North Face Bags
How much we got them: Backpacks start at 170,000 VND ($11.09 CAD/P461.16) and Body bags cost 70,000 VND ($4.56 CAD/P189.77)
Where to buy them cheap: Ben Thanh Market
Details: Not one Filipino leaves Vietnam without buying at least one OR a dozen North Face bags to take back. Filipinos take their shopping seriously and are aware that original North Face bags are made in Vietnam. Before going to Vietnam, I checked out the North Face store at Glorietta. I was so surprised! These backpacks cost around P10,000 each! That's crazy! Maybe I'm just not the sporty type so I don't and can't place that high a value on simple backpacks. For that price, I would really rather buy 10 pairs of shoes at Charles and Keith. ;-) The last time I used a backpack was when I was in High School! When I was in University, I used those single-strapped leather bags.

I guess you can call it "peer pressure." They say that you really haven't been to Vietnam unless you buy North Face bags. So I did. I'm gullible that way. ;-) For myself, I bought one green Isabella backpack and an orange body bag. Jojo, on the other hand, went crazy. He bought a couple of backpacks, one body bag, and bags for his officemates and our family members. In total, we bought 15 bags! Yikes.

We checked and compared prices at Ben Thanh Market. And we found one pleasant lady who wasn't pushy (it's uncommon to find one like that at Ben Thanh Market). With a bit of "sweet talking," puppy dog eyes, and a wide grin, I was able to haggle the price down to 170,000 VND for each of the backpacks. Now it's important to note that some backpacks are more expensive than others. They generally start at 170,000 VND and can get up to 200,000 VND! Regardless of the style/model, we only paid 170,000 VND for each one. The body bags cost 70,000 VND each. We bought wholesale (15 bags!) so everyone's happy. We got a great deal and she got her profit. ;-)

How to tell a fake North Face bag from the real one? Honestly, we're not sure. But we noticed the lady showing us the tag for each bag. I guess if it's an original bag, it would have that white tag on the inside. All the zippers worked too and I guess you'll notice the original from the fake ones based on the vibrancy of the color. Original bags are waterproof too.

7.) Shoe Bags
How much we got them: $1 USD or 20,000 VND
Where to buy them cheap: Saigon Tax Trade Center
Details: A word to aptly describe their shoe bags would be: "cute." They're embroidered, are colorful, and they serve their purpose well! Apart from shoe bags, they also have lingerie bags, underwear bags, and etc. Perfect for traveling!

I only bought two. I paid them using USD because their exchange rate is not very good. The item becomes more expensive when paying in VND. If you buy a lot more, you can really haggle the price even lower. These bags are available at the Ben Thanh Market as well.

8.) Vietnamese Coffee
How much we got them: VinaCafe 3-in-1 instant coffee/Highlands Brewed Coffee /Trung
Nguyen 3-in-1 instant coffee - between 30,000-38,000 VND each ($1.96-2.48 CAD /P-81.38-103.08)
Where we got them cheap: Parkson Grocery Store, Saigon Tax Trade Center Supermarket;
Diamond Plaza Grocery Store
Details: One thing to note about the Vietnamese is that they really know how to do their
coffee right. They're robust, rich, yet not too overpowering. There isn't that yucky coffee
aftertaste after sipping a cup of it. It's weird how their coffee gives that extra kick yet still
maintain being light. We've tried all three brands, and for me, I think Trung Nguyen is the
best one. Jojo likes VinaCafe a little better because it's stronger. As for me, I like
cappuccino-ish coffee. I like it with more milk. So Trung Nguyen suits me better. Highlands is
pretty popular in Ho Chi Minh too. Their brewed coffee comes in traditional blend, gourmet,
and heritage blend. Something like that. I don't know exactly how one is different from the
other. But it's good as well. The great thing about Vietnam is that the differences between
their coffee are a bit slight. So you can literally close your eyes and pick any coffee brand or
brew. You can be sure that it'll be good. From all the places I've been in and visited, Vietnam,
bar none, has the BEST coffee. Tim Hortons, Gloria Jean, Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea
Leaf, Bo's, and all the others absolutely pale in comparison! ;-)

9.) Tea Sets and Mini-Condiment Sets
How much we got them:
Tea Set - 140,000 VND ($9.06 CAD/P379.58); Mini-Condiments - 70,000 VND ($4.53 CAD/P189.79)
Where we got them cheap: Ben Thanh Market
Details: The world literally stopped and my heart skipped a beat when I saw these gorgeous tea sets in the market. Yes, they're heavy. Yes, they are too fragile to transport. But I didn't care. I needed to have a tea set before leaving Vietnam! I came across these pretty condiment containers and I needed to have them too. Jojo saw my fierce "Gotta have 'em" look so he didn't argue. It was a battle that he wasn't going to win. ;-) Hahaha! ;-)

The tea sets come in three sizes. Depending on the size, they might come with or without a wooden tray or coasters for each cup. I took the middle-sized tea set which came with the tray but didn't have the coasters. Three tea bags, we were told, would be enough for the pot plus an additional water refill. It came with 6 cups so it was perfect too for Jojo and myself, and 4 guests -- the average number of guests that we usually get for a cozy dinner get-together. ;-)

As for the condiment containers, it came in one size but many different designs. It can be made of white porcelain with Chinese-type designs in blue or red swirls. The one that we chose had a black "body" with different lid colors to choose from. It came in blue, green, and pink. Of course we chose the green one. Again, to match our green wall. ;-) Very very happy with this purchase. Again, we chose another pleasant lady at Ben Thanh to buy from. She patiently showed us the different designs, even if it meant having to ask her assistant to get the other sets from their storage room. And once we had decided on the purchase, she carefully wrapped each one in thick sheets of paper. I'm very happy to say that none of them arrived in Manila with a single chip. Now all I have to do is to find an occasion to use my tea sets. Wanna come over for dinner? ;-) Hahaha! ;-)


10.) Vietnamese Scarves and Tops
How much we got them: Scarves - 30,000 VND ($1.96 CAD/P81.50) and Tops - 130,000 VND ($8.48 CAD/P353.16)
Where we got them cheap: Ben Thanh Market
Details: Silk scarves are perfect pasalubongs (gifts) for older female relatives. The picture below are not the scarves that I bought. I just took the picture from another site. Unfortunately, I had given the scarves away before I remembered to take pictures of them. Anyway, these are the same kind that you will find at the Ben Thanh Market.

As for the tops that I bought, yes, you can find them cheaper in Manila. But let me tell you, they're not the same kind. The fabric of the ones I bought are much better. They don't fray and they're almost wrinkle free. Also, the ones you can find in Manila tiangges (shopping stalls) have a black outline on the collar and below the bust. You have to tie it in a bow at the back too. The ones from Vietnam have a garter under the bust and generally, have a better fit.

I've worn these two tops and have gotten lots of compliments. ;-) I like wearing them too because it hides some flaws (ie: a bulging tummy). ;-) It's very comfortable to wear because you can just let it all "hang out." No need to suck it in. ;-) Hahaha! ;-)

AND....Really, did you think I could name just 10?!?? ;-)

11.) Vietnam bags and purses
How much I got them: Green bag and Patched black bag (80,000 VND/$5.17 CAD/P216.90 each); Black Rosette bag (110,000 VND/$7.11 CAD/P298.24); Coconut shell bag (40,000 VND/$2.59 CAD/P108.45)
Where to buy them cheap: Ben Thanh Night Market/Mekong River Trip Souvenir Stores (for the coconut shell bags)
Details: I'm a bag hag, though not one who is into designer bags or even imitations of them. Vietnam is great because they have a lot of unique bags to choose from. Admittedly, I don't think they are of the best quality. I imagine that the green bag would easily fade in time. Or the one of the rosettes in the black purse would loosen pretty soon. But if you're as careful as I am with my stuff, then it should be okay. If not, then just make sure to buy a lot of the same bag so you can enjoy it for a long time! ;-) It's not going to make a dent on your pocket. They are very cheap, anyway. ;-)


There goes my Top 10 + 1 list! Let me add another list of tips and suggestions to arm you in your shopping escapades in Ho Chi Minh. These are things that are better to know beforehand rather than learn from experience. ;-)

1.) The outlining stalls at the Ben Thanh Market sell their stuff at fixed prices. These are generally more expensive. But it's good to browse here as well so you can have a benchmark. If souvenir shirts here sell for 35,000 VND, you know that you can probably get them for 30,000 VND in the inner stalls of the market. You can use these benchmarks too when haggling. Tell a "white" lie and say, "But I found these shirts for 30,000 VND at the fixed price section. Can you give it to me for lower than that?" ;-) Clever huh? ;-)

2.) The stalls in the main thoroughway of the Ben Thanh Market are a lot more expensive too. Don't be afraid to go deep inside the market. That's where the bargains are. If you have the time, walk each alley and check out every store in a linear fashion. ;-)

3.) Being gentle when haggling can go a long way. Don't be rude! In Filipino, use a bit of "lambing." Use puppy dog eyes, stroke them a bit on the shoulder (a No-no though when you're a guy!), and smile! Compliment them, their country, and their products (but don't patronize!). It usually gets them and they automatically lower the price or meet you halfway. If you still don't agree with the price quoted, thank them and walk away. They will likely go after you and agree on the price that you mentioned. If they don't, just move on and find another seller. There's lots to choose from anyway! ;-)

4.) Except for Parkson and Diamond Plaza, you can pretty much haggle at all the other stores. It's good to have an idea of how much everything costs. Taking 50% off on the quoted price is the norm. They really overprice on the initial quote.

5.) If you plan to buy a lot of the same thing (ex: 15 North Face bags!), try to haggle on the cost of one item at first. Say, they bring that bag down to 170,000 VND. That's when you reveal that you plan to buy 15. Haggle again and ask them to lower the price because you're buying wholesale. All of the sellers that we've encountered have agreed to lower their prices even more for wholesale.

6.) A number of the salesladies are pretty pushy. They literally grab you by the hand and drag you to their stores. In these situations, smile and firmly say "No." Unless you want to be dragged around, don't make eye contact with the salesladies. From experience, I think they see this as interest and an open invitation to BE dragged and taken to their stall! ;-)

7.) Things to bring with you while shopping: very airy and comfortable footwear (flip flops or Crocs), one of those tiny and mobile battery-operated fans (trust me!You'll thank me later for this suggestion), a small calculator (a lot of them have trouble communicating in English and it's a great tool for haggling!), wet tissues (Vietnam is verrrry humid and it can get pretty sticky!Eeeewww.), bottled water, and a small bag or belt bag. The spaces between stalls are tiny. It will be a pain to have to carry those huge backpacks. It can hit anything and everyone in sight. Not very pleasant to bring with you.

8.) When leaving Vietnam and you're sure that you're a few kilos over the baggage limitation, make sure you choose a pleasant-looking person at the counter to line up on. That sounded bad huh? ;-) No, I meant for you to choose someone who looks like a nice person. There's always that something that allows you to tell. Say "How are you?" and flash them a...smile. Hey, what were you thinking??!?? ;-) Hahaha! ;-) Make a bit of small talk and cross your fingers and toes that they'll let you by without penalty for exceeding the limit. That's what I did and it worked! ;-) We weren't over by just a few kilos. We were over by a LOT of kilos. Jojo and I each had a couple of carry-ons. We're actually only allowed a carry on( 7 kilos max) and a small purse (around 3 kilos maybe?). A backpack is NOT at all a small purse! Jojo's carry on and mine each totalled 10 kilos! Each of our backpacks were at least 7 kilos. Our checked in luggage -- 4 in total, were over by about 15 kilos! Oh my. But we got through without having to pay a dime. Whew!

9.) Are you now ready to shop? ;-) Here are the addresses of the shops and stores that I mentioned. Show them to your trusty VinaSun taxi driver (don't pick anyone else!) and you're now on your way! From one shopaholic to another, ENJOY SHOPPING IN ARTSY VIETNAM! ;-)

BEN THANH MARKET / BEN THANH NIGHT MARKET
Intersection of Le Loi, Ham Nghi, and Tranh Hung Dao
Note: Ben Thanh Market opens at around 7 am. When the stores close at around 6, it is replaced by the Ben Thanh Night Market which opens on the side streets surrounding the indoor market.

KIM DO ART GALLERY
133 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1

MUSEUM OF HISTORY SOUVENIR SHOP
2 Nguyen Binh Khiem, District 1

HO CHI MINH POST OFFICE/NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL
2 Cong Xa Paris, District 1

PARKSON GROCERY STORE
45 Le Than Ton Street, District 1

SAIGON TAX TRADE CENTER
135 Nguyen Hau, District 1

DIAMOND PLAZA
34 Le Duan, District 1

SINH CAFE (Ticketing Office for the Mekong River Day Trip) 246 De Tham Street, District 1