Rough Guide to Vietnam - Jan Dodd [79]
Bia Hoi Bar 102 Bui Ven. See map "Eating & Drinking: De Tham". Tiny place but an excellent spot to watch the world wander by while chilling out with a cool beer.
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Ho Chi Minh City and around |
Markets and shopping
Ho Chi Minh City can be a dangerous place to go shopping, as you’ll likely buy more than you intended once you see the prices. Paintings on rice paper, silk ao dai, lacquerware, embroidered cloth, musical instruments and ethnic garments are all popular gifts and souvenirs, as are curios such as opium pipes, antique watches, French colonial stamps and banknotes, and US Army-issue cigarette lighters, while the cheapest items are the ubiquitous T-shirts and conical hats. Visitors interested in Vietnam’s history will find a wealth of copied books on the subject, sold in tourist areas by wandering vendors with a metre-high stack on their hip. Sadly the range of English-language books available in regular bookshops is very limited. For cheap and cheerful souvenirs, head for Ben Thanh Market, Le Loi or De Tham; for something precious and pricey, browse the upmarket boutiques along Dong Khoi and its tentacles, such as Dong Du and Mac Thi Buoi. Bargaining is an essential skill to cultivate if you’re going to be doing much shopping – see "Shopping", for some tips.
Shopping malls attract curious crowds with their glitz and glamour; some offer distractions other than shopping in the form of cinemas and bowling alleys. The local markets are also well worth checking out, both as a source of bargains and as a window on Vietnamese culture. The biggest is Ben Thanh Market(see "Ben Thanh Market and around"), at the junction of Tran Hung Dao, Le Loi and Ham Nghi, which has a huge variety of cheap clothes (ao dai under $30) and all kinds of souvenirs like chopstick sets and carved seals. Dan Sinh Market, 104 Yersin (see "South of Ben Thanh"), has a section specializing in army surplus, both American and Vietnamese. For other smaller souvenirs, check out the shops along Le Loi and Dong Khoi for old coins, stamps, notes and greetings cards featuring typical Vietnamese scenes hand-painted onto silk. Antiques and curios are available in several stores along Le Cong Kieu (see "Eating, drinking and nightlife"), while intriguing model ships are sold on Cao Ba Quat, north of the Municipal Theatre, just east of the Caravelle Hotel.
Generally speaking, shops open daily 10am to dusk, while larger stores often stay open beyond 8pm.
Ho Chi Minh City and around | Markets and shopping |
Department stores and shopping malls
An Dong Plaza 18 An Duong Vuong, District 5. Occupying three floors below the Windsor Plaza Hotel and infrequently visited by tourists, this place has several outlets selling jewellery, clothes and handicrafts.
Diamond Plaza 34 Le Duan. Probably the city’s most diverse mall, featuring department store, supermarket, fitness centre, hospital, swimming pool, bowling alley, cinemas and serviced apartments.
Parkson Department Store 39–45 Le Thanh Ton. Upmarket department store in the heart of the hotel district, selling expensive handicrafts, jewellery and cosmetics among other things. There are other branches at Hung Vuong Plaza (District 5) and beside the airport.
Saigon Centre 65 Le Loi. Cafés, souvenir shops, boutiques, small department store and supermarket in convenient location between downtown and budgetsville.
Thuong Xa Tax Shopping 135 Nguyen Hué. Known locally as the Russian Market and located opposite the Rex, this is a sprawling department store selling electronic goods, cameras, watches, pirate cassettes and videos, jewellery, leather goods and lacquerware.
Zen Plaza 54–56 Nguyen Trai. Black and white eight-storey shopping complex, packed with cosmetics, toys, electrical and household goods and video games. A cafeteria on the top floor has stunning views of the city.
Ho Chi Minh City and around | Markets and