Shopping in Vietnam
A vacation is never complete unless you take gifts and souvenirs for your family and friends back home. Since the streets of Vietnam are lined with various shops and markets, especially in the tourist areas, shopping in Vietnam is not at all a problem.
Tourists traveling to Vietnam generally look for souvenirs and traditional handicrafts and there are lots of shops in Vietnam that offer these. The best gift items include articles made of lacquer, especially paintings, then there are wooden screens, reed mats, earthenware, (check out the elephants). Things with lovely embroideries like wall hangings, draperies, robes are quite sought after. Oil paintings, Silk paintings, Carpets, jewelry and leather goods are also quite popular. You can also purchase antiques to decorate your home. However be careful while buying antiques because in Vietnam there are strict laws for buying antiques. Some of the souvenir shops in Vietnam are:
- Thao Nguyen in Ho Chi Minh
- Precious Qui in Ho Chi Minh
- Art Tunnel in Hanoi
- Nga in Ho Chi Minh
- Kids And Stone in Hanoi
Buying the national garment Ao Dai is also a good option in Vietnam shopping or you could also settle for their famous pointed hats. They are so big that they can double up as an umbrella protecting you from the sun and rain. Some tourists even look for War souvenirs while shopping in Vietnam, but make sure you do not buy any weapons.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have the best options for shopping in Vietnam, while the other cities offer nice traditional handworks. Shops in Vietnam are usually open from 7 or 8 o’clock in the morning to 11:30pm, however some shops remain open only during the afternoon. Among the various things to do in Vietnam shopping is probably the most pleasurable one
