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There's a growing trend in Ho Chi Minh City’s shopping scene of in-the-know locals and expats opening up enticing boutiques selling fair trade items, housewares, and very stylish locally made items, ranging from fashion to coffee cups.
Considered a traditional fine art of Vietnam, lacquerware is beautiful, long-lasting and—best of all for those with luggage weight restrictions—light. Most tourist shops and markets hawk the same kind of budget lacquerware. Higher quality items come at a price and are usually found in specialty shops. Some of the newer high-rise shopping complexes in downtown Ho Chi Minh City are home to high-end international brands, such as Versace, Jimmy Choo, and Prada. On the other end of the scale, markets offer a cheap and cheerful experience. They are generally open from sunrise until sunset, although some vendors just outside the markets stay open later.
By law, all transactions should be completed using dong, even if prices are quoted in U.S. dollars.
This is a great example of a local wet market selling fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, and housewares. The aisles are narrow and crowded and full of locals doing their daily (sometimes second- or third-daily) market runs. Food, coffee, and other drinks are available if you need a recharge. It's all done by 4 pm.
Built in 1914 and renovated in 1985, the sprawling Ben Thanh Market has 3,000 booths. The outlets at the front are tourist-oriented, selling clothing, shoes, bags, and lacquerware; in the middle there's food and at the back fresh produce. The vendors can be incredibly pushy and pickpockets often roam the narrow aisles. There are better places to pick up souvenirs and much better places to eat. Once a must-see in Ho Chi Minh City, now it's a place best avoided, although it's a handy landmark, lying as it does between the central business district and the backpacker's area.
Ho Chi Minh City's flower market is a vibrant and colorful affair. Busiest early in the morning when the bulk of the wholesale trade is conducted, the market continues to trade until midafternoon. The area is also home to a Khmer community, so break up your wandering with some Cambodian specialties like soup laced with the pungent prahok (fermented fish paste).
Old Market, or Cho Cu, is a little glimpse of Old Saigon. It sells everything from fish to plastic toys, and some hit the market at 3 am to get the freshest of the fresh.
Once the go-to place for army surplus items and Vietnam War memorabilia, this market now has an eclectic range of hardware and camping supplies alongside the military-esque products. So if you're in the market for a Zippo cigarette lighter, a hand truck, an army-green hatchet, or a life jacket, this is the place for you.
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