Стаття до проекту «Моє рідне місто або село»
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Over the past 20 years, Vietnam has become such a popular tourist destination. Known for its interesting history, natural landscapes and flavourful cuisine, Vietnam showcases its diverse culture teeming with Japanese, French and Chinese influence. We’ll outline the best things to buy in Vietnam, whether you are visiting for the first time, or returning for the tenth – you won’t want to leave without these.
Vietnam is also a shopper’s paradise. There are so many great things to buy in Vietnam including food, souvenirs and clothes and artwork. This guide will introduce some of the many great items available for purchase, the best places to buy these items and what it will cost you.
First-time travellers to Vietnam may find it difficult to know what ‘good’ prices are, so here are some tips:
- Make sure you bring your bartering skills – this may seem a little strange at first but this is the norm in local markets. A rule of thumb is to pay around 40-50% of the first price offered. Always ask how much one item would cost first, then try to see if you can get a deal when buying two or more items.
- For souvenir items, don’t buy them from the first place you see. Scope out the prices that the other stores are offering first. Chances are, the same or a very similar item will be available at the same market.
- Remember 10k VND equivocates to about $0.43 USD, so don’t get too caught up haggling over a small amount of money. Use that time to enjoy your holiday, or visit even more shopping centres and markets if you’re a shopaholic!
Food
You can’t go to Vietnam without feasting away at the amazing dishes they have to offer. Even better, Vietnamese cuisine is amongst the healthiest in the world, utilising fresh herbs and vegetables. You’ll never feel bloated after a meal which means you can get up straight after your meal and enjoy the rest of your holiday.
There are so many dishes to choose from, so we’ve narrowed it down to our five favourite dishes and our favourites places we tried them at. You can also check out our guide to the best restaurants to eat at in Ho Chi Minh City for a detailed look into Ho Chi Minh City’s finest cuisine.
Fresh Spring Rolls – Goi Cuon Price Range:
40k VND for street food and local cafes – 80k VND at restaurants. Usually, 4 rolls are served.
This Vietnamese delight is a healthier alternative to the deep fried spring roll. Typically, the rice paper roll is filled with vegetables, vermicelli noodles, pork and prawn. This is my favourite Vietnamese dish – I happily ate these every day I spent in Vietnam.
Tailored Clothing
Price Range:
Vietnam is famous for cheap tailored clothing, making it such a great alternative to clothes shopping. The price depends greatly on the quality. The following are pricing examples of a budget versus high-quality tailor.
| Item | Cost at Budget Tailor | Cost at High-Quality Tailor |
|---|---|---|
| Short Casual Dress | 400k VND | 800k VND
|
| Midi Evening Dress | 1.2m VND | 2m VND |
| Collared Long Sleeved Shirt | 700k VND | 1.2k VND |
| Full Suit (Jacket, Pants and Shirt) | 2.5 m VND | 4.5m VND |
Snake Wine
Price Range:
35k – 150k (in touristic areas/markets) for 0.5L
Originating from Chinese culture, the Vietnamese infuse whole snakes in rice wine or whiskey. The delicacy is believed to improve both virility and health, and acts as an aphrodisiac.
You’re probably wondering, is this safe to drink? Well apparently, the snake venom becomes denatured by the ethanol in the alcohol. In fact, snake wine is traditionally drunk in shot glasses rather than a wine glass due to the high alcohol content.
We were given some to try by our homestay at the Mekong Delta. The wine didn’t taste much more than the alcohol itself, other than tasting slightly fishy. Not really our cup of tea (or wine!), but not nearly as bad as we expected!
