What souvenirs are there in Vietnam? What national souvenirs to bring from Vietnam

Vietnam is a charming exotic country. A tourist trip or a business trip here is an extraordinary event. And relatives and friends who remain in their homeland always expect some special, colorful souvenirs from such trips. You can't disappoint your loved ones. The main thing is to understand what to choose from and not acquire banal stupidity.

In this article we will talk about what can be brought from Vietnam in general, and Nha Trang in particular. We will recommend several places where you can buy souvenirs, gifts and something useful.

What to bring from Vietnam?

Obviously, the buyer himself, walking around the shops and along the rows of benches, will have an unforgettable pleasure in searching for what to bring as a gift to friends and family. It's always interesting to learn and learn something new. Such shopping, if you fit it into your schedule correctly, will not spoil your vacation - the abundance of interesting offers will make your eyes widen.

In order to understand what to bring from Vietnam, it is necessary to analyze each item in detail. So.

Tea and coffee

The coffee in Vietnam is amazing. It grows here the best varieties:

excelsa.

Robusta is considered the main one. Its plantations are the most extensive. In principle, coffee is inexpensive, although, of course, it all depends on the variety. The initial cost for 100 grams of coffee is approximately 150 rubles.

But if you wish, you can also find an exclusive one - kopi luwak (kopi luwak or, as it is called in Vietnam, “cafe chon”). Elite luwak is very expensive (from 250 to 1200 dollars per kg). This price is due to the “production” process: café chon is the same coffee whose grains undergo fermentation in the stomachs of musangs (palm martens).

After “cooking,” the semi-finished product is assembled by hand and undergoes a processing process on a specialized farm. Tourists are allowed here for tasting. You can also purchase ready-made grains here.

However, it is worth remembering that now they have begun to prepare such coffee on an industrial scale, and for this, animals are kept on farms in cages. In captivity, martens cannot choose the ripest and most delicious coffee fruits; they have to eat what is given. This affects both the taste and cost of luwak.

The main producers of Vietnamese coffee are Trung Nguyên and Me Trang.

As for tea, you can choose a wide variety of it both in type (with various additives such as herbs, flowers and roots) and in price ( initial cost per 100 g. approximately 80 rubles). The Vietnamese themselves, like true Asians, prefer to eat green. A popular variety is Thanh Nguyen.

An original gift would be national Vietnamese sweets for tea - candies with lotus seeds. They contain no chemical additives and are made from coconut milk.

The option is practically a win-win. Adults and children will enjoy natural tropical fruits. Pineapples, mangooses, rambutans and other edible representatives of the plant world that are popular in this part of the world are perfect treats.

At the request of the tourist, the sellers will place the selected fruits in a basket and carefully pack it. We have some tips on this topic:

You should choose undamaged fruits (no scratches or dents);
Don’t take ones that are too soft, they may be rotten or overripe;
It’s better not to buy in the markets, as they can be overpriced there, and the prices can be many times too high, with the exception of those sellers whom you completely trust.

Most of the fruit flow passes our customs in hand luggage and luggage. But there are cases when customs officials confiscated products as prohibited for import. Some seeds and plants are not allowed to be freely transported across the border, therefore carefully study the lists of what can be imported or exported from the country.

Clothes and shoes

Vietnam is a country where the production of such brands as:

Reebok and others.

This, one might say, is the second home of real branded clothing popular in Russia and Europe. And since the goods sold here were not destined to survive long, grueling transportation, their prices are much lower.

However, there are many fakes on the market. You can avoid meeting them by visiting only branded stores. If target audience are lovers of fashionable things, then the question of what to bring as a gift from Vietnam is not so pressing.

You can find interesting clothing models in the market. The problem is that the Vietnamese, for the most part, are not large in size, so it is very difficult to choose the appropriate XXL size.

Those interested can place an order for tailoring. There is an entire province in Vietnam - Hoi An - where tailoring is practiced. This is the case when you don’t have to worry about quality. Local craftsmen sew quickly, but they take their work very seriously and use expensive natural materials.

In particular, the textile industry of this country is famous for its world-famous natural silk. The risk of being deceived is high if you try to buy it in a street shop. It is better to visit a specialized store.

In general, Vietnamese silk - separate topic. And this is a great souvenir option for loved ones. The choice of products made from this material is huge, but since we are talking about clothing, it is worth noting the traditional one:

Vietnamese pajamas “Ao baba”,

and a silk tunic “Ao dai” (an original item, but it looks great on fragile girls).

Jewelry

Among jewelry, first of all, it is worth noting pearls. South Vietnam is famous for its farms growing this beauty. Returning home without pearl jewelry is almost a crime. Plus, pearls are inexpensive here (40 percent cheaper than in Russia), simply because there is a lot of it.

The most popular and inexpensive pearls are freshwater pearls; they are easily recognized by their imperfect shapes.

Also, a set of valuable souvenirs can be diluted with silver, precious and semi-precious stones:

amethysts,

sapphires,

rubies.

It must be remembered that in in public places- in markets and beaches - they will sell low-quality pearls or completely fake ones. Similarly, a deal involving pebbles may turn out to be unprofitable. You should definitely ask for a certificate confirming their origin. Such documents are provided in stores. There you can also check the authenticity of previously purchased products with specialists.

Leather products

You can bring all kinds of leather goods from Vietnam as a gift to family and friends. It can be:

wallets,

Most often, crocodile or python skin is used to make products, but there are also products made from ostrich skin. Such souvenirs are very popular, conscientious sellers and stores give a guarantee of 1 to 2 years, and the prices cannot be said to be very high:

for wallets approximately 2500 rubles;
belts from 3000 rubles.

Haberdashery - a belt, a purse made of python or crocodile skin - a worthy present royal blood, and at an affordable price too.

Paintings

It is possible and even necessary to bring paintings from Vietnam. Their choice is very diverse, but I would especially like to mention silk and sand ones. Terrible beauty! And the prices are reasonable; they mainly depend on the width of the canvas and the complexity of the design.

Tinctures

Various tinctures are also popular, which, according to local residents, have miraculous properties. Often bottles contain snakes, spiders and other fauna preserved in alcohol. However, this is done more to attract attention than to enhance certain qualities of the drink.

Some liquids containing alcohol are sold as medicines. Various balms and ointments are positioned similarly. Their healing effects have not been proven. But, in any case, an ointment based on python or tiger fat is very colorful. A gift for which you won’t have to blush when presenting it to a person of any status.

Bottles with all sorts of strange alcohol-containing liquids are even more dubious medicines, and the taste may be unpredictable. However, this is an individual question. Such bubbles are purchased more as exotic souvenirs and are not to be immediately drunk among friends.

Cosmetics

Choosing cosmetics is always a very slippery process. You may not guess the composition and components. And in general, products containing exotic ingredients may be allergenic.

It’s another matter if a mask or shampoo is purchased for personal use. But even in this case, you should carefully study the list of components, possible side effects and contraindications. Among locally produced industry products, the categories that are most in demand among women are:

Natural masks for plant based;

Coconut oil.

Regarding the true benefit and effect, the opinions of tourists are divided:

some write rave reviews about masks and serums,
others find something to complain about,
still others think the range is too small.

It is difficult to advise something serious on such a delicate issue. This is the path that everyone must choose and walk on their own. You can be puzzled in advance, study the market, consult with experts, and start with something guaranteed to be harmless.

The most successful souvenir may be an item that is directly associated with the country in which it was purchased. Vietnam in the imagination of the Russian average person is inseparable from the pointed non hat and flip-flop slippers.

Excellent and already classic version- figurines and boxes, made with local flavor and the use of specific materials:

Ivory,

mahogany,

bamboo and others.

Anything from a tablecloth to musical instruments can hit the target: to impress loved one and serve as a keeper of the memory of a wonderful vacation. Well, if the gift is also applicable for practical purposes, then it can be considered priceless.

For those who still can’t decide on the choice of gifts, we found a video. Perhaps it will help you make a cool present.

Most often, tourists are interested in where to buy gifts in Nha Trang. We will try to help figure this out. To begin with, it is worth noting that Nha Trang has many places where you can spend money and buy something interesting.

Nha Trang Center. The largest and most famous shopping center in the city. The prices there are very high, but you can buy almost everything:

decorations;

souvenirs;

electronics;

haberdashery;

clothes and so on.

A tangible convenience is the presence of ATMs.

Big C is one of the most popular brands of goods in Asia, and the supermarket itself is huge. The selection here is essentially the same as at Nha Trang Center. But a nice little thing is that it has its own bakery, so the goodies there cost mere pennies.

MaxiMark. The store mainly sells food, but there are a few clothing boutiques. Prices there are low.

Night market. It gets dark early in Vietnam, and therefore such a phenomenon as the night market is not surprising. However, it is worth paying attention to the prices - they are high here. All this was done on purpose, with the expectation that tourists would bargain.

Cho Dam Market. This place is sometimes even indicated on guidebooks. The prices here are low (comparatively) and the selection is huge.

Cho Xom Moy. This market has the lowest prices in Nha Trang. However, it is aimed more at locals than tourists. The selection of goods is more modest than at the same night market. Mostly there is food: fish and seafood, vegetables and fruits, and so on.

Plus, there is a METRO hypermarket in the city. There, of course, you can walk for an eternity.

Shopping in Nha Trang: map

*Map taken from myfreeworld.ru.

Buying souvenirs is an essential part of the holiday Russian tourists. Often one of the last days stay in a foreign land, and material resources are provided for as a separate expense item long before the vacation. These are the traditions of national holidays. At the same time, no one hides their drawers, balconies and mezzanines, where various gifts from friends who have visited other lands are stored.

A souvenir that has found its purpose and place in everyday life is a unique thing. Such a hit usually happens when the person making the purchase accurately identifies it with the taste, mood and needs of the future owner. This is what we need to strive for when solving the problem of what to bring from Vietnam, so that the money spent does not seem like a waste.

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“What can you buy in Vietnam?”– this question can often be heard from tourists vacationing at popular resorts. There are a lot of souvenirs here, and their prices are reasonable. Here's what you can bring from Vietnam as a gift:

What souvenirs to bring from Vietnam

As souvenirs from Vietnam, tourists often bring national straw hats, exotic liqueurs with reptiles, clothes and silk.

Vietnamese pointed hats

What souvenir, if not a traditional straw hat, best conveys the spirit of Vietnam! Locals use hats in Everyday life– in hot weather they cover the head and shoulders from the sun, and in rain they protect from water.

You can buy Vietnamese hats in souvenir shops, shopping centers (for example, in the Nha Trang Center shopping center in Nha Trang), and sometimes even in small supermarkets. Prices vary, but in tourist places they are always more expensive. We brought hats to Russia that we bought in a supermarket for 25,000 dong (75 rubles); in the shopping center their prices started from 30,000 dong.

Tinctures with scorpions and snakes

Popular souvenirs from Vietnam are local infusions of scorpions, snakes and other creatures. Usually this is a bottle with a dark liquid in which some kind of creature swims. In Vietnam you can buy such unusual souvenirs almost everywhere.– in shopping centers, markets or individual stores. According to reviews from tourists, it is best to buy gifts in large shopping centers like BigC, so as not to worry about quality.

Keep in mind that some of these tinctures are more like drugs than alcohol - you can only drink them in very small quantities! Before you buy such a bottle as a gift in Vietnam, it is better to read about it medical properties and contraindications.

Vietnamese clothing and silk

In Vietnam you can buy high-quality silk clothes and traditional costumes - Ao Dai. The clothes are usually bright, light and light - fashionistas will like it. We don't like to haggle, so we often buy clothes in shopping centers. The prices there are fixed, the choice is large, and the quality is good.

Vietnam produces good silk, and some tourists bring it in the form of fabric. If you are planning to buy real silk, we recommend that you first read on the Internet how to distinguish it from fake silk.

In Dalat you can go on an excursion to see with your own eyes how the Vietnamese make silk:

Other souvenirs and unusual gifts:

Beautiful postcards (you can send them anywhere)
Coasters for mugs
Handmade fans
Flip-flops
Various masks

What else can you buy in Vietnam?

In addition to unusual gifts and souvenirs, more traditional goods are also brought from Vietnam - fruits, coffee and tea, Jewelry, cosmetics, alcohol.

Tropical fruits

You can bring exotic fruits to Russia, but keep in mind that you can also buy them in large chain stores in our country (although their prices are inflated) - we saw rambutans, lychees and mangosteens on the counter. In Vietnam you can buy fruits at low prices. More about this:

In addition, it is worth remembering that some fruits are prohibited from being exported from Vietnam:

Coconut
Durian
Jackfruit
Watermelon

Coffee and tea

If you listen to the reviews of tourists, there will be no doubt - Vietnamese coffee very tasty. Few people know that Vietnam now ranks first in the world in coffee exports, surpassing even Brazil. As an unusual gift, you can bring varieties of coffee that have passed through the stomach of animals.(it is called both Kopi Luwak and, in the Vietnamese manner, Chon coffee). You can buy coffee both during an excursion to coffee plantations and in regular stores.

Keep in mind that there is very expensive Chon coffee - actually passed through the stomach of a Musang animal, and there are regular coffee beans treated with a special enzyme. The price of real coffee is $1,800-$3,000 per kilogram, while fake jeon coffee can be purchased at the supermarket for $45 per kg.

The Vietnamese love not only coffee, but also tea, and exclusively green tea. The choice of tea is very large. For example, we brought home tea with lotus, jasmine and ginger– very tasty, with a strong aroma! Reviews about lotus tea are conflicting, but I personally like it. In supermarkets you can buy both individual species tea, as well as entire tea sets - these will be an excellent gift for friends. We bought tea during an excursion around Dalat, but later we saw almost the same in supermarkets in Nha Trang. I don’t know if they differed in quality, but the prices in the supermarket were half as low - 35,000 dong (100 rubles) per 200 grams.

Jewelry made of pearls and silver

Russian tourists often bring pearls and silver from Vietnam - both can be bought here cheaper than in Russia. But it’s not worth buying gold here – it’s expensive.

It is better to look for jewelry in jewelry stores, and not in markets where prices may be lower, but there is a risk of purchasing a fake. There are a few simple ways to distinguish natural pearls from fake ones - we recommend reading about this before purchasing jewelry.

Phu Quoc Island is considered the pearl capital of Vietnam, but quality products can be bought in all major cities. In Fukuoka you can visit pearl farms:

Alcohol

Alcohol prices in Vietnam are relatively low, so many people bring home rum, wine, and rice vodka. We can leave good feedback about wine from Dalat(for example, Vang Dalat) - you can buy it in a supermarket for only 90,000 dong (270 rubles). Remember that you cannot export alcoholic beverages with a strength higher than 41 degrees from the country.

It is not surprising that everyone who is going to this Asian country asks themselves this question. Traveling around different countries, we always plan not only vacations, but also purchases, gifts, souvenirs for our family and friends.

In Vietnam you can buy many exotic and amazing gifts, which I will tell you about in this article.

What souvenirs to bring from Vietnam?

Probably the most popular souvenirs have always been and will be jewelry. As with other goods, prices for jewelry differ significantly from prices in Russia. Every woman will find for herself what she was looking for: gold jewelry, silver, pearls and much more.

Prices for products made from natural pearls are approximately from 8 to 25 dollars, depending on what you want to buy.

It is best to buy such products on the shores of the China Sea, because it is grown there and the prices are the lowest.

But you should be very vigilant, so that you are not sold a fake, it is better to make such purchases with a person who understands this.

If you prefer silver products, then you will not find cheaper jewelry than in Vietnam anywhere. Agree, 2 dollars for silver earrings is a very low price.

Like any Asian country, Vietnam is famous for its fabrics and silk.

Vietnamese silk highly valued all over the world. Robes, scarves, ties and many other things are made from it.

You can make a nice gift for your loved one by buying him a silk robe for 10-11 dollars, in which he will fall asleep and remember you. Sold in Vietnam paintings embroidered on silk. Their cost is very high, due to the long manual and painstaking work involved in manufacturing.

What fruits can you bring from Vietnam?

On store shelves and markets in Vietnam, you can find a lot of exotic fruits, which we do not sell. Of course we'll want to try them, but there are a few things to pay attention to. Non-perishable fruits and the most delicious ones can be brought as a gift to your loved ones.

Alternatively, you can choose fruits such as longan, lychee, mangosteen, rambutan, lala and many others.

You should remember that in the market you, as a tourist, may increase the price, but don’t forget that this is a market, and you can reduce the price by 2-3 times. Prices for fruits are much lower than in their homeland, for example, 1 kg of coconuts costs about 0.7 dollars, and tangerines 1.3. In large stores, as a rule, the price of fruit is fixed, so we advise you to first go to supermarkets and see how much they cost, and then test your trading skills at the street markets.

To ensure that our customs does not confiscate all the vegetation that you are exporting, you should take care of the phytosanitary permits. Not only vegetables and fruits are confiscated, but also seeds of exotic plants such as palm trees and lotuses, so be careful.

If you were unable to buy fruit before departure, you can buy it as delicious gift fruit chips, which do not taste much different from fresh fruit.

Exotic spirits from Vietnam

The selection of exotic alcoholic drinks is very high, and the price is good. This will be a great souvenir for lovers of extraordinary things. Many people think that such tinctures can heal from all diseases. You won’t have much trouble finding them; they are sold at every turn.

In bottles of 0.5-0.7 l and on tap, you can find preserved snakes, lizards, turtles and many other animals. Depending on the animal preserved in alcohol and the volume of the bottle, the price will vary from 2 dollars to 10.

The choice of alcoholic products is very large; more than a hundred types of different alcoholic products are produced in Vietnam.

It is believed that snake tinctures can be used as a cure for many ailments and are even sold in pharmacies.

Tincture “Cobra and Scorpio”, 0.5 liter capacity, in which a snake with a black scorpion is preserved in alcohol, is considered a strong aphrodisiac, strengthening male strength, is very popular among tourists. The price of one bottle is about 1000 rubles, and you can export no more than two bottles.

Video about gifts you can buy in Vietnam

A wide variety of Vietnamese hats made of straw and fabric. We’ll also see which spices and teas are most popular among tourists. Other souvenirs including interesting foods and unusual minerals.

Teas from Vietnam

The best gift for a person who does not drink alcohol is tea.

At reasonable prices you can buy high-quality and inexpensive varieties of tea.

In stores and markets you can buy various types of pure tea or with additives. The approximate cost per 1 kg is 6.5 dollars for tea with additives and 4 dollars without them.

Coffee, same as Vietnamese tea, very popular all over the world. It is characterized by high quality and low cost. You will have to pay about $4 for a kilogram of high-quality coffee. The cost of coffee will depend on the quality and size of the bean.

National souvenirs of Vietnam

Vietnamese markets are filled with various national souvenirs. Small and pleasant things include various boxes, frames, wooden crafts, porcelain dishes, national dolls, Buddhas, masks. In this assortment of products you can choose the gift you need.

One of the national souvenirs is. Its cost is approximately 10 dollars. You can buy some kind of musical instrument to go with this hat. Wearing a hat with a flute or bamboo xylophone will make you look very impressive.

Also don't forget about national costumes and Vietnamese slippers, because they were invented in Vietnam and worn all over the world, their cost is also small, from 1 dollar.

Clothes from Vietnam

In Vietnam, like any Asian country, trade is very well developed. Of course, prices for clothes in the markets are very different from Russian ones. Can buy lots of beautiful things at low prices, especially if you know how to bargain, then their cost can be reduced significantly.

If you don't like going to markets, then you can visit official stores and buy a lot of quality sportswear, famous brands. Of course, if you buy at the market, they will probably sell you a fake, just like in our country. In order to find the right thing, you need to carefully analyze the market, because different things are sold in different areas of Vietnam. In the southern part of the country you are unlikely to find warm clothes, and too big size for women. This will be very rare.

Tourists are happy to go to Vietnam not only to get to know this amazing country, but also to indulge in profitable shopping. This country is famous for shopaholics low level prices and high quality of popular products. This rare combination attracts numerous flows of shopping tourists to Vietnam. They experience certain difficulties in choosing: there are a lot of goods and they are so good that you are simply at a loss: to buy this time or leave for the next. And you can buy so much that you won’t be able to take it away later.

In Vietnam, people usually buy jewelry, including with precious stones, as well as silk, shoes and clothes, ceramics, coffee and tea, dwarf bonsai trees, elaborate stone and wood products, balms based on snake venom and medicinal herbs, including including “Zvezdochka”, which was brought from here back in Soviet times.

In order not to spend extra money on purchases, you need to know how to bargain. Sellers usually ask for an inflated price, hoping that during the bargaining process it can be reduced somewhat. This method of trading allows you to get mutual pleasure: the seller is happy that he got what he got, and the buyer is happy that he lowered the price.

Souvenirs

It is necessary to bring gifts for friends and acquaintances. It’s better to think about this at the beginning, when not all the money has been spent and there is time to choose inexpensive and original items. There are many such things everywhere you go. They differ only in price: in places where tourists gather they are more expensive, but as they move away they become cheaper.

Very good gift– hand-embroidered paintings and tapestries. Old hand-made technologies are used here, and we must hurry to acquire such things before talented human hands have not yet replaced impersonal sewing machines.

Handmade items made from bamboo, mahogany, ivory, silver or ceramics are beautiful. They also buy vodka with cobra in it, and other exotic things. Tourists wear opium pipes, characteristic Vietnamese non hats, items made from natural silk, traditional T-shirts and caps with a local interpretation.

Digital technology

Various electronic products are sold inexpensively here, as in many countries located closer to China. The problem is that it is almost impossible to find a Russian keyboard. Also with a license for the Kaspersky anti-virus product - it is five times cheaper here than in Russia, but there is no Russified version.

In specialized stores big choice laptops and smartphones of all types. DVDs with movies, games and music are sold for $1 per disc.

Many people buy the iPhone 5. If you buy it in Ho Chi Minh City, you will have to pay about 29 thousand in rubles for the iPhone 5 32GB. In dollars it is $950, and in dong – 16-19 thousand. In Nha Trang, the same purchase will cost 50-100 dollars more.

Clothes and shoes - cheap and high quality

In Vietnam are production capacity such well-known companies as Adidas and Nike, as well as other companies that are no less famous. This suggests that the country is slowly but surely taking a leading role in the list of countries - the world's sewing workshops. Vietnam has already risen to second place after China on this list. Here they sew clothes, make shoes and bags, and produce other goods, and the materials are natural and the work is first-class. Therefore, shopping tourists from Western Europe come here for the best combination of price and quality.

Vietnamese goods are exported to Europe, Japan, Russia and America. These are, first of all, clothes made of natural silk and linen, leather goods (often under popular brands).

Pearls of Vietnam

In Vietnam, pearls are both mined and grown. The best is on the island of Phu Quoc, on a farm there, but there are many farms that deal with pearls. Interested parties travel to the coast, closer to the producers. It’s bad that only those who understand pearls can afford such purchases. In Vietnam, there is no guarantee for sold pearls; they don’t give it in stores, much less in the market. Therefore, everyone either buys at random or turns to a local expert; in Ho Chi Minh City there is such a service. At the same time, Vietnamese pearls are approximately 20-30% cheaper than in other countries.

Precious stones and metals

In Vietnam, it is worth buying precious items, especially inexpensive ones made of silver and gold. They are decorated with sapphires, pearls, or ivory. These are, for example, various beads, earrings and pendants, silver rings with ivory.

Furniture

The furniture itself is of good quality, with hand-made elements, forging and inlay, and wood carvings. It costs much less here than in other countries, but the problem is the delivery of such bulky and heavy items.

However, if you travel by sea, this is quite doable. Many Russian tourists who bought furniture in Vietnam send the purchase on some cargo ship, and then return home lightly and wait for its arrival.

You can also make useful and interesting purchases for your home in Vietnam. These are, first of all, reed mats, household items made from fabric or bamboo. For example, different types kitchen utensils.

HAI DUONG, VIETNAM, SEPTEMBER, 8: people at Market selling bed mats on September, 8, 2014 in Hai Duong, Vietnam

Ceramic objects

In the Hanoi suburb of Bat Trang, there are many enterprises that produce porcelain and ceramic products. These include large factories and small workshops. Here they produce tableware and decorative items, useful and amazing.

If you are driving from Hanoi to Halong, it is worth stopping along the way for a small market. He specializes in ceramics. There is a very large selection of similar products here, and the price is much lower than in other places.

What not to buy

Plant products purchased here may be confiscated by Russian customs if the cargo is not accompanied by permits. Alas, if products are bought on the market, no one, including the buyer himself, thinks about such documents. Risky categories include indoor flowers, vegetables, fruits, seeds, sweet potatoes and ginger, palm and lotus leaves, and greens.

Places for profitable shopping

There are many such places in the country. True, if you want to buy cheaper goods, you should not go to shopping areas intended for tourist business, but to those stores where the local population prefers to shop. There prices are significantly lower, and the quality is excellent. You can contact your guide with such a request, he will not refuse you. There are, however, cases when the guide has an agreement with a certain store owner he knows and takes clients to him. Here, depending on your luck, you can make a successful purchase from such a seller. Here are some favorite shopping areas among tourists:

The old town in Hanoi is good for buying all the souvenirs at one time and forgetting about this problem for the rest of the trip. There's a huge selection and good prices. At the same time, you can look into modern shopping centers, of which there are also enough. So a trip through this area will be extremely productive.
The Diamond shopping mall will provide an opportunity to have a pleasant rest between purchases. There is a large selection of fashion products for wealthy clients.
Tax Trade Centre, on the contrary, offers inexpensive goods, imported and local. The quality of the products is excellent, so there are a lot of tourists here who want to buy good things inexpensively.
Mong Khai and Lang Son, towns on the Chinese border, also attract seasoned shopaholics. Here, at the border crossings, there are markets that are interesting and profitable to walk through. The goods are mostly local, inexpensive and of high quality.
The small town of Hoi An, with narrow streets and small shops, is very attractive to tourists. It is famous for its sewing machines designed for express sewing. They are inexpensive, work like a clock, so people come for them from everywhere. Here, on the spot, you can order custom tailoring. 4-6 hours after taking measurements, you will receive an almost finished product that needs minor modifications.
Ben Thanh market, in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. The shopping areas here are vast and expensive, but the goods are extremely cheap. In essence, this is a huge bazaar, a great place for shopping. Tourists do not deprive it of their attention.

Tax free in Vietnamese

If you want to receive a tax free refund, your purchase must be a check for at least VND 2 million and be brand new. Refunds are made when flying home from Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, but 15% of the amount to be refunded will be withdrawn as a service fee.

You must also remember that a tax free check is valid for 30 days, after which the right to a refund is lost. And not all products purchased in Vietnam are eligible for return. In particular, there is a list of names of goods that are prohibited for export or withdrawn from circulation. Here the matter already smells not only of the loss of VAT refund, but also of direct losses. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with this list in advance.

It will be more pleasant to communicate with market traders and shop assistants if you learn at least a few words in Vietnamese. This:

"muah" means "purchase";
“deputy for” – “discount”.

If you know at least these 2 words, you can let the seller know that you think his price is unreasonably high. True, sellers, as a rule, speak English, and some have not forgotten Russian. Interest in the language was born during the war with America, when the Russians fought on the side of the Vietnamese, and therefore the attitude towards Russian tourists is still colored with sympathy.

Bonus for the curious. What to try from local cuisine

The dishes are local cuisine, which is unique, although it borrows a lot from Indian, Thai and Chinese.

Vietnamese dishes are not too greasy or spicy. They will not create any particular heaviness for the stomach. Rice is one of the main products for many dishes. The cuisine also includes a lot of seafood, and fruits are actively involved. There are also exotic dishes, for example, from cobra, other snakes and lizards. This dish is considered a delicacy and is served in famous restaurants in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phan Thiet and other cities.

Delicacies are offered in expensive establishments, but the country has a wide class of trade and catering establishments that are designed for poor clients.

There are many such establishments among cafes and restaurants, and among hotels. Here you can get dinner for a couple of dollars per client. Small restaurants that are not particularly popular serve deliciously prepared food. Lunch for four can cost 10-15 dollars. Coffee in Vietnam is very popular, it is drunk always and everywhere, hot and cold, in pure form or adding milk and spices.

The famous Dalat wine is produced in Vietnam using Italian technology and is of excellent quality. Connoisseurs rate it higher than many French brands, despite the fact that the Vietnamese version is much cheaper.

In addition, supermarkets and street shops offer for sale a large assortment of alcoholic beverages, liqueurs, beer, soft drinks locally produced and imported from other countries.

What gifts should I bring from Vietnam? We are considering best options: souvenirs, coffee, tea, cosmetics, medicines, jewelry, fruits, clothes and shoes. Our selection is a ready-made solution for those who do not want to waste time on long thoughts and shopping trips.

Shopping in exotic countries- it’s a pleasant activity, because it’s always interesting to learn new things. However, sometimes choosing gifts for loved ones can significantly spoil your vacation - who wants to waste precious time endlessly shopping? Shopping in Vietnam is good (and the prices are good), and the abundance of goods on offer can make your eyes wide open, so we have written an article that will help you decide what to bring from Vietnam as a gift.

So, tourists from Vietnam bring not only souvenirs, but also jewelry, clothes, shoes, medicines, cosmetics, tea, coffee, and fruits. Exotic tinctures with snakes, spiders and other representatives preserved in alcohol are especially popular. local fauna. Tinctures are rumored to have a number of miraculous properties. More details about all this below.

The first and most important thing you need to bring from Vietnam is. Here he is simply divine! We are big fans of his. Arabica, robusta, excelsa and coolie grow in Vietnam, the main variety being robusta. The Vietnamese do not brew coffee, but brew it using special metal filters, which can be purchased at any souvenir shop. The coffee itself is inexpensive (from 30 thousand dong for 500 g) and is of high quality. The most popular coffee producers are Trung Nguyên and Me Trang. Coffee is often sold in blends - the taste depends on this.

The most expensive variety is elite Luwak coffee. The very high cost is due to a special production process: coffee beans undergo fermentation in the stomachs of musang animals (also civet cats), then the raw materials are collected and processed by hand on farms in the province of Dak Lak. Tourists go there on excursions and tastings. In supermarkets you can buy artificially fermented beans (Chon), such coffee in supermarkets costs from 200 thousand dong for 500 g.

Vietnamese tea is available in various varieties, there is pure tea from $4 per kg, and with additives - artichokes, lotus petals, jasmine, chrysanthemum, ginger, mountain herbs - from $6.5 per kg. The Vietnamese themselves prefer green tea, the most popular variety is Thanh Nguyen. For tea, you can buy Vietnamese sweets made from coconut milk or with lotus seeds, without dyes or chemical additives.

Clothes and shoes

In Vietnam you can buy good quality clothes. The clothing production of sports brands Nike, Adidas, Reebok is established here, and the prices for the products are lower than in Russia. To avoid counterfeits, it is better to purchase clothes from branded stores. Local Vietnamese clothing brands include Blue Exchange and Nino Maxx.

The goods sold in the markets are also of good quality. The problem may arise with the correct size. Our citizens are taller and denser than the Vietnamese, so finding a domestic size even 46-48 is quite difficult.

Tourists recommend that people who are overweight or have a non-standard figure search in Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi, where there are products in European sizes. If you need winter clothing, you won’t find it in the south of the country; it’s always warm there, and down jackets and sweaters are not in demand among the local population. All clothing is sold strictly according to the season.

In Hoi An you can have custom-made clothes or shoes made; there are many workshops here. They sew quickly, within 24 hours, using expensive natural materials - satin, silk, suede and leather. A classic suit or dress will cost $50-150, a pair of leather shoes will cost from $15-20.

It is better to buy the famous Vietnamese silk in special stores; in the market they can sell artificial silk under the guise of natural.

Fruits

The choice in Vietnam is rich, so tourists often bring them as treats for their relatives - these can be mangosteens, longan, lychees, rambutan, pineapples, durians, dragon fruit, etc. - those fruits that will withstand the journey well. You can also buy unripe fruits that will ripen on the road.

How to bring fruit from Vietnam? Tourists usually buy special plastic baskets, which can be seen, for example, at fruit stalls in Nha Trang. Sellers will arrange and package fruit upon request.

However, remember that theoretically problems may arise at customs - without special permits, seeds, fruits and vegetables are prohibited from being imported into the territory of the Russian Federation. However, many people carry fruit without problems in their luggage or carry-on luggage, but it also happens that officers find fault and take away the fruit.

Check out the list (description and names) to choose what to bring home.

Jewelry

Many people buy pearl and silver items in Vietnam, as well as precious stones - amethysts, sapphires, rubies, aquamarines, jade. Pearls are grown on farms in South Vietnam, so there is a lot of it here, and it is relatively inexpensive. At the same time, as tourists write, fake pearls or simply low quality ones can be sold at the market or beach. Concerning precious stones, it’s still not worth buying them without a certificate or consultation with a specialist.

We can advise you to buy pearls and other jewelry in Nha Trang - there are many shops here that will issue a quality certificate upon purchase or can check already purchased products. For example, Princess Jewelry and Treasures of Angkor stores are popular.

Alcohol tinctures and medicines

Medicines that are usually brought from Vietnam are alcohol tinctures with herbal ingredients, ointments and balms. Very popular among tourists are the Vietnamese balm “Zvezdochka” (for coughs and colds), ointment with snake venom (helps with osteochondrosis and radiculitis), as well as balms based on tiger or python fat.

Bottles of live animals preserved in alcohol are sold in markets and stores in Vietnam, however, the quality of the alcohol and its origin leaves much to be desired. Cobra tincture with black scorpion is in high demand among men, as it is considered a strong aphrodisiac. Not everyone dares to drink this, so most often exotic drinks are bought not as medicine, but as an original souvenir from Vietnam.

Vietnamese cosmetics

Women love to buy Vietnamese natural masks with herbal ingredients, scrubs, soaps and natural coconut oil. In some cosmetical tools Manufacturers add whitening ingredients, so you need to read the ingredients carefully. As for the quality of products, the opinions of tourists here are divided: some write that it is wonderful, they praise serums, masks and shampoos Lana Safra, Thorakao, others are more restrained in their reviews. Some girls complain about the limited range of decorative cosmetics.

Souvenirs

The most popular souvenir from Vietnam is the pointed non hat. Women often purchase a silk national costume (Ao Dai), which consists of loose trousers with a long, tight-fitting blouse, or the famous Vietnamese slippers. Products made from python and crocodile leather are in great demand - belts, bags, purses.

You can also bring the following souvenirs from Vietnam: silk paintings, porcelain dishes, figurines and boxes made of bamboo or mahogany, fans, ivory items, dolls and masks, bronze items, tablecloths, napkins, silk lanterns, wickerwork, boxes made of natural stone Various musical instruments bamboo and brass are purchased not only by musicians, but also by those who want to decorate their interiors with original things.