Shopping in Vietnam: What to Bring Back Home
All travelers want something cool to remember their adventures with. When you’re visiting Vietnam, you might not know what to bring back to commemorate your travels though. Make the wrong purchase, and you may be bringing home an authentic, knock off, Made-in-China souvenir. And that’s no fun. So we’ve compiled a short list of some cool things that you might want to consider brining back, either for yourself or a loved one expecting something awesome.
Up North
If you’re in the Sapa region, there’s one thing that will constantly be catching your eyes: the handicrafts. Local ethnic minorities make a living creating/crafting everything from traditional clothes and jewelry to colorful wall hangings. If you’re looking to recall your Sapa adventure when you return back home, one of these handicrafts will be the best way to do so.
If you’re in Hanoi, you are probably going to be overloaded by the things you can purchase. Everything from hand embroidered quilts to pieces of fine art (copied and original) can be bought on the streets, but if you’re looking for something really neat, head to Bat Trang. This is the traditional pottery village in North Vietnam that creates some absolutely stunning ceramic works; look for our North Vietnam traditional crafts tour which brings you through Bat Trang and a number of other authentic craft villages.
If you’re traveling the central region of Vietnam, you’re in luck when it comes to souvenirs. The imperial city of Hue is known for their conical hats (an iconic, must-buy for travelers to Vietnam), and the ancient town of Hoi An is known worldwide for their amazing tailor made clothes. Walk into any number of excellent shops, pick out your material, styles and get perfectly fitted for an outrageously good deal. Ask your local guide for the most reputable tailoring shops to assure top quality! Another excellent purchase in Hoi An are its colorful lanterns. You’ll notice these bamboo/cloth creations hanging out in all the streets during the day and night; they fold down easy, can hang from anywhere and bring some beautiful touches of Hoi An to any home.
Moving South
Making your way down the country, we can stop first in Dalat. Dalat is known for its amazing produce and specifically its coffee. “Weasel Coffee” is some of the most celebrated in the world with some bags selling for outrageous prices. Local weasels consume special coffee beans, pass them through the acid in their stomachs and release them in their excrement... undigested. I know, it doesn’t sound very appetizing, but coffee connoisseurs around the world claim that this coffee is up there with the best. Don’t worry either, they clean off the beans first…
Farther down the coast we get to Ho Chi Minh City where visitors can buy everything from funky Ho Chi Minh t shirts to bottles of preserved Snake Wine (if you’re really looking to shock the folks back home). Many of the items in Saigon are imported from China, but they do make for some rather humorous (and cheap) gifts!
Making our way to the ocean, there’s one more spot that is famous for its products to bring back home: Phu Quoc Island. Phu Quoc is known for having the world’s best fish sauce; it’s produced and bottled on site at stinky factories that are quite the intriguing (yet strangely delicious) visit. Phu Quoc is also known for its black pepper, so if you’re not ready to bring home bottles of fish sauce, you can always fall back on this.
Of course there are loads of other things you can bring home from Vietnam (from sand paintings to intricately embroidered images) but these are some of our personal favorites!
