It is becoming common among the Malaysian to go to Vietnam because of its shopping paradise. Well, from what I heard, fabric especially for making baju kurung (a traditional Malay women clothes) are very cheap and they offer variety kinds of fabric and colours. I was so astonished to see several local shops. They are specifically tailoring for baju kurung. And oh, most surprising thing was, the local Vietnamese ladies could speak Malay! If you walked down the stores, you will hear, “Kakak, cari apa” , “ Kain cantik-cantik!” or “Madam, kain murah-murah!” I thought I was in Jalan TAR, KL. I mean how could they possibly speak Malay? When I asked them if they have ever come to Malaysia, most of them answered ‘NO’. Even though they speak just the basic of Malay but I think they picked up the language really quick. This must have been the bunch of Malaysian, who keep coming here for shopping, indirectly spreading the language here. Or maybe Malay language itself is easy to learn. That is probably true. Remember what we learned in History in secondary school, where Bahasa Melayu (Malay language) served as the lingua franca in southeast Asia? It had been adopted by Arab and Chinese traders in the region well before the European arrived. Okay, now I see the reason why. Bahasa Melayu can easily be adapted to foreign tongue. J
Okay, back to shopping matter. There are a few places, where you can buy pretty laces, beautiful cottons, viscose, chiffons or Vietnamese silks, just name it. They have it all.
An Dong: Located in District 5. Offers cheapest price according to the taxi driver that took us there.
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| An Dong complex |
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| Fabric to make suits or blazer are also available |
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| Gorgeous isn' it? So, to all bride-to-be, mayday mayday! |
Ben Than: It is located in District 1. A tourist area. According to the local, this place is more expensive than An Dong. But since most of the tourists stay in District 1, so this shopping attracts most of the tourists since it is nearer.
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| If you know Pasar Buluh Kubu in Kelantan, Malaysia, then this shopping complex is the closest thing to that. |
Both places offer the same item for fabric, textiles, ladies wear, embroideries shoes, handmade bags etc. For fabric and textiles, to get 10USD for four metres long, it is okay. 10 USD is equal to RM30 plus minus. But, if you buy more, you will get more discounts. Let say if you take four sets of four metres long, each of your fabric would costs you only RM27-RM25! “Murah murah!” Oh yesss…J
For souvenirs and local hand crafts, I suggested that you go to Ben Than because it offers more choices compared to An Dong.
What we got from reading commentaries from the previous tourist to Vietnam, according to them, all of the items are actually expensive just on price tag. You need to bargain as low as 70% less than the price tag. If your negotiation skill is good, you might have the chance to get the best price. But sometimes, the seller is just as stubborn as you are. So, don’t try to make a scene. Just walk off. Yes, just walk away and just two steps you make, they might call back. Hehe. They would ask you how much you are willing to pay or they would give you a new cheaper price. Believe me. It worked for me most of the time. Remember to pretend as if you wanted to walk away to go to the next shop. Just don’t walk too fast. You might want to hear them calling you. But, if you heard nothing, then, just walk off lah! Hey, there are like hundreds of stores there and don’t waste your time on that one particular shop. Keep your option opens!
There are more shops that you can find on the street.
Saigon- Beautiful Shop, located in Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street in District 1.
I personally suggest you to storm into this shop which specialized in producing bags. All handmade bags, embroidered bags. I think it’s cool if you buy here in bulk and sell later back home. So far, they sell the cheapest than any other place for bags. J
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