Shopping Hanoi

Hanoi has quickly grasped the concepts of the glam slam and the good deal and has stores that would do Paris, New York, or Tokyo proud. The locally made merchandise is far more sophisticated than in Hong Kong and China; designer and brand business is just getting going. Obviously, you don’t go to Vietnam to buy designer merchandise anyway. I shopped nonstop for three full days and returned to Califorinia kicking myself for not buying more. The raw authenticity of the setting is pure charm; the prices are heaven (few items cost more than $25; most cost $5) and you can truly shop ‘til you drop.

WHERE TO SHOP

The main downtown shopping area in Hanoi is called the District of the 36 Guilds and consists of small streets and alleys that make a village of shopping opps. The downtown Guild Streets are very much divided into sections—Silk Street, Lacquer Corner, Sewing Notions Avenue, etc. Go to the district and then keep your eyes open. This area is just north of Lake Hoan Kiem, locally referred to as simply “the lake”. If you’re looking at a shopping address on a business card, it may say “Hoan Kiem District” after the street address; this is so you know it’s right in the thick of things.

Altho most hotels have some shopping in them, you’ll want to shop downtown. Take a taxi to the cathedral and roam the surrounding streets. Don’t worry about getting lost; as long as you have a taxi card from your hotel, you’ll be fine. Most taxi drivers don’t speak English (or French) so make sure they understand the graphics on the taxi card.

MOTO SHOPPING

As you probably know, this is a motorcycle culture (moto in French). Do not be surprised if you are working with your tailor or some other artisan and you are invited to hop on back their moto to go to the fabric market or some other venue with them. Wear a helmet? What helmet? This will be the ride of your life, and yes, you are likely to survive. Some how.

THE ART SCENE

Contemporary art from local artists is not only the rage of Vietnam but also of Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. There are galleries everywhere in Hanoi—entire streets of galleries and neighborhoods of dealers.

I spent about five days negotiating over a painting—it was in a big heavy frame, which I obviously didn’t want. The only allowance I was given price wise for the canvas without the frame was $50. Note that it took five different visits and much haggling to get that canvas from $480 to $250. I had it framed at Michael’s in California during one of their 50% off frame specials—now it’s in my family room. When we struck the deal, I paid in USD (cash) and the canvas was taken out of the frame, rolled in parchment and put into a tube. I carried it by hand half way around the world.

I call this the No Name Gallery although it says Ha Noi Gallery out front; you will know it as the dive directly across the street, on the corner, from The Sofitel Metropole Hotel. I have bought some wonderful oils here: small sized canvas maybe 8 inches x 8 inches, flowers in vases, for $25 each. These were easy to pack, made wonderful gifts and were not expensive to have framed at Michael’s in the U.S.

MARKETS
Dong Xuan is a series of street markets and market buildings not too far from the Cathedral—a tad rough, but very low cost and easy to get to. This is the market you want, just avoid the live-bird portion. One floor is devoted to fabric vendors. Various portions of the outdoor streets are devoted to subject matter of merchandise—china or paper …or anything. This market can get very crowded, I have heard complaints from some Born to Shop readers. I love it, but it’s very real-people.

The Night Market is, uh, at night. This is complicated, so please pay attention. As the Born to Shop Traveler, let me tell you flat out, this is not a good market. But, there’s more to it. This is a must-do because of the location of the market to the lake, the brick and mortar stores that stay open into the night, and the little lights strung in the night sky. This isn’t about buying much, it’s about being out in the streets and part of the adventure. There's a good selection of paper-cut cards.

HANOI’S BEST SHOPPING STREET

You'll find the best stores, but not necessarily the best prices, on Nha Tho, a short street in the heart of the shopping district, and on Nha Chung, a more mainstream shopping street. Nha Chung means Church Street; the street runs alongside the cathedral.

THE BEST SHOPS

CoCoon20 

Nha Chung.

I went downright nuts my first time in this store—everything whispered my name, from the shawls to the bathrobes. I bought handbags, tote bags, drawstring silk pouches, and then more bathrobes. I bought so much that I got a 15% discount. I tried to charge it, but the sales clerk was not adept at using Visa and kept saying my card had expired. A few years later, the store is still good, but not as good. You never know until you try.

Hd Hadong Silk

102 Hang Gai

The place for silk scarves in all shapes, colors and sizes. Don’t miss the silk velvet blazers in the back and of course, you can have a custom dress or two made. Top quality shop.

Khai Silk

121 Nguyen Thai Hoc St.

This is the single-best-known name in local silks throughout the country. A few other branches are dotted around town, with another store in Ho Chi Minh City. This is somewhat of a TT (tourist trap) but is nonetheless a good source for everything silk from bathrobes to umbrellas. The clothes are traditional. 

Marie Linh Home Decor

38 Hang Trong

Although Mme Linh has two stores that sell fashion, you want to have a look at her home style and most particularly her lacquer work. I will not say she has the best lacquer in town, I will say hers is totally different from everyone else’s and is quite amazing, possibly collectible.

54 Traditions

30 Hang Bun

This is the single most famous and trusted gallery for local crafts, tribal arts and cultural antiques. I am still dreaming of the seven foot long articulated wooden dragon puppet that would be fabulous hanging from my high, high ceilings. The gallery is in a house, you take off your shoes to visit the various rooms which are segregated by subject matter. Shipping can be arranged.

Quang’s Ceramic
63 Hang Trong.

This is not a cutie-pie shop and may not really even be a consumer shop—it sort of feels like a hotel supply showroom. Not all of the ceramics are attractive (to my taste), but some of the wares are both stunning and inexpensive. A teapot with six cups was sold as a set only, for $12. I bought many things that I swear were twins of items I saw at Armani Casa in Milan. The company takes credit cards and even shows in Germany.

Tropical

 65 Hang Gai

A small boutique offering high quality creations by local designers. Shop for clothing, accessories and home décor - silk scarves, crinkled silk dresses, embroidered blouses, and the best quilts in town. They will do custom work within a couple of days.

Song

27 Pho Nha Tho.

Be still my heart; stop breaking What was once one of the best stores in the world is now sort of ho-hum.  While the merchandise is chic and elegant and can be amazing, you won't rate this as a life changing experience.. The brainchild of an Australian designer, Song sells home style, women's fashion and accessories.  Prices are high for the locale and you can find similar merchandise for less. On the other hand, these guys know style.

Shopping Vietnam

I know a lot of people who went to a lot of trouble to not visit Vietnam—but that was 50 years ago and times, as well as politics, change. I’m not going to talk politics, or even emotions here—instead I will report as objectively as I can. This much is true: Vietnam is one of the few countries in the world where you can buy wonderful, sophisticated merchandise for very, very low prices. If the thrill of the chase has gone out of a lot of your travels, you will have a meltdown when you see how much there is to buy and for how little money. You will see totally different merchandise and you get a new vision of the world.

As big cities go, I personally like Hanoi a lot better than Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as it’s still sometimes called.) There’s plenty of shopping in both, but Hanoi stole my heart.  The ceramics village of Bat Trang is a great half day side trip from Hanoi if you love the stunning ceramics made in the area.

On this trip, we also spent four days on the beach at the Furama Resort (www.furamavietnam.com) in Danang, a short drive from the charming village of Hoi An. More to come on the fab shopping there….

Vietnam’s best buys, in alphabetical order:

Ceramics: I went nuts buying ceramics—vases, place settings, everything. I bought in stores, I bought in the country, I bought in market. I bought big time. The problem is that shipping brings up the cost and packing adds to weight and worries. Ceramics from northern Vietnam are superior to others because of the qualities of the local clay. Various villages specialize in different styles.

Chopsticks: I am not talking "with six you get egg roll" chopsticks—I am talking about an art form. Fancier stores sell chopsticks by the set ($2–$5 per set), but you can buy them in sets for 10 people for $6 at the market. Do not put them in the dishwasher once you get home, wipe with an oiled cloth, please.

Commie Art: In a somewhat recent artistic phenom, posters created to rally the workers in soviet and socialist states have become collectible. In fact, the real thing is hard to find—the Chinese have a fair trade in fake Communist worker posters, many of which are stunning. One of the newest art trends in Vietnam is this same poster, which has its own distinct style—some similarities and some unique qualities.

Contemporary Art: I rarely report on art because taste is so personal. I was shocked and amazed by the number of art galleries, however, and the quality of the wares and diversity of styles. Many of the artists are highly collectible and have regular shows in Hong Kong and Europe; some galleries have a branch in Hanoi and another in Paris. Hanoi has more galleries than HCMC. Art by living artists ranges from $300-$6,000 unless you are talking about fun stuff.

Embroidery: What appears to be European-style embroidery, as if the handwork of French nuns, is actually a local craft. The range is from incredibly elegant and obviously hand-stitched, to somewhat tacky, machine made pieces, such as laundry bags that say linge (laundry in French) etc. There are also total works of art, such as Renoir masterpieces or local scenes, stitched in embroidery. I’ve never seen a really good one of these and they are made by machine, but they can be lots of fun. Look for the Mona Lisa.

Ethnic Fashion: These items are fashionably ethnic and funky without being costumey. You can buy the traditional dress style, called ao dais; there are crinkle skirts, embroidered shoes, and all sorts of items that could turn up on the pages of Vogue.

Foodstuff: I always go to the grocery stores and food markets, although much foodstuff can be bought in the U.S. from Asian markets and specialty stores, either in person or online. And no, fish sauce is not made from fish. We bought thai spices at the outdoor market in Hoi An.

Horn: It’s not tortoise shell, it’s buffalo horn. Among the best buys: a set of salad servers in horn, $12.

Lacquer: In most cases, this will be the most sophisticated, drop-dead-chic lacquer you have ever seen. Major home-style stores in Europe and the U.S. are already overcharging for it. Pack with care; the lacquer does chip, crack and/or break in luggage.

Lanterns: Assorted lantern styles are available, but the most popular—and chic—is the style called Indochine, a sort of tulip-bulb shape in various sizes made of silk and usually finished off with a tassel. Prices begin at around $3 in Hoi An, more in the large cities. You can get the plug in lamp type (you may have to change the electric current if you schlep the lamp back to U.S.) or the hangs over a light bulb kind.

Place mats: Don’t thing of me as if I am some sort of moron. Would I really be wasting your time if I was talking about plain old bamboo or woven or average place mats? The kind of place mats that I went nuts over were only in a handful of home décor stores where some craftsperson had taken the cheapie and easy to find local place mats and added on fringe or beads that was so extraordinary that you felt touched by genius. Also table-runners. Prices are high—about $25-35 for a table runner. The style is endless. Try the stores near The Church in Hanoi.

Quilts: Here’s some interesting news—after you go nuts for the silk, hand-stitched bed quilts in Vietnam, the ones that cost about $100-130 USD, know that you can often find the same ones in the US at Tuesday Morning, the discount chain, for $199. On the other hand, the most readily available quilts are always simple silk ones. You can have custom quilts made in 24 hours by most tailors. 

Silk: Aside from the usual, you’ll see silk duvet covers and hand-stitched silk quilts. I bought several shirts in silk and in linen; I liked the style so much that I then had the shirt made in English cotton (complete with monogram on the cuff) in Hong Kong. Vietnamese silk is thinner than that of other Asian countries and may not wear as well. Scarves make great gifts but you may find that you want to keep everything you buy. From simple jewel tone plaids to shimmering beaded evening pieces, you’ll go nuts.

Tailoring: I used to have clothing made in the big cities; that was until I went to Hoi An. Home to about 500 tailors, I now considering this a mandatory stop on any Vietnam itinerary.

Velvet: Hmmm, maybe it’s silk velvet and that’s why it’s so plush. I’m talking velvet skirts, tops, coats, jackets all in the same slouchy BoHo style we love in fabulous, funky colors. This is not costume-y, this is real fashion and affordable.

Garza Blanca Resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

For a winter getaway, it’s hard to beat Puerto Vallarta and the newish Garza Blanca Preserve Oceanfront Resort & Spa (www.garzablancaresort.com) is one of the best lodges in town. It’s located on prime real estate at the edge of Banderas Bay, about a ten-minute taxi ride from the downtown action.

Meredith (my daughter) and I found a deal on Groupon and flew off to enjoy this posh resort for three days of non-stop pampering.

The resort caters to a variety of clients… We met honeymooners, families with young children and several groups of ladies celebrating bachelorettes, girlfriend getaways and of course, mother/daughter bonding! There are two pools with plenty of space for all and while the beach isn’t huge, it’s private and just about perfect. Meredith and I decided the lounges next to the warmer infinity pool (by the beach bar) suited us just fine.

We booked the all-inclusive rate (about $150 more per night per room) and were very happy with the offerings. Margaritas and snacks from Aquazul Beach Bar, conveniently located between the infinity pool and the beach, were whipped up with fresh ingredients and delivered quickly.

Breakfast is served at Blanca Garza restaurant and while the service seemed slow at first, we quickly realized that the emphasis was on relaxation. Slow down and enjoy, ladies… This restaurant also serves dinner with a nice selection of seafood and other specialties.

We’re still talking about the Michelin quality dinner we had at the resort’s Bocados STK. The mountaintop eatery was designed with meat-eaters in mind, with an emphasis on high-grade steaks – all marinated and dried for at least 21 days in a special fridge. The menu also features fresh fish including soft shell crab and several varieties of salmon. 

   

Our room was spacious, with a spa-quality bathroom featuring a separate shower, tub and double sinks. When the sun sets, there's no better place to be than on the balcony to soak up picturesque views of Banderas Bay from the comfortable hammock on our balcony.

We didn't visit the spa, but reports from other guests were positive. Next time...

Would we go back to Garza Blanca? Of course. In fact, we’re hoping to return with our whole family next Christmas.