Southern Vietnam

[Claire H]

Has anyone stayed in Ho Chi Minh City and on the beach area of Phan Thiet in Southern Vietnam. Anything I should not miss or buy!

[JVMB]

Hi,

I accompanied my husband on a business trip  to HCM and had a great time SHOPPING...;-))
Our friends where living there at the time so I was lucky enough to find some great shopping outlets.
You can always contact the Int'l Womens Group there and they'll have a list of places to shop at.

We stayed at the SAIGON PRINCE
(a businessman's hotel, centrally located-very helpful staff etc.,)
May I suggest that you do NOT go anywhere unaccompanied once you leave the hotel.
Do ask the concierge staff to speak to the taxi driver and show them the addresses you are going to.
HCM is a very busy city and somewhat filled with very eager sales people.....poverty is an obvious factor, so I suggest you dress down and not make any cash you're carrying too obvious.

Some of the outlets we went to:
linens etc., fab selection
THANH THUY
District 1
---------------
ANH -Vietnamese ethnic folk art
135 Nguyen Hue St.
District 1
---------------
Minh Quy
103 Dong Khoi St
---------------
she took me to the Russian Market and some other residentail expat  shopping areas but I can't remember where we were...

two very good restaurants
Camargue &
Lemon Grass

I hope that helps....we where there in '96 so some things might have changed and I guess there are more shops to visit.  I hope you  enjoy your visit.

[Lived there]

Lacquerware,handmade ships, 18k jewelry, linen/clothing embroidered and tailor made shoes and silk clothing...etc. Lemon Grass is billiant restaurant. Russian Mkt is the bldg on the corner of Le Loi(lay loy) and Nguyen Hue(win way)...all linen is on Le Thanh Ton. Ben Thanh mkt is also good. Antiques can be found in a small street across from there and some in Dong Khoi(main street).Copies of everything also available!! Handmade shoes also- recommend Le Thanh Ton for this.Anything in particular you were after?

[James JPN]

Got back yesterday.  Camague is heaven, eat there everyday...

Shopping is OK but ML in my humble opinion is cheaper and better.  I am sure if you were lucky to live there you can find better but for a weekend, it was tough.  Enjoyed it.