Ho Chi Minh shopping on your own tour

[sheep]

Has anyone done this with Princess where you get the coach ride into the city and then left to go shopping on your own for up to 3 and a half hours. Dont like escorted type things so thought this would be good.

 

Thanks.

[Benita]

Has anyone done this with Princess where you get the coach ride into the city and then left to go shopping on your own for up to 3 and a half hours. Dont like escorted type things so thought this would be good.

 

Thanks.

 

Are you sure you want to do that? The beggars will drive you crazy.

[stingraynz]

Hi

 

I am not sure where the tour drops you off but it should be near the large square where the Caravelle and the Rex hotel is. You can absolutely fill up your shopping time of 3 hours for sure in this area.

 

Right in this extremely busy square there is the Rex Hotel, the Caravelle hotel & the opera house. You could have some great spa treatments at the Caravelle. We stayed at the Rex hotel and the spa was under renovation so I can't actually comment on it. The Rex HOtel sent us to the Caravelle for use of their spa.

 

On the corner beside the Caravelle was Louis Vuitton and other similar shops. Beside (and across the street from) the Rex hotel there is an odd shopping experience as it is called 'the tax dept' but it is a multi-level shopping emporium mall (viet nam style). Just remember to bargain bargian bargain. Down the road walking along side the Rex hotel and a few short blocks down is the huge famous Ban Thanh market. Huge asian market with lots of 'stuff'. There are lots of stores along the way. Personally there is so much at those markets I much prefer the smaller shops.

 

It is very safe...the most dangerous thing bar far is crossing the street. We were a group of 3 women, me, my sister and my young 70 yr old mother and we hung out in HCMC for 5 days and loved it.

 

Unless you are interested in the war history tours...I would certainly recommend shopping on your own.

[janina]

We just did this off the Diamond Princess. It was great. We were dropped off at a large shopping emporium across from the Rex Hotel. From there we are able to go to stores, the and all the places the above poster wrote. We didn't do the spa, but shopping went so good that we had time to stop for lunch. Great deals to be found. Also the bus passes Notre Dame, the Post Office and the Reunification Palace on the way. Definately the way to go!!!:)