Best port for shopping?

[sjf]

Next March we'll be visiting

- Hong Kong,

- Halong Bay,

- Hoi An,

- Saigon,

- Bangkok

- Singapore.

 

Could anyone who has already done this itinerary please suggest which might be the the best place(s) to do souvenir shopping and/or buy clothes (is it really feasible to get something tailored in less than a day???)

 

We'll have a couple of days in both HK and Singapore, but would Vietnam and Thailand have better proces and selection of goods?

 

Any tips gratefully received. Thanks.

[chrispb]

Next March we'll be visiting

- Hong Kong,

- Halong Bay,

- Hoi An,

- Saigon,

- Bangkok

- Singapore.

 

Could anyone who has already done this itinerary please suggest which might be the the best place(s) to do souvenir shopping and/or buy clothes (is it really feasible to get something tailored in less than a day???)

 

We'll have a couple of days in both HK and Singapore, but would Vietnam and Thailand have better proces and selection of goods?

 

Any tips gratefully received. Thanks.

 

Clothing tends to be smaller in Asia but you should find tops, shirts in most sizes.

 

Bangkok: either MBK or Chatachuk weekend market is good for souvenirs and clothing, plus malls

Hong Kong: lots of good markets (I like Stanley:)), plus malls.

Singapore: Orchard Street plus malls.

Saigon: huge undercover market but I can't remember the name, sorry.

Hoi An: lots of small shops to browse, didn't notice if there was a mall.

 

I find markets more interesting than the malls, but they are there if that's what you prefer.

 

I don't like having things made as I like to see exactly how it looks and fits before purchasing.

[sjf]

Thanks, Chris. I like the markets too! I never had any clothes specially tailored and just thought it might be a good thing to try once as it seems to be such a bargain in that part of the world.

 

So you don't think there's one port we should save up all our shopping budget for? Just buy things we like as we go?

[John Bull]

HK for tailors. And designer-shops & markets (incl. night market off Nathan Road)

Bangkok (a number of markets, including Chinatown) & especially Saigon (Ben Thahn market) for best prices.

Bought some super-quality & silly-cheap shirts in Hoi An but a small town and shopping is in neat little shops & generally nowhere near the choice you'll have elsewhere on your cruise.

Halong Bay, beautiful as it is, is no place to shop because the city is grubby & choice and quality poor. If you don't go into Halong City you'll miss nothing worthwhile.

 

JB :)

[greatam]

Once again I agree with John Bull.

 

HK if you REALLY want well tailored stuff. Hoi An also has some very good tailors.

 

FORGET HANOI for shopping unless you are willing to go to the market BY YOURSELF and not on a tour. They have absolutely spectacular things like door knobs (fanciest, coolest doorknobs you have ever seen unless you live in a million dollar++++ house), stainless cookware and baskets. BUT you wont' see those on a tour. You will see all the knock off luggage, tennis shoes, etc. etc.

 

Ben Thahn market is Saigon is kind of a favorite of mine but I really prefer just wandering the side streets around the Rex hotel. I have a small import business where I import FLIP FLOPS (the old 1960's, don't wear out until the soles gives out flip flops-not that crap they sell at Walmnart/Target where if you are in the sand, the piece between your toes comes out on the second wearing) as well as baskets (three or four shops within walking distance of the Rex hotel), coffee (generally from the Can Tho area) and spices (Chau Doc area close to the Cambodian border).

 

I have never found much in Bangkok except junk and knock offs. If you want to make some quick fast money, take some REAL used LEVI's with you. They sell for a fortune there and there are a couple of guys in the market who will buy your USED LEVI's for $15.00 or so a pair. SMALLER sizes are higher dollar. Don't take any 40 x 34's. YOu won't sell them. But women's size 2-8 and men's sizes below 32 waist are high dollar sellers. I have been rounding up used Levi's here in Arizona and taking them as excess luggage to Bangkok when I have to go for business to Asia or the Middle East. A couple trips ago, I had 30 pairs with me and sold them for $500 US CASH in the market. Paid for hotels and meals for a few days. And I got most of them for free or $1-2 each.

 

Hoi An probably has the best "special" souvenirs. There are a couple of shops that sell painted on silk pictures. Quang Art Gallery probably has the best selection. Very, very nice. And if you are in the market for furniture, there is one shop on the same street as Quang that sells extra special, wood rockers and loungers which I import on occasion.

 

Enjoy!!!

[Keith1010]

Next March we'll be visiting

- Hong Kong,

- Halong Bay,

- Hoi An,

- Saigon,

- Bangkok

- Singapore.

 

Could anyone who has already done this itinerary please suggest which might be the the best place(s) to do souvenir shopping and/or buy clothes (is it really feasible to get something tailored in less than a day???)

 

We'll have a couple of days in both HK and Singapore, but would Vietnam and Thailand have better proces and selection of goods?

 

Any tips gratefully received. Thanks.

 

Hong Kong has a lot of places but not the types of bargains you used to find.

 

We like Singapore and you can find a lot of different items. A very nice mall is at Marina Bay. Also for reasonably priced souvenirs check out both Little India and Chinatown.

 

Bangkok you can find lots of clothing. If you like Silk check out Jim Thomspon who has locations in Thailand and Singapore but was started in Bangkok. They have a few location in the city.

 

For low priced items you will do very well in Vietnam.

 

Keith

[chrispb]

Thanks, Chris. I like the markets too! I never had any clothes specially tailored and just thought it might be a good thing to try once as it seems to be such a bargain in that part of the world.

 

So you don't think there's one port we should save up all our shopping budget for? Just buy things we like as we go?

 

No, don't save your money for one place. Buy as you go, otherwise the very thing you wished you bought you may not see again. That's happened to me too, sigh.

[kuldalai]

HONG KONG is the shopping capital of Asia. Just a shoppers heaven from Department stores to specialty stores to the famous markets - Stanley (on HK Island), Jade Market (in Jordan), and Temple Street Night Market in Jordan .

Hong Kong is great for watches, jewellery, electronics and clothing .

[Mexfolkart]

Best jewelry designs of all SE Asia in Bangkok near the Mandarin Oriental hotel!! Very unique! Enjoy..reasonable..very..Sherry

[We're The Groupnors]

We found great shopping in all of those destinations. In Singapore we loved the Marina Bay Sands mall. In HCMC we loved Ben Trahn (sp?) market and got some good deals there, but we even got some good deals at the little shops in the Central Post Office. Despite what others have said we found some good shopping in Halong City at the little market about a 10 minute walk from the tender pier (when you get off the tender turn left along the water). They had some cute silk robes we were able to pick up for about $10 each, some mother of pearl inlaid coasters, and some wooden boxes for about $5 each. In Hoi An we got some beautiful ceramic ware (pho bowls with plates, spoons and chopsticks), and also loved all the paper lanterns. In Bangkok we found some beautiful items at the various markets, but some of the nicest things we found (which were also reasonably priced) were at the Queen Sirikit store at the Royal Palace complex. In Hong Kong we found great deals at the Ladies Market for items like twin sets, scarves and sunglasses. My husband also got three suits tailored there.

 

Have a great trip and enjoy the shopping!

[srpilo]

Good stuff.. Any more tips ??

 

 

 

 

 

Great informative thread

Srpilo

[TravelingDiva1]

Very informative posts!!! Thanks for sharing everyone!

[sjf]

We found great shopping in all of those destinations. In Singapore we loved the Marina Bay Sands mall. In HCMC we loved Ben Trahn (sp?) market and got some good deals there' date=' but we even got some good deals at the little shops in the Central Post Office. Despite what others have said we found some good shopping in Halong City at the little market about a 10 minute walk from the tender pier (when you get off the tender turn left along the water). They had some cute silk robes we were able to pick up for about $10 each, some mother of pearl inlaid coasters, and some wooden boxes for about $5 each. In Hoi An we got some beautiful ceramic ware (pho bowls with plates, spoons and chopsticks), and also loved all the paper lanterns. In Bangkok we found some beautiful items at the various markets, but some of the nicest things we found (which were also reasonably priced) were at the Queen Sirikit store at the Royal Palace complex. In Hong Kong we found great deals at the Ladies Market for items like twin sets, scarves and sunglasses. My husband also got three suits tailored there.

 

Have a great trip and enjoy the shopping![/quote']

 

Thank you! Great to have detail of the special items you bought. Would love to hear if anyone else has personal recommendations of what to look out for.

[chrispb]

Thank you! Great to have detail of the special items you bought. Would love to hear if anyone else has personal recommendations of what to look out for.

 

Going back a good number of years when my grand-daughter was around 18 months-2 yrs old, I bought a Chinese doll wearing silk jade pajamas and managed to get same colour silk pj's for my g/daughter, soooo cute. I didn't buy them both in the same place, either (you'll see them most places in SE Asia).