Shopping in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam; bargains, backpacks, silk and hats

Shopping
Shopping is a delight. In the old quarter you are surrounded by shops and restaurants and coffee bars. About four or more of each within sight in every street. Summer clothes, winter clothes, short clothes, long clothes.

I could not find a department store with fixed prices. Probably your best bet is Lotte Korean department store.

However, bargaining is quite simple. They give you a price, which they have inflated for foreigners.
You ask, 'Is that your best price?'

No arguing or emotional discussion. They nonchalantly calculate about 10% off on their calculator, show you the second price, and that's it.

If you walk away from a street seller, they might ask, 'how much you want to pay?'

What is sold?
Clothes and Shoes.
Summer and winter t-shirts, jacket, trousers, dresses, hats.
The traditional dress is the 'ow-eye', a mandarin collar long tunic with side slits and matching or contrasting wide-leg trousers. White is good for night in Hanoi, or any city or countryside, to be sure you are seen by traffic.

Motorway Stops
If you take a trip to Halong bay your coach is likely to stop at the huge shops en route which have large numbers of top quality bags, dresses, paintings, jewellery and ornaments. If you want top quality garments, such as for a wedding, and are prepared to pay, say sixty to a hundred pounds sterling for a two piece dress, which is half the price of something similar in London, this is good value. You will have to make up your mind fast, with a coach stop of ten to twenty minutes for a quick coffee and toilet as well as walking from the coach drop off point at the front to the coach pick up point at the back.

Your stop on the way back may be at a different store. However, if you specially want to go back to the one you saw on the way up in order to make a large purchase, write down its name or take the address card and tell the tour organiser to ask the driver, who probably does not speak English.

However, if you just want an item you might wear once, or wear on holiday, because it needs dry cleaning and the colours run when you wash it. the dresses in Hanoi shops at about twenty pounds sterling or less will be great for a holiday purchase.

You will be able to try on the clothes, usually behind a make-shift curtain, surrounded by boxes and clutter and piles of garments.

Backpacks and Suitcases
Backpacks, supposedly North Face brand; and suitcases on wheels. How do you identify a genuine North Face item? Check the kit bags against others in other shops, the colours, firmness of stitching, thickness of material, inside labels, attached labels.

Novelties
Cheapest Souvenir - Cut out cards.
Flashing lights on hats, hairbands and wands for festivals such as Xmas, New Year - and probably Tet lunar festival which elsewhere is known as Chinese New Year.



Hats
Conical straw hats may be plain or painted. The ones which are painted go well with a plain colour outfit. The plain ones will co-ordinate with all sorts of colours and won't overwhelm with other patterns.

Museum Shopping
Museums are a good place to look at goods and get an idea of prices. Scarves. Silk scarves in contrasting colours. History museum (the second old section, pre recent wars.) Jewellery.

Lampshades
Finally, for your home: lampshades: Apple shape or tear drop shape, with a decorative tassel. White or vibrant colours: red, orange, yellow, blue, purple, or green. Choose from plain, faintly patterned, or with flowers or leaves painted on. (You can see one lower middle, pale yellow with red foliage.)

For hotels
booking.com
Comparison site:
https://www.clicktripz.com/rates/search/index

For airlines
travelok.com
vietjetAir.com (Comprehensive list of budget airlines in Wikivoyage.)

For transport
https://www.grab.com/vn/en/

Language
Duolingo.com 
(Remember to click on the sound symbol to hear how words are pronounced.) 

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Please share links to your favourite posts.

(More photos shortly)