Hoi An Shopping

4 more images

What to buy: SHOES/BOOTS MADE TO MEASURE
Walking around the centre of Hoi An it is immmediately noticeable how many different types of Tailor and custom clothing ,and made to measure shops there are here...Whatever you like.. Suits..Jackets, Shorts,Jeans, Shoes ,Runners, Boots, (male and female) everything is here.. usually done within 48 hours Sometimes in 24...The price and workmanship is also a winner..Choose your own style, leather, and colour...I was more than happy with my purchase...

2 more images

This is a street side shop located along Hoang Dieu Street...The storefront is managed by a lovely young woman named Hong...

Along this stretch of the street there are more than a few shops making and selling footwear but if you look for the address you will easily find the shop...it helps that Hong has a "Million Dollar" smile that helps this shop to stand out on its own.

I looked for a pattern or style of sandal that I liked and am most comfortable wearing...they have catalogs or you can choose from any of the many styles of footwear that they have on display...they will take your measurements and whip up your shoes or footwear overnight..

The service was friendly...Hong speaks fairly good English..efficient and the prices that I payed for a hand made pair of sandals was more than fair...much cheaper than what I would pay in North America..

What to pay: In fact I payed a grand total of under 20,000 Dong...which equates to less than $ 10.00 for a hand made fitted pair of sandals....

The shop sells stone carvings which are copies of old Buddhist and other stone statues. However, unless you can take what you bought with you, it is very likely that you will never see your purchase. In November 2008 we purchased there a small stone statue for about US$70. The shipping was $35 by sea. We never received the package. When it did not arrive until the beginning of January, we contacted the owner, who told us that the package was returned to them by US Customs, which turned out not to be true. Then he was trying to make us pay extra money for supposedly shipping it by Fedex. At this point we gave up.

It would be interesting to know if other people might have had the same experience.

A little tiny shop just in the beginning of Le Loi street, the largest one in HoiAn. It was only in front shop but they also have a much bigger showroom right behind with air-condition, very good in a hot day, salons ....a nice place to be.

What to buy: I ve only got my suits made here. Materials are cashmere, linens...they are imported from Italy and England.

What to pay: 100 usd for a suit. Shirts are from 15 usd.

1 more image

Possibly the most beautiful Jewellery store in Vietnam! Hand made Sterling Silver Jewellery with Red Coral, Pearls, Mother-of-Pearl, Abalone Shell, Onyx, Jade, Turquoise, Amethyst and other precious items.

Custom Designed Jewellery- if you supply a sketch (or photo) you can create your own original jewellery in Sterling Silver with cut stones, Opals, Jade, or Turquoise. Special orders only take 1-2 days.

The shop is very relaxed and the owners are happy for people to browse.

Lotus Jewellery is located between the restaurants 'Hai Cafe' and 'Good Morning Vietnam', and only a few metres from 'Cargo' restaurant & 'Tam Tam' Bar.. Open 8am - 10pm Visa & Mastercard accepted
Lotus Jewellery, 100 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An, Vietnam P: 0510 3911 664
www.lotusjewellery-hoian.com

What to buy: Choose from the hundreds of gorgeous designs available, or custom order your own special piece of jewellery.

What to pay: All the items are clearly marked with the price so you don't need to haggle.

I didn't do this, but I noticed on my walks around town, that you could take "Cooking Classes'
If you like Vietnamese food, then this would be an interesting diversion to do one day.
I saw them advertised for reasonable prices

Here was a list of what was on offer....
* Cooking demonstration with lunch. 45-60 min. $10US
* Hands-on class with lunch or dinner. 1½-2 hrs. $18US
* Market tour, class, lunch or dinner. 3½-4 hrs. $25US
* Vietnamese Street Food Cooking. Demonstration and hands-on class and eat as you cook. 1¼ -1½ hrs. $9US
* Vietnamese Family Cooking. Market tour, hands-on class to learn Hoi An dishes with meal. 1¾-2¼ hrs. $20US

Even if you don't want to buy anything, come and have a look at the Central Market its the only Vietnamese market here.
It seems to be crowded most of the time, perhaps the middle of the day is a quieter time to visit, and I also found it was quiet when the stalls were just opening.

I found Hoi An had lots and lots of silk scarves for sale, and also lots of bags in all shapes and sizes.

Don't buy at the 1st stall you see something you like, prices do vary a lot, and remember to haggle!

Take a tape measure with you as an "extra large" may only be the same size as a "medium " in your home country!
I have been caught, so a tape measure did the trick!

I also took measurements from home for the children I was buying for, and did the same thing, stood at the stall and measured the garments before buying.

If buying for children, its also no use saying your children's age, as against their children
( they are so smaller built) you will need a different size
eg. 8yr old in home country probably takes a size 8, here, they ask, but you will probably need a larger size.

Also, watch that the item you have purchased is being wrapped, that it hasn't been replaced with a chipped or scratched one, this does happen!

As it is very busy, keep your money close to you, a pickpocket victim you do not wish to become!

On returning home this time, every clothing item fitted the person I had bought for!

After saying all this, have a good time, its a market full of interesting items for sale, and you can get cheap massages as well.

Feeling hungry?......One thing there is no shortage of here, is finding somewhere to eat.
I only wish I could remember the name of the nice Restaurant where I dined on several occassions, it was, good, cheap, and the staff were lovely and friendly.

There are absolutely dozens and dozens of places to eat, plenty of them with nice outdoor areas, and most of them were very reasonably priced.

You won't go hungry!