A Haggling We Will Go!

On our final day in Saigon, we decided to bring all our cash and visit the much reviewed Ben Tanh Market. This is the place to buy souvenirs and local produce with a price - HAGGLING. As much as we both hate to haggle, I have read as much as I possibly can on the haggling tips.

Looking back, there were a lot of ways I would have improved and impulses I would have delayed... but we did the best we could with some best buys and few cheats we encountered.

The place is easy to locate but is hard to maneuver around as it was terribly humid and quite a maze. We learnt not to judge a book by its cover especially when there are some fake branded sportswear at the main tenant's shop (like a dept store with salespersons wearing the light blue ben tanh logo on their shirts) which are lower than independent shops. Well, so much for impulses.

But the highlight of my shopping trip was actually buying the premium jasmine flower tea for USD4 / 100gm. All shops refused to sell me for that price until I met this lady who was getting confused with the maths and switching of currencies that she gave in. After 3 hours of shopping, we managed to purchase 4 lacquer pictures, 2 handmade bags, 2 hand-embroidered pictures, 3 souvenir t-shirts, premium blue mountain coffee (we were too chicken to buy the weasel coffee - google it), Vinamit fruit crackers and sportswear.

We noticed that the prices sold even after haggling are higher than in the reviews. Maybe it is our haggling skills or has the cost of living gone up? My ao dai tailor (yes, had one tailor-made with hand embroidered motifs for only USD23 - check it out at Minh Khanh Shop, De Tham St. where they make them for 2 days) thinks so. Overall, things are still quite reasonable. We learnt not to cut a deal at the first stop but to walk further to shops in smaller lanes where they are more willing to lower prices, especially when you are friendly and attempt some vietnamese words. Look around for the item you are interested in, ask the price. If they offer lower than other shops (and also look easier to haggle with), next offer 50% cut from their offer price. Haggle from there and close the deal. But the rule of thumb is to remember that they make a living too and to get really good deals, you may need to buy more of the same product.

When in Saigon, do check out Vietnamese silk too. I think they are underrated compared to chinese silk as they are softer. We bought silk ties for USD2 each and scarves for USD3 each, from the Minh Khanh Shop.

(pics top-bottom : Yu char kueh seller, coffee ala-Vietnam, Vietnam should also be known as cable land)

While waiting for our airport transfer, we had coffee and banana & pineapple pancakes at a nearby cafe. Unfortunately, we were within earshot of a 52 year-old French man chatting up a Vietnamese Filipino girl.

All in all, we enjoyed our trip tremendously and the duration of visit was just nice. I sense an avalanche of trips coming up!