A trip is presented as the opportunity to enjoy another country, other cultures and other people. The first two days of the trip we are usually immersed in a blurry cloud, somewhat lost yet and without really realizing that we are already in the desired destination. The following one is acclimated to the environment that surrounds him and is usually more calm. It's time to enjoy the trip! In the tour we visit different places, each with its landscapes and its customs. Between explanation and explanation of the guide we noticed of souvenir shops and also objects that we find interesting to take as a souvenir to our family and friends, and of course for yourself, of course!
But many times one is lost in the meantime, and the doubt always arises: I buy it now or I leave it for the last day so as not to carry the gifts in the suitcase during the whole trip. This is a personal matter and depends on the desire to buy at that time, as well as the stretch of the trip in which we are. It can also be the case that they are objects that can not be found in other destinations to visit.
But in the end, the important thing in the gifts is to make them with love, thinking about the person you want to carry that memory with. In Vietnam there are interesting articles for all tastes. Even for that 8-year-old nephew who loves football, or for that coffee-maker friend. Also her husband who likes to fill the house with exotic ornaments from distant countries. In the following lines we present the best 10 gifts you can take from your trip to Vietnam.
1. THE COFFEE OF VIETNAM
Vietnam is the world's largest producer of Robusta Coffee. The coffee arrived in this country from the hand of the French missionaries back in 1860, but it was not until the 1990s that coffee plantations and exports began. Excellent climate and natural conditions make Vietnamese coffee one of the best in the world. The culture and ritual around coffee in Vietnam is a reality that is lived in all its streets.
One of the best places to buy Vietnamese coffee for gifts is the famous coffee shop known worldwide Trung Nguyen. You will find many shops around Vietnam, but if you go through Hanoi on Ma Mai Street at the Medallion Hotel there is a small shop where you can try the coffee, smell it and choose from hundreds of different types like the popular civet coffee. Do not forget to buy also the small coffee makers that they use in Vietnam to prepare coffee. It can be a very original gift if that person is surprised with a class on how to prepare a good Vietnamese coffee.
If during your trip to Vietnam you visit destinations like Da Lat, Dak Lak or Buon Ma Thuot, these will be the best places to buy the authentic coffee with the smell of Vietnam. In this area most of the coffee plantations are located.
On the streets of Vietnam coffee is always served accompanied by green tea with ice, especially in the north, Tra Da is very popular. Here is another product that can also surprise and that is also very beneficial for health. Tra or tea can be found in many places like markets and small street stores, but if you want a good place to buy tea and also to taste it, come to the tea shop that is right next to our offices. If you have time, you like tea or have a friend who may like, do not hesitate to go there and buy some envelopes to take them to Spain.
2. MAROU CHOCOLATE, MADE IN VIETNAM
As we are with the affairs of the palate, we have a great gift for the sweet tooth. Chocolate Marou, made in Vietnam by a couple of French. It is a chocolate produced in an ecological way respecting the biodiversity so endangered in countries like Vietnam. In fact, the planting of cocoa does not pose a danger to the ecosystem since these trees need to be in the shade of other larger trees. It is not a product that has any ecofriendly label or organic product, because the bureaucracy in countries like this is tremendous and takes too much time. But the important thing is that the chocolate company Marou is made up of people with a real interest in the protection of families of Vietnamese farmers promoting fair trade. They buy cocoa beans that are fermented and dried by the farmers themselves. This delicate work of post-harvest is an important part of the added value of the simple cultivation of cocoa trees and that is why Marou is able to sell a high quality grain that is worth more than the wholesale market price. The farmers who sell this cocoa are paid a premium so that the post-harvest treatment is perfect, and the money goes directly to their pocket without intermediaries promoting fair trade.
You can find chocolate Marou in these places that appear in the list. Without a doubt, a delicious gift, which is recommended, buy it on the last day.
3. THE VIETNAMIT SWEETS TO BRING
To finish with the gastronomic theme we also think it is a good idea to visit the famous shops of Hong Lam full of Vietnamese sweets. At number 11 of Hang Duong, near the Old Quarter there is one and it has everything. Surely you find something special to take you. There are things that surprise. This can also be an original gift. Vietnamese is, that's for sure. Check all exotic vietnamese fruits and vegetables
4. FOR LOVERS OF HERBAL MEDICINES
Thinking of that friend who loves natural products, you have to pass by Lan Ong street in the city of Hanoi. This is where you will find a large assortment of Vietnamese-style herbalism.
Another good place to buy fresh and dried medicinal herbs at the Sapa market. Theirs would be to have a guide to help you translate so you can choose the right herbs and give you a hand at the time of bargaining.
There are all kinds of herbs; some serve to cure diseases or discomforts, and others to use them in the bathroom as relaxing or for massages. One of the products most bought by the Vietnamese in Sapa is raw honey. They are easy products to carry in the suitcases for their lightness and for sure your friend ¨the herbs¨ will thank you.
5. WATER PUPPETS GANT EMBROIDERY
For that friend who likes decoration, exotic ornaments from other countries, the Water Puppets can be a good gift.
You can buy the authentic ones in the Ethnological Museum or in the Temple of Literature store, and the others you can buy them in the same theater in the Hoan Kiem Lake. Note: This is included to many Viernam tours and the plces if always crowded, please book your ticekt in advance.
For the ladies of the family, in Vietnam you will find embroideries that are an authentic work of art, with that Vietnamese touch so elegant. Very close to the Hoan Kiem Lake you will find good embroidery and tablecloths for home decoration. For those of you who have time to get lost in towns and villages in Vietnam, know that the most elegant embroideries come from the village of Quat Dong near the city of Hanoi.
6. ETHNIC PRODUCTS FROM THE SAPA MOUNTAINS
You can find them in the cities, but the good thing that happens when you chat (or try at least) with the women of Sapa, is priceless. If you visit the Sapa market, you will surely get lost in the labyrinth of brocades and colors of this mountain town. Women often explain that only one piece of brocade can take up to two weeks to sew and it can take months to finish a dress.
To satisfy the great demand of travelers who want to have one of these pieces, there is the embroidery produced in earnest or those that are made by hand. The series has more colors and the handwork tends to darker colors and uniformed. Dresses, handbags, backpacks, ethnic style scarves, a gift brought from the heart of the mountains of Vietnam. You can buy them in the same town of Sapa and also while you are in full visit of the surrounding villages such as Ta Phin or Cat Cat. Learn more about Sapa travel and tours and trekking
7. AO DAI. SIMPLICITY AND VIETNAMITE ELEGANCE
For the most feminine, for those who will appreciate an original and elegant design, they can not miss an Ao Dai.
Áo dài is the traditional dress of Vietnam, used mostly by women. Its current version is a long suit slightly fitted at the top, which has a tunic mainly made of silk on a pair of pants. You can buy facts or you can order them. It is a very feminine and elegant attire.
You will only need to have taken the measurements to the person to whom the gift is intended because you can find Ao Dai tailors throughout the country. Of course, one of the places with more tailors per square meter is Hoi An. This is where you will be able to order that you sew the dress, jacket or pants that you like the most. They will do it to you in a couple of days and if you are in a hurry you will have ready your outfit in 24h.
One of the places with more tailors per square meter is Hoi An. This is where you will be able to order that you sew the dress, jacket or pants that you like the most. They will do it to you in a couple of days and if you are in a hurry you will have ready your outfit in 24h.
You will find a lot of tailors and shops scattered around the streets of Hoi An.
Also the town of Hoi An is an ideal town to buy shoes, but attentive to the sizes and shapes because they do not fit like in Europe.
8. THE TYPICAL SOUVENIR BUT WITH A SPECIAL TOUCH
Most typical souvenirs such as magnets, postcards, figures ... are always easy to find, and you will find them in the vast majority of the streets in Vietnam, but we love the surroundings of Dinh Liet Street in Hanoi for these purchases. Also the Dong Xuan market of the same city, and of course the Benh Tanh market in Ho Chi Minh City.
In these places you will find everything, but if you are one of those who do not like to be bargaining, we advise you to go through the CHIE Design store at number 66 of Han Truong in Hanoi. A store that works with the ethnic minorities of Sapa and other places in Vietnam and that offers original products at a great price. For example, some house slippers for that cousin who has not seen it for a long time, can cost you about 10 dollars as much, and at least we know that part of that money will help disadvantaged communities.
9. FOOTBALL SUIT FOR NEPHEW
The Vietnamese are very fond of football, and where there is a little more space, at the end of the afternoon you will see many practicing this sport. Almost all of them wear the shirt of Barca, Madrid or Chelsea. It is what is fashionable around here.
A shirt of the Vietnamese football team can be a good gift for that football nephew. You can find it at the markets of Dong Xuan in Hanoi and Benh Thanh in Ho Chi Minh City.
10. THE GIFT WITH MORE LOVE AND CHARM. THE NON LA
The Vietnamese hat is already a symbol of the nation. Although there are many other Asian countries that use hats or similar hats, when we see a Non La, we see the charm of a town. Legend has it that, at a very distant time, there was a very tall woman who was often seen wearing a weird, magical hat made of bamboo leaves. Where the woman with the cap appeared, the clouds dissipated and the day became sunny. The woman taught the farmers to plant vegetables and trees to survive. The woman died and ascended into the heavens and was named as the Goddess of the human. Since then the Vietnamese have not stopped making hats equal to those she wore. A form that protects them from the sun and the rain.
There are many places where you can find Vietnamese hats because in each destination there is a village specialized in working these hats, but one of the places with more tradition is the village of Chuong. It is located about 40 km from Hanoi. If you have the opportunity to move there to bring a Non La, that will be a gift thought with much love. There is also a lot of tradition in Hue near the Thanh Toan bridge, here you can take a Vietnamese hat with the name of the person to whom this gift is intended.
Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An, Sapa, Ninh Binh, Ho Chi Minh, Nha Trang ... and many more, there are as many original gifts as attractive destinations in Vietnam.
