Go Shopping for Silk in Hang Gai Hanoi
Those who love to go shopping for silk will love to have a vacation in Hanoi. For me, Bangkok does offer finer silk as I didn’t have time to explore more of Hanoi’s silk quality.
I visited a few quality silk stores in hang gai – Kenly, Tan My and KhaiSilk. I found the silk scarves in KhaiSilk to be overpriced while Kenly’s designs weren’t my favourite. Tan My is probably the best for me though I wasn’t impressed with the fashion clothing. I have to say that the home accessories in Tan My were great and like I said in my previous post, we bought quite a few lacquerware items which were practical and tasteful in design.
There are many little stores in Hanoi where you can go shopping for silk items and men would love those 100% silk ties which cost only $8 for the box set and $5 for just a plain tie. I mean, the quality was good and they matched up with those expensive ties in your upmarket boutiques. If time allows, you may like a suit tailored to your liking where you can choose your fabric and style. Well, you just have to make sure you don’t overindulge in the yummy Vietnamese pho and fresh spring rolls or you won’t need weight loss tablets to lose those pounds before fitting into your suit!
So Hanoi isn’t a bad place to go shopping but do ask for discounts as many stores tend to mark up the prices listed.
Go Shopping in Hanoi
Before heading to hanoi, I read that it is a sin not to go shopping in this city and some travelers likened to Bangkok shopping. I only have to be there to find out if that claim is true.
To be honest, my impression of the city on the first day wasn’t that positive and it took me a while to get used to the way things were in the city. Busy streets with lots of scooters and cars who didn’t bother if the traffic lights flashed red or not. I didn’t find hanoi very kids friendly yet I could see children on scooters with no helmets on.
So what was it like to go shopping in Hanoi? Well, i expected more from the silk and embroidery stores. Maybe I’m not a big fan of white cloth but I did think some of the embroidery was exquisite. We bought a couple of embroidery art and some embroidered bags and purses to be given as souvenirs. If you love shopping for lacquerware, Hanoi has much to offer though you should look out for quality ones. Tan My Design in Hang Gai is a good store to shop and I love the artistic and graphic finish of the lacquerware. I bought a bag full of lacquerware and I didn’t mind shopping more in this nice store. I met a lady in the store who was shopping for lacquer stuff and she was enjoying herself in hanoi even at five months, with thanks to her prenatal vitamins.
Somehow, I didn’t go shopping for silk clothing or maybe the designs just didn’t entice me at all. I might get a suit tailored to my liking next time and that way, I could have the design I want. More about Hanoi shopping in the next post.
Go Shopping In Hang Gai
Yesterday, we walked along Hang Gai in the Old Quarter as I was planning to go shopping for some nice silk clothing. But somehow, I didn’t find anything of my fancy and it was just too hard walking on narrow and badly paved street.
Though many travel sites have spoken highly about the silk products in Hanoi, I don’t find them fascinating. Most of the stores offer designs that are outdated and I only came across one store which had some decent stuff and they were mostly linen.
Unlike Bali, Hanoi is more messy and you won’t find that much quality imports. I’m still trying to find some nice lacquerware and embroidery to take home. I don’t think I can find contemporary furniture here and would probably save that for other occasions.
I might just walk on the streets on Hang Gai and Hang Bong and go shopping for something to take home.
Go Shopping for Gifts for a Pal
Shopping for gifts is one of the fun things to do but it can occasionally be stressful if you have no idea what to buy for that special someone. Few weeks ago, I had to go shopping for a birthday gift for a dear pal but it was hard choosing the right gift!
Buying the right gift for someone who seems to have everything is the hardest. Sometimes we think that the most expensive gifts can solve the problem but not really. My pal is a simple gal and because she’s so easygoing, I don’t even know what she likes and needs. I looked around the stores and go shopping online too and found some possible choices. Little gifts such as a silver plated purse mirror or a carry-all bag may bring her delight. These can become nice keepsakes over the years and even if she doesn’t use them, she will keep them or pass on to her daughters!
Maybe I’ll go shopping for some nice silk items for her since I’m in Hanoi right now. Or maybe a nice piece of ceramic may even be a good gift.
Go Shopping in Fun Hong Kong
With online shopping becoming such a common activity, there’s more efforts from offline retailers and merchants to lure shoppers to the malls. I still love to go shopping in the malls but sometimes, online shopping is great cos it’s time saving!
My last Hong Kong trip was rather fruitful though I didn’t do much shopping. I managed to pop by 45R at Harbour City and bought a nice cardigan. I’m not sure why but I ended up with three cardigans and wraps this trip! One from Club Monaco, one from G2000 and one from 45R. I believe they will come in handy when we move to Brissy.
We made a trip to Citygate outlets and I was thrilled to have few good buys. My pair of off season Kate Spade shoes was at 50% and my little boy’s sneakers was a great savings of 50% or more! I only wished I had more time! I bought myself a pair of walking sneakers from New Balance and never can I buy anything from New Balance for only RM100 in Malaysia!
Well, I’ll be shopping for some recycled Christmas cards in weeks’ to come. It will be timely as I need to send out notices about our move. With so much on my plate, I’m so thankful that there’ll be another shopping trip to Hanoi in two days’ time! I heard this is the city for fine silk and lacquerware! I’m so thrilled!
