Features of national shopping in Nha Trang, Vietnam - fruit, coffee, rum and more

This is an author article from one of our forum users: 35eg35

The country is peculiar. To say unequivocally that I liked it, I can not. Do I want to go there again? Probably not, but it's also a matter of price.

From the first days I had a strange feeling that something was constantly missing. Only when I finally got away from the tedious road and wandered around did I realize something.

There is not enough Thai heat, which I am used to and love, the humidity of the climate. In everything and everywhere something is missing. Even hotels at an equal cost are inferior to Thai ones. Vietnam is no longer Cambodia, but not yet Thailand. The population is indifferent to Buddhism. They worship the spirits of deceased relatives. Thais are much smarter and better at making contact. The Vietnamese are stupid, do not think well even in matters of earnings. Nightlife is almost nonexistent. At 22-00 in the resort Nha Trang everything closes and goes to bed)). Shopping here is just as muddy and dull. Many goods are simply shipped from Thailand.

There is almost no clothing shopping here. Conversations about how expensive brands are sewn here can not be started, because this product is more for fans of these brands and those who agree to pay fanatical money for them. In the local market you can bargain, but these clothes are not all interested. "Big C" in Nha Trang is, but for those who have been to this mall in Bangkok or Pattaya it will be easier to say that it is not here. The feeling that they opened yesterday and not all the goods have yet been laid out. Works from 8-00 to 22-00.

There is a "Lotte Mart" (opening hours are the same). It's newer, bigger range, but the clothes are expensive and primitive. By and large, there is nothing to buy in the grocery department, because prices are higher than market prices. The zone where you can have a snack in its assortment also leaves much to be desired, loses to the simplest street cafes in everything.

Fruit

It is better to buy them in the evening at small spontaneous points or in the afternoon at the central (not tourist market), where local people shop. Bargain! And don't go there in the morning. By lunch, especially those who sold most of the goods, prices will be reduced, they will be cheaper and "in the load")). I bought, for example, a mango and a large bunch of small bananas , and the second bunch, so as not to drag home, the seller offered for a small bill of 2 thousand VND, which was in my hand (this is about 6 USD).

In general , fruits in Nha Trang are cheaper than in Pattaya, but you should know that pineapples and papaya here are significantly inferior to Thai. Jack fruit-on the contrary, it is better in Nha Trang. It is more fragrant here. Mango and local watermelons are very good. Mango is sold no more than 10 thousand VND (~ 30 USD per kg.). all this applies to the month of November and in comparison with November in Pattaya and Bangkok

Souvenirs

No matter how old it is, but it is better to take souvenirs also at the central market for locals. Keep in mind that initially you will be called a price 3 times higher than the real one! Call it much lower than you even assume yourself. Do not yield - leave. They will run after you and give way significantly. Two women from Russia bought a set of magnets in front of us; they received a discount from the declared hundred - they took it for 80. We waited until they left and after them bought the same for 40)), and then I think-overpaid.

The Night Market of Nha Trang seemed to me not interesting both in terms of prices and assortment. Plus the crush. But it was there that I bought what I take to the collection in any country - a plate on the wall.

Power

It is difficult to compare, but I can not say unequivocally that Vietnam is cheaper for food. In the cafe, all the dishes are less spicy. There is no cult of chili as in Tai. Delicacies (lobsters, oysters, crabs, etc.) will be cheaper here and are not inferior in quality. Worth a try. Be sure to try baked oysters at a local cafe. All meals are affordable. Vietnamese pho soup is well prepared. I liked it, ordered often. Tasty is not expensive. Portions are huge. Consider this.

I saw in a cafe how two tourists who had just arrived ordered according to the "first, second and Kampot" scheme, and then made big eyes, thought how to master all this. The question was solved by ordering alcohol and realizing that "in principle, we are in no hurry...".

There are also local street cafes about the type of Thai makashnikov. There prices are even lower, and the choice will not be great.

Alcohol

The wine produced in Daylat does not differ in sophistication, but the price also corresponds. Beer, they say, is cheap. I do not use in principle, so I do not undertake to evaluate. Rum is a separate song, so it's about him at the end.

Coffee

The theme is very evil and complex.

I must say that I am a coffee lover. I understand varieties and tastes. It is difficult to influence me psychologically and impose my opinion. On a free tour from Anex tour, we were taken to a store where they tried to sell coffee for absolutely bad money. The first thing that confused-the storage of coffee in open plastic bags. But it's not even that. I immediately wanted to ask why coffee didn't smell like coffee. Most bags contain foreign odors and even a mildew smell. Bag Arabica bears very little resemblance to Arabica. The guide ran up, called the price and began to actively impose. I naturally declined. The question "why" has already caused me bewilderment. "Are you going to buy cheap Chinese sandals for the price of the salamander or Belvest boots on kraynyak?" The guide was puzzled, but made a new attempt: "Only from us you will buy guaranteed real coffee?". And in other stores from rice, or what? Or plastic? Or maybe cheap from Africa brought?)). I want to warn you - all free excursions from tour operators is a massive attempt to breed you for money. Prices are 2-3 times higher, and the goods are the same as everywhere else. My wife and I went only because the weather was bad, I wanted to visit Cham towers and drive around the city.

The next day we went to the coffee tea store advertised in Nha Trang (I will not advertise them there on all maps and brochures). The situation isn't much better there. Coffee is already in clear plastic cans. Who will go there-pay attention to the fact that the same jar contains very light, slightly beige grains and almost charred. Uneven roasting is a sign of an obvious marriage. And plus all the same problem: Arabica has almost no smell of Arabica.

The next point of the hike is the Lotte Mart store. There are many coffee tastings and you will certainly like it, but ask that you would be poured without milk. Then the tasting will be real. The taste of local condensed milk with the addition of vanilla will go away.))

In fairness, it should be noted that for fans of "three in one" Vietnam is a paradise. Highly recommend stocking up. Almost at the same cost as Russia, the difference in quality will be noticeable and primarily due to the really presence of coffee there. But choose, prices can vary greatly with the same taste from different companies. Pay attention to the number of sachets in the pack.

From the first days of their stay, all the guides say memorized words about the greatness of coffee in this country, about the second place in the world after Brazil, etc. But no one will tell you that the country occupies the second place in terms of gross, i.e. quantity, but in terms of quality, Vietnam is not even in the top five.

The main cultivated variety is robusta. In the world, robusta alone is consumed little. It is this variety that is distinguished by bitterness and high caffeine content. Its quality is an order of magnitude lower and primarily due to the lack of coffee flavor (remember the lack of smell of coffee in stores!). Therefore, use this variety in a blend with Arabica. More often use 80% Arabica+20% robusta. Or 70 + 30, respectively, to reduce the cost. Vietnam does not have much of its own Arabica and its quality is below average, therefore, by and large there is nothing to blend with. What to do? Not buying at all?

I advise you to walk around the small markets on second and Third streets, look closely, smell, crack the grain... and to taste, in short, to look, to buy everything is not worth it. We came across a young Vietnamese guy on Second Street who is well versed and as a result it was he who sold me decent quality coffee, which turned out to be cheaper and no worse than grains in factory packaging. Keep in mind also that 75% of the coffee on our shelves in Russia is just Vietnamese. Its quality is familiar to you)).

Later, we bought good green tea by weight from the same seller at the market. We understood each other at once. He said that there is no normal black tea in his country, and what he has on the counter I do not need to buy. I agreed with him.

The problem of Vietnamese coffee is also in a peculiar, I would even say defective roasting. Roasting is either uneven (found in branded stores), or excessive and with the addition of oil and vanilla (for an amateur and mainly in the markets), or, most often, very weak. Weak roasting and high moisture content in the grain leads to uneven grinding, when dust and large fragments of grain are found in one portion. The finer the grinding, the greater the strength of the coffee, but less flavor and vice versa. Weakly roasted coffee is very difficult to control in this way.

What is worth buying and bringing exactly is coolie-a hybrid of Arabica and Robusta. Grains of unusual rounded shape and the drink has a specific taste. I do not advise you to take ground coffee in Vietnam at all. What was ground there is not clear, and with a weak roasting, the shelf life of such coffee is less. The quality of the ground in the factory packaging, bought in the same Lotte Mart, turned out to be an order of magnitude worse. As far as I could figure out, the pack contained a cheap robusta with scented fragrances. So don't trust the smell through the valve.

There is also the famous "luvak". Tried, taste for an amateur. There is a slight sourness. I don't love her, so I don't see the point in paying bad money for it. The abundance of "luvaka" in the markets and in small shops is represented in fact by the waste of coffee production and all the same cheap robusta.

While in Nha Trang, I wrote a review about a coffee shop with recommendations on the website of a local travel agency. A couple of days later it was removed. Local agencies are financially tied to stores. Consider and do not trust their recommendations. To take or not to take decide for yourself, but coffee connoisseurs may be disappointed in Vietnam. Even in neighboring Cambodia, which does not produce coffee for export, it is simply excellent. Very good Arabica from the province of Chingmai in Thailand, but it is difficult to buy because of the small amount and indifference of the Thais themselves to this drink. According to my observations, I want to recommend countries from where you should not carry coffee: Israel, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey. The best tourist country for coffee lovers is still Cuba.

Jewelry

If you decide to go on a free tour from a tour operator, which you do not need to do, then you will definitely be brought to a jewelry store. Pearls I do not like and do not appreciate. $ 5 for a small bracelet with the look of cheap jewelry. Pearl-culling, do you need it? - the main question. The country produces a lot of Topaz, including my favorite variety "London". In the store I asked for a magnifying glass (must provide). The seller gave, but immediately lost interest in me. And it was from what.

The ring with the stone completely disappointed. The feeling that the schoolboy was fiddling with a file; he forgot to polish the notches and shavings. Not done neatly, rough, deep scratches all over the product. Earrings mostly have flimsy, often plastic clasps. Stone cutting is the most primitive and cheapest. As a consolation for Vietnam, the situation in neighboring Thailand is not much better.

After visiting the store, I was filled with pride for domestic jewelry factories!

OTHER NONSENSE

On excursions there is a massive agitation to buy all sorts of nonsense, such as super mushrooms that saved Vietnam, the leaves of some "miracle tree" and other dried tops. It looks funny from the outside. Unfamiliar aunts in a foreign country offer you to buy some "mushrooms" for the price of a drug.))) And if in your native Domodedovo you are slowed down by customs, then you will tell them exactly that? What would they think?

All that the guides impose in the form of medicines are ordinary dietary supplements, clearly not worth the money. The goal of any dietary supplement is the same - to enrich its manufacturer. There are also cosmetics, for which the Chinese allegedly come and buy bags. But for all the time in the store, not a single Chinese will appear on the horizon. There are leather goods, but the prices are as if the last Alligator of Asia was slaughtered for a handbag.

AND FINALLY, RUM.

I must say that I did not expect to find excellent quality rum in Vietnam.

Many tourists make a big mistake and buy the cheapest. Just translate it into USD. An expensive premium class costs 135 thousand VND. Guys, this is 400 USD per liter bottle for our money! Called Rum Chauvet.

Available only in liter bottles and 175 ml. The latter cost 35 thousand VND (this is 100 USD in our opinion).

There are, however, 0.5 L.and 0.25 L., but note that with good consideration in the name of such, one extra letter "I" got stuck. Here with this extra letter it is not necessary to take! Rubbish, stylized as good rum. Prices are higher, but I bought in the network of stores "Sapphire" on the Third Street (everything is cheaper there and plus a good exchange rate of USD and dollars).

Chauvet rum is best drunk from a cognac glass, savoring very small sips. Then you can feel a pleasant aftertaste, reminiscent of an oak barrel, cherry and even a slight taste of "amaretto". I'm a small fan of rum, but there's something I remember and love. In this line I have the Cuban "Legendario" and now the Vietnamese Chauvet goes to the board of Honor.

Perhaps this rum in a compartment with cheap delicacies and fruits is something for which it is worth returning there, sitting with a glass on the shore and listening to the sound of the rebellious waves of the Pacific Ocean.