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Shopping in Can Tho
Shopping in Can Tho is more about the experience itself, rather than specifically about what can be purchased. Can Tho shopping could mostly be characterized by boats and primary produce. The range of merchandise available in Can Tho is quite typical of other places in the Mekong Delta, and cultural artifacts or items of artistic merit are few and far between.
Make sure you go to one of the floating markets for a truly unique shopping experience!
This Can Tho Shopping Guide gives some hints and tips of how best to go about shopping whilst in the region. Information about how to best go about shopping while you are in the country can be found in our Vietnam Shopping Guide. And if all that time in the markets gets your stomach rumbling, make sure you check out our Can Tho Restaurant Guide for details of the best places to have a meal.
Can Tho Shopping Guide
Those close to Can Tho are still real, live community markets. Fruits and vegetables generally predominate the market scene, but you can find just about anything with a bit of persistence. Whilst nowhere near as touristy as the floating markets of Bangkok, they have nevertheless been inundated by the big tour companies saturating them with cash-rich tourists. Nowadays, some of these floating markets tend to cater as much to foreign tourists looking for souvenirs as they do to housewives looking for the daily shopping. Ask around and try to find a floating market where the locals shop. We think you'll enjoy that more. For some ideas on which markets to go to, take a look at our Can Tho Tours page.Keep in mind that the floating markets have some element of danger. With all those different sized boats floating around, it is somewhat inevitable that they will collide at times. Whilst normally it is just a gentle nudge, if you are standing up and not paying attention, you may well end up in the river!
For shopping on land, there are numerous supermarkets in Can Tho. Examples of these include Coopmart, located in Hoa Binh Street, Metro Hung Loi, which is at 91B, as well as Citymark, Maximark and Vinatex Plaza. The Can Tho main market at Cái Khế is quite a traditional, and very colourful, Vietnamese market, and is a great place to spend a few hours browsing around and checking out the items on sale. If you are wishing to purchase something, be sure to bargain to get a good price!
1 Ngo Quyen St., Can Tho
Cai Rang
on the Hau River
Phung Hiep
on the Phung Hiep Canal
