Ben Thanh market is a great place to shop even though it feels very touristy as all the sales people speak very good English and the number of tourists is higher than locals in some areas. They sell everything from delicious food to fashion accessories. Can become very crowded and stuffy but a must go to in Ho Chi Minh... more

Was just at saigon this weekend with my girlfriend. We stayed at Pham Ngu Lao area which is just a stone-throw away from Ben Thanh market so we got to check it out quite a number of times. One particular scam happened to us with a shop near the center of the building. We were on our last minute shopping... more

So for the last few weeks I have traveled to Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, and Hong Kong. This is by far the best market I have been to yet. While the items they are selling in the market are obviously knock-offs, I find it to be a much better quality than in China. Plus, given the fact that... more

Cho Ben Thanh is a major market in Ho Chi Minh City, District 1. At Cho Ben Thanh, one can find a plethora of goodies, including food, fresh flowers, apparel, fabric, lacquered souvenirs, fruit smoothies, jewelry and embroidered linens. This market is not for the faint of heart, with pungent odors, aggressive hawkers and no air conditioning. But, if you... more

I loved this market and spent so much time here, just walking around seeing all the traders try barter and not necessarily buying anything. I just loved the atmosphere of this place and seeing everyone go about their daily lives, trying to make a living. If you are ok in tight spaces with lots of people around, spend some time... more

We were there in May 2009, attended this market on a number of occasions and found that to get a 'bargain' there was a need to barter. The stalls in the narrower passageways were more likely to reduce the prices. It was fun and more importantly safe. Those selling in the main were pleasant. The goods [clothing, pirate DVD, games]... more

If you are walking around Saigon with your head in your lonely planet, you are very likely to find yourself looking up at Cho Ben Thanh in the near future. Every guide book lists this is as a must see tourist attraction, which instantly give the game away - this is no real market, soldier, its a trap! Basically, pretty... more

There're a lot of things to buy here... souvenirs, beaded shoes, handbags, textile, fresh food, fresh flowers etc. Here we have to bargain up to 50%. The shops close at 6 pm but we can still continue shopping as the night market begins after that. We can find the same things there but it's cheaper buying from the shops. Those... more

This is a standard knock-off style market, similar to what can be found in China, India, etc. This market, however boasts a large "food" area where you can buy coffees, dried fish, teas, exotic fruits and vegetables, etc...They also have small eating establishments which let you taste some local Vietnamese dishes such as the soups (Pho), noodles, spring rolls (my... more