Sapa is a great destination for travelers who seek for the beautiful scenery and simple lifestyle of ethnic people. Coming to Sapa, toursts can explore the land with many activities. Shopping is a way that helps visitors understand more about the culture of ethnic people in Sapa when Sapa shopping is characterized by the ever-present and persistent local women and girls trying to offload all manner of supposedly traditional handicrafts. Hill tribes’ handicraft, cloth, daily products are cheaper than shops in the village. Also many hill tribe ladies come to you to sell their products.
The range of merchandise available in Sapa covers handicrafts from a large number of different hill tribes who trek surprisingly long distances to sell their products here. It’s good to go shopping in Sapa. Get the best deals, learn about the best places to shop in Sapa, stop for some finger food, or relax in one of the Sapa Restaurants.
The different brightly colored and highly decorative fabrics and garment from the different hill tribes are popular purchases. Liquor is the hot item in Bac Ha. The list we have collected below should give you a place to start looking for that special something. We haven’t created a list since the central market (of both Sapa and Bac Ha) are really the only places you are likely to find anything you might be looking for.
Shops in Sapa
Wild Orchid Shop: Cau May St., Sapa Town Tel: 871-665 This is a small shop with very colorful paintings about the daily life of minority people. An owner designs all the styles of minority people’s costumes, specializing in Hmong and Dzao people. The cheapest thing in the shop is a small scarf at the price of US$3.
Souvenirs and local handicrafts
Being a tourist destination, there are lots of cheap souvenirs and local handicrafts from the local ethnic minority people to choose from. Once you step out of your hotel, the women will start approaching you to buy them (and they can be very persistent especially the Hmong women). Some of them are very savvy and can speak good English. There are also lots of stores at the Sapa market as well as some of the villages during your trekking e.g. Cat Cat Village. The important thing is to bargain, and they are likely to reduce the price abour 20-50% depending on your bargaining skills.
Shopping at the main market Sapa
Many of the local women sell their traditional clothes, bracelets, jewelry and souvenir in the main market daily and more during weekends when larger number of foreign and local tourists arrive.
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