Vietnam Travel & Business Diary (Day 3): Whitelion Hotel Breakfast, Vietnamese Iced Coffee Culture, An Dong & Tan Binh Wholesale Market Reality

Our third day in Vietnam was filled with cultural discoveries, culinary adjustments, and eye-opening market research. As an Indian vegetarian traveler and boutique owner planning to source apparel for our store back home, this day taught us valuable lessons about local shopping dynamics, language barriers, pricing, and the realities of importing goods from Vietnam.

Before our Vietnam trip, I had already researched different Vietnam wholesale clothing markets and sourcing options. But visiting the markets personally gave me a completely different perspective.

Here is our detailed, step-by-step experience from Day 3 in Ho Chi Minh City.

1. Breakfast at Whitelion Hotel & The Vegetarian Challenge

We woke up around 8:00 AM to catch the hotel buffet, which ran from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM. Breakfast was served at our stay, Whitelion Hotel, offering a selection of Vietnamese and continental-style breakfast items.

The Menu

The breakfast options were quite similar from day to day and included predominantly Vietnamese dishes.

The Vegetarian Dilemma

As a strict vegetarian, finding suitable options was challenging because Indian vegetarian choices were not available at the buffet.

On Day 1, we found it difficult to understand which dishes were suitable for us. By Day 3, however, we had become more comfortable choosing our food.

I relied heavily on fresh fruits, especially dragon fruit, which was abundantly available during our stay and was fresh and delicious. Other members of our group enjoyed bread and omelets.

Travel tip: If you are a strict vegetarian, it is useful to clearly explain your dietary requirements and use a translation app when necessary.

2. Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cà Phê Sữa Đá) Culture

One of the most interesting cultural experiences of our morning was seeing how Vietnamese people enjoy their coffee.

Vietnamese coffee is known for its strong flavor. A small serving of strong coffee is commonly combined with condensed milk and served over plenty of ice. The result is Cà Phê Sữa Đá, a popular Vietnamese iced coffee.

Coming from India, where some people are cautious about drinking very cold beverages, we were initially a little skeptical about having so much ice.

However, during our stay, we personally enjoyed iced drinks without experiencing any throat problems. Of course, ice and drinking-water quality can vary from one place to another, so we preferred to have drinks from places we trusted.

We also made our own iced coffee using condensed milk and milk, and it was a perfect refreshing drink for the humid weather.

3. Taking a Grab to An Dong Market

After breakfast, we set out for the main objective of our day: market research.

We booked a ride using the Grab App to An Dong Market, which was roughly 5–6 kilometers from Whitelion Hotel.

The ride cost us around 54,000 VND, which we found quite affordable and convenient.

If you are planning your own Vietnam trip from India, you can also read my detailed guide on Vietnam Trip Cost from India 2026.

4. Exploring An Dong Market: Accessories, Clothes & Calculator Bargaining

An Dong Market is a large indoor market with multiple levels and numerous stalls selling clothing, accessories, and other fashion-related products.

Ground Floor – Jewelry & Accessories

At the entrance, we found shops selling jewelry, hair clips, and fashion accessories.

Most items did not have visible price tags. When we asked about prices, some of the products seemed expensive compared with the prices we were familiar with in Indian markets.

Upper Floors – Wholesale Apparel

The upper levels had many clothing stalls, with a wide variety of garments available.

We were genuinely impressed by the fabric quality and finishing of many of the clothes we saw.

Before visiting Vietnam, I had read about different wholesale clothing markets and sourcing options. However, seeing the actual prices and products personally was a completely different experience.

You can also read my earlier guide about Top 5 Wholesale Clothing Markets in Vietnam to understand the market options I had researched before our trip.

The Communication Barrier & Calculator Bargaining

Communication was one of the biggest challenges.

Many shopkeepers we met spoke very little English. When we asked, "How much?", sellers often entered the price on a calculator and showed it to us.

We tried negotiating by entering a lower amount on the calculator, but many sellers simply shook their heads.

We then used Google Translate to ask whether there was any discount. The sellers explained that these were wholesale prices and that they generally did not offer additional discounts.

After comparing the prices with our expected costs in India, we felt that the price advantage was not significant enough for us.

We had a coffee at the market and decided not to purchase anything from An Dong Market.

5. Heading to Tan Binh Market: A Busy Wholesale Hub

Hoping to find better prices, we took another Grab ride to Tan Binh Market, located approximately 6–7 kilometers from An Dong Market.

Unlike An Dong Plaza, Tan Binh Market is a busy ground-level market with narrow lanes and dense rows of small stalls.

A Striking Observation: Women-Led Businesses

One thing that immediately caught our attention was the large number of women managing the stalls.

During our visit, we noticed that women appeared to make up a large majority of the shopkeepers and sellers we interacted with.

It was interesting to see women actively managing businesses, dealing with customers, negotiating prices, and handling day-to-day market operations.

This was our personal observation during our visit rather than an official survey.

6. Testing the Waters: Ray-Ban-Style Replica Sunglasses

Near the entrance of Tan Binh Market, we stopped at an eyewear stall.

We noticed sunglasses that appeared to be Ray-Ban-style replicas and asked about the price.

The seller quoted 200,000 VND (2 lakh Vietnamese Dong).

We tried asking for a lower price, but the seller maintained that it was her fixed wholesale price.

Considering the price too high for a replica product, we decided not to purchase them and continued

exploring the market. exploring the market.

7. The Big Clothing Store Experience: Minimum Orders, Pricing & Reality Check

As we moved deeper into Tan Binh Market, we came across a large and well-organized men's clothing store.

Using Google Translate, we explained to the lady managing the shop that we were interested in purchasing around 100–200 pieces of pre-winter men's apparel for our store in India.

Product Quality

The quality of the clothing impressed us.

The fabric, stitching, and overall finishing looked very good to us, and the garments appeared suitable for the kind of quality we were looking for.

The 3-Piece Rule

The seller explained that each design had to be purchased in sets of three specific sizes.

For example, a design might need to be purchased as:

M, L, XL
XL, XXL, XXXL

We were comfortable with this requirement because we were looking to purchase in quantity.

The Pricing

The seller quoted approximately 280,000 VND per piece.

Based on the exchange rate we were using at the time, this worked out to roughly ₹1,050 per piece.

We then started calculating what the approximate landed cost could be after bringing the goods to India.

Our rough calculation was:

Product cost: Approximately ₹1,050 per piece.
Applicable taxes: Additional taxes/GST could apply depending on the product classification and import arrangements.
Freight, customs duty and clearance: We estimated that these additional costs could add roughly ₹500–₹600 per piece based on our understanding at the time.

This gave us a rough estimated landed cost of around ₹1,600–₹1,700 per piece.

If you are considering importing clothing yourself, you can also read my detailed guide on How to Import Clothes from Vietnam to India and my guide on How to Ship Clothes from Vietnam to India.

Import costs can vary significantly depending on the product's classification, shipment method, quantity, customs valuation, freight charges, and other factors. Therefore, this was our own rough calculation for our proposed purchase, not a fixed import-cost formula.

8. Why We Decided Not to Purchase

After doing the numbers, we realized that the purchase did not make commercial sense for us at that quantity and price.

If our final landed cost came to around ₹1,600–₹1,700 per garment, selling the products at a price that was both competitive in our local market and profitable for us would be difficult.

Another important factor was that the sellers were not willing to negotiate significantly on their quoted wholesale prices.

So, after all the calculations, we decided not to place the order.

Although we had traveled to Vietnam with a planned budget of approximately ₹3–₹4 lakh for inventory, we ultimately returned from these markets without purchasing clothing.

Initially, this was disappointing.

But looking back, it became one of the most valuable business lessons of our Vietnam trip.

9. What About Shipping the Clothes to India?

One of the biggest questions we had to consider was not only the purchase price but also what would happen after buying the goods.

Once clothing is purchased in Vietnam, the buyer also needs to think about transportation, freight, customs-related costs, clearance and other expenses before the goods reach India.

My detailed Vietnam-to-India clothing shipping guide explains the shipping side in more detail.

This is why I believe it is important to study both sides before placing an order: the wholesale market price and the final landed cost in India.

Final Thoughts & Key Business Lesson

Our biggest lesson from Day 3 was simple:

Never make an emotional buying decision without calculating the complete landed cost.

The price you see at a wholesale market is only the starting point.

For an Indian buyer, the overall calculation may also involve:

Product cost
Freight
Customs-related charges
Applicable import duties
Applicable taxes
Clearance and handling charges
Transportation after arrival in India

A product that looks affordable in another country may not necessarily remain profitable after all these costs are considered.

For us, the right business decision was not to buy simply because we had traveled all the way to Vietnam. Instead, we compared the numbers and walked away when the margins did not work.

That was an important lesson in business.

Quick Advice for Indian Travelers & Boutique Owners

1. Vegetarian Food

If you are a strict vegetarian, communicate your dietary requirements clearly. Fresh fruits and simple vegetarian-friendly items can be useful options when suitable meals are difficult to find.

2. Translation Tools

Keep Google Translate on your phone. It can be extremely useful when communicating with local shopkeepers, especially in wholesale markets.

3. Transport

We found Grab convenient for traveling around Ho Chi Minh City and getting to different markets.

4. Wholesale Sourcing Reality

Vietnam offers excellent clothing quality, but the best price is not guaranteed for every buyer or every quantity.

For our planned quantity and the prices offered to us, the numbers did not provide enough advantage over sourcing from India.

Our experience taught us that factory-direct sourcing, larger quantities, product selection, freight, taxes, and import costs can all significantly affect the final selling price.

Therefore, anyone planning to source products from Vietnam should first calculate the complete landed cost before placing a large order.

Our Day 3 ended without a purchase—but with a much better understanding of how international sourcing really works.

Vietnam Visa Guidance & Direct Assistance

If you are planning a Vietnam trip but need help understanding the visa process, you can contact me directly for guidance and assistance.

Please note: I provide guidance based on my own travel experience and information available to travelers. Visa applications and approvals are subject to the official Vietnamese authorities and their current requirements.

🌐 Website: dremza.online
📱 WhatsApp Support: +91 7009333152
📧 Email: rimpy1985a@gmail.com
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For detailed information, you can also read my Vietnam E-Visa Guide for Indian Travelers.

Plan Your Vietnam Trip

If you are planning your own Vietnam trip from India, these guides may also help:

For our hotel booking, I also used my Agoda hotel booking link.

This was our real Day 3 experience in Ho Chi Minh City. The market visit did not result in a purchase, but it gave us something equally valuable: real-world knowledge about sourcing, pricing and the importance of calculating landed costs before investing money.

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