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ambernz · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 27 Location: HCMC but soon NZ

What kind of things to you need to bring from home, and what can you buy in HCMC?

I've heard that you can't get tampons, is this so?

Please help as I leave in less than two weeks and am going to be in Vietnam for at least a year.

Thanks

countdown · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 70

There's nothing that you can't buy in HCMC - they have everything and more particularly in District 1 (the business and tourist area).

sigmoid · Joined: 21 Jan 2003 Posts: 1276

Yes, the second C in HCMC stands for 'city'. It's the financial capital of Vietnam and so most everything you need is available. Don't know about tampons, they are a supposedly rare/non-existent item in Asia, but I am pretty sure they have Kotex pads here.

Anyway, if you have a question about a specific item, please let us know. Wink

ambernz · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 27 Location: HCMC but soon NZ

Thanks for the information Liz, that is what I thought and what i'd been told by my friend who lived in Hanoi a couple of years ago. I'll stock up on moisturiser, cleanser and liquid makeup! Oh and tampons! Does anyone know if its a cultural thing, plumbing thing, haven't worked out that they can rip women off badly thing?

I worked out what 'C' stands for but that doesn't always mean you can get everything. There is also the expense to think of, especially when things like moisturiser are super cheap here in NZ.

Thanks for the advice all! Very Happy

countdown · Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 70

I wouldn't bother stocking up as they have most big brand names here (Nivea, Dove etc.) and the women flock to buy this type of thing. They want perfect white skin.................

ambernz · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 27 Location: HCMC but soon NZ

Thanks for the advice.

hanisay · Joined: 23 Feb 2003 Posts: 31 Location: HCMC

yes, they sell tampons. You can get expensive platex ones or they sell cheaper o.b. german ones called helens tiny tampons Very Happy

They have lots of moisturizer and cosmetics too, but not a huge selection. The ones at the markets and stores are cheap dove and ponds ones and at diamond plaza they have very upscale cosmetics like shiseido and occitane and the like.

ambernz · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 27 Location: HCMC but soon NZ

Cool! I was worried that the tampon thing might have been a big no no! Pads just bring back bad memories of the school health nurse and her surfboards! Laughing

hanisay · Joined: 23 Feb 2003 Posts: 31 Location: HCMC

Yeah... I think Asian girls aren't into the tampon thing because they think they're dirty and not pure if they use them, but glad they sell some Very Happy

Alexandria · Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2004 4:49 am Post subject:

If Danang has tampons (at the big store called the "supermarket"; it's a British brand), then surely they must be available in Hanoi and HCMC. But I doubt you can find them anywhere else in Vietnam.

I brought a year's supply, though, as I doubted I'd find any.

FYI, Asian women don't use them because they think that they're unhealthy and unnatural (they're also a very new item, so girls' big sisters and mothers haven't ever used them).

Unmarried women would never dare to use them less they not be deemed virgins on their wedding night.