9 Best Places to Go Shopping in Phan Thiet and Mui Ne

Phan Thiet Central Market lets you experience the daily lives of the local population, with huge crowds haggling with vendors for an array of fresh fruits, spices, nuts, meat, dried foodstuff, and household supplies. Phan Thiet and Mui Ne are renowned for fresh and cheap seafood, so expect lots of live shrimps, squids, fishes, snails, clams, and crabs wriggling inside plastic buckets. 

You can also get cheap clothes and accessories in the market, though most vendors carry the same stock. The best time to visit Phan Thiet Central Market is in the morning, where you can enjoy authentic Vietnamese delicacies for breakfast such as banh xeo (crispy pancake), mi quang (turmeric noodles), and guoi cuon (fresh spring rolls).

Ham Tien Market opened in 2012, set within a pale blue building along Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street. As with any local market in Vietnam, there are numerous stalls selling butchered meat and seafood, vegetables, fruits, local condiments, and dried foodstuffs. 

Ham Tien Market is also famed for its banana and sesame candies, coconut cakes, and peanut brittle. Visitors can shop for cheap clothes, handicrafts, and accessories – just make sure you haggle at least 50% lower than the retail price before making your purchase.

Mui Ne Handicraft offers a selection of beautiful handicrafts made by disadvantaged locals. A 5-minute drive from Ham Tien Market, it’s where hearing-impaired children learn to sew and paint while others create handmade clothes, blankets, jewellery, and bags. 

You can also shop for textiles woven in traditional Cham patterns and have a local tailor produce a custom-made outfit at affordable prices. Best of all, profits from the sold goods at Mui Ne Handicraft are given back to the locals who made them.

Long Beach Pearl is one of Vietnam’s most renowned jewellery brands, where you can purchase one-of-a-kind designs at reasonable prices. All of its bracelets, pendants, rings, and earrings are made with authentic pearls from Co To, Quang Ninh, Nha Trang, and Phu Quoc Island. 

Catering to any budget and preference, designs range from affordable freshwater pearls in silver to rare Tahiti pearls and diamonds in black gold designs. Long Beach Pearl also offers jewellery sets made with precious gemstones such as rubies, sapphires, and topaz. Its English-speaking staff are very friendly and informative in how to choose, wear, and care for your pearls.

Mui Ne Market is a small outdoor market by the beach where you can get your hands on lots of tropical fruits and inexpensive clothing. The best time to visit is in the early morning, when you’ll see fishermen bringing in their catch of the day with locals fervently bargaining for the freshest produce. 

The market is also a good place for photography as there’s an impressive display of fish, vegetables and clothes on both sides of Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street. Just make sure you’re courteous and not blocking the crowded pathway.

69 Slam is a prominent beachwear brand that has outlets in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Thailand. Founded in 2004, it offers an array of trendy board shorts, bikinis, flip-flops, sarongs, underwear, and dresses. 

While 69 Slam may not be the cheapest brand (according to Vietnamese standards), the superior quality is well worth the hefty price tag. You can find 69 Slam’s Mui Ne outlet along Nguyen Dinh Chieu, about a 5-minute walk from the Cham Villas luxury boutique resort.

Cathy Boutique specialises in cruelty-free leather goods, featuring an extensive collection of purses, belts and wallets. Great as luxurious gifts for loved ones back home, they are sourced from prominent designers from across Vietnam, featuring timeless designs and guaranteed durability. 

You can find Cathy Boutique on Nguyen Dinh Chieu, about a 10-minute drive from Ham Tien Market in Phan Thiet.

Saga Du Mekong offers ready-to-wear apparel that’s made with all-natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, and bamboo. Fusing modern French designs with Vietnamese patterns, the brand has its own factory for quality control and over 20 stores across Vietnam. 

Along with a wide range of shirts, shorts, shirts, dresses for men, women and children in western sizes, Saga Du Mekong’s outlet store in Phan Thiet also stocks organic beauty products, health supplements, as well as belts, necklaces, and hats.

Jibe’s Shop is a favourite haunt among the local kitesurfing and sailing community as it offers not only imported beachwear but also equipment rental and extensive courses. Set right by the beach, this local surf shop stocks O’Neill, Quicksilver, Roxy and Oxbow while windsurfers, surfboards, kite surfers, and kayaks are available for rent.

As the most popular activity in Mui Ne Beach is kitesurfing, Jibe’s Shop offers 1-hour lessons and quality equipment rental by the hour, half-day, and full day. There’s also a beachside cafe attached to Jibe's Beach Club that serves an array of alcohol together with burgers, pizzas, pasta, steak, seafood and Vietnamese dishes at reasonable prices.