must haves!

I am not a woman, but I can assure you that tampons are readily available in Vietnam.  Did you think that Vietnamese women are using old rags stuffed in their underwear?    Most all multinational consumer product companies are active in Vietnam.  I expect that if you put together a full list of what you consider indispensable, you will probably find that it is a list of things not hard to find in Vietnam.  Except maybe for cheese.   

I have family in Turkey and Tampax isn't available. As a woman you can imagine it's something pretty important to me! I don't think it's unreasonable to ask.
Thanks for the reply.

sadezz wrote:

Hello, We move to HCMC next week from the UK and was wondering if theres any must haves we need to pack that we cant get in Vietnam such as tampons... any advice appreciated!
thank you

You can use Google Search - Where to buy Tampons or Tampax in Vietnam.... ha ha ha

Serious tho... You can find anything in Vietnam... No worry.... As long as you are willing to pay for it....

.
    "Serious tho... You can find anything in Vietnam... No worry.... As long as you are willing to pay for it...."

        Agreed.    But after a while, you can suss out the cheaper prices,
                   (just like the locals do...)   

        Sure, there will (always?) be the odd few who will treat you as a
  walking ATM, but once you settle in (most) Viet people will treat you
  as a friend and tell you where to go to get (all) that you need.

      I find a sincere smile works best for me...       
.

Bazza139 wrote:

.
    "Serious tho... You can find anything in Vietnam... No worry.... As long as you are willing to pay for it...."

        Agreed.    But after a while, you can suss out the cheaper prices,
                   (just like the locals do...)   

        Sure, there will (always?) be the odd few who will treat you as a
  walking ATM, but once you settle in (most) Viet people will treat you
  as a friend and tell you where to go to get (all) that you need.

      I find a sincere smile works best for me...       
.

Yes Sir.... I agreed....

sadezz wrote:

I have family in Turkey and Tampax isn't available.

Is it possible that in Turkey there is a religious aspect to the lack of availability?

sadezz wrote:

Hello, We move to HCMC next week from the UK and was wondering if theres any must haves we need to pack that we cant get in Vietnam such as tampons... any advice appreciated!
thank you

Leaving aside the already discussed issue of tampons, you've picked the best location (IMHO) for shopping in Vietnam.

I searched in Hanoi and Danang for certain U.S branded personal care items. No success there.

Then I walked into the world famous Bến Thành Market, and in five minutes I found the electric toothbrush heads, men's deodorant and shaving gel I'd been seeking elsewhere for the previous 8 months.

(NOTE: There are a lot of bad reasons not to go into the Bến Thành Market, so please proceed with caution and a willingness to haggle, with unmarked prices sometimes 400% higher than charged a few blocks away from that tourist trap.)

You will be able to find most personal care items in a Lottemart, MM MegaMarket, Big C or Co-Op Store, though some items may only be available as Vietnamese or Asian brands.

Also, a few standard items (such as feminine hygiene products) are carried in the convenience store chains Circle K and Vinmart.

Get a Vinmart card and have it scanned every time you shop to get money credits that build up surprisingly quickly.

Same at Lottemart.

Eventually you will identify local personal care product stores (usually nearby a neighborhood market) where you can get Vietnamese brand name items for about half of what you pay in the four big chain stores I mentioned.

For pharmacy items, there is a chain in HCMC called Pharmacity. Quality Vietnamese generic brands are readily available there. You can definitely trust the brand name STADA.

U.S. import items may require more searching around the city, as those items are usually brought into the country by the tourist supply chain: Vietnamese citizens returning from trips abroad.

Good news: delivery of almost anything legal is easily available in Vietnam. One of the best sources of western products here is a website similar to Ebay called Lazada

Enjoy your time in Việt Nam! 😎

sadezz wrote:

Hello, We move to HCMC next week from the UK and was wondering if theres any must haves we need to pack that we cant get in Vietnam such as tampons... any advice appreciated!
thank you

There are substitutes for almost everything, but to ease your transition and culture shock, yeah there is stuff you can bring. Pack a couple months of personal care products to give you time to find those substitutes. Makeup? Deodorant? You won't find many international brands here, unlike Bangkok.

If you are larger than Vietnamese people, you should bring some extra clothes and shoes. [Sometimes shops have just one size in women's clothes, probably fits 75%! My wife likes the chain store NinoMaxx, they had t-shirts in medium [US size 4 or 6?], small, and extra small. ]
You won't need to carry warm clothes or boots if staying in the south.

Bring a bacitracin antibiotic like Neosporin. (I bring lots back from the states, my wife gives them away, even to nurses.)
Big 500 count bottles of acetaminophen and ibuprofin, these are sold by the individual pill!
Prescription meds mostly available, but as generics, and cheap.
I don't like the band-aids here.
Strong flip flops, like Reef.
Breathable light weight raincoat like Marmot Precip.

gobot wrote:

sadezz wrote:

Hello, We move to HCMC next week from the UK and was wondering if theres any must haves we need to pack that we cant get in Vietnam such as tampons... any advice appreciated!
thank you

There are substitutes for almost everything, but to ease your transition and culture shock, yeah there is stuff you can bring. Pack a couple months of personal care products to give you time to find those substitutes. Makeup? Deodorant? You won't find many international brands here, unlike Bangkok.

If you are larger than Vietnamese people, you should bring some extra clothes and shoes. [Sometimes shops have just one size in women's clothes, probably fits 75%! My wife likes the chain store NinoMaxx, they had t-shirts in medium [US size 4 or 6?], small, and extra small. ]
You won't need to carry warm clothes or boots if staying in the south.

Bring a bacitracin antibiotic like Neosporin. (I bring lots back from the states, my wife gives them away, even to nurses.)
Big 500 count bottles of acetaminophen and ibuprofin, these are sold by the individual pill!
Prescription meds mostly available, but as generics, and cheap.
I don't like the band-aids here.
Strong flip flops, like Reef.
Breathable light weight raincoat like Marmot Precip.

Good points.

Alieve/Naproxen is especially hard to find here, so bringing a Walmart sized jug (or two) will make you some arthritic's best friend.

Agree with Gobot on band aids and Neosporin.  Bring them in bulk.  Also agree with Gobot on good flip flops.

Bring your own skincare and haircare.  There's a fair number of substitutions here but they're mostly products from major brands.  I don't use major brand products, I don't buy anything with the dirty dozen in the ingredient lists, and I do not have any desire to lighten my skin.  Just from those 3 "NOs" alone, there's almost nothing in Vietnam which I'm willing to put on my hair and skin. 

There are some "natural" skincare here but the law doesn't require the makers to list all ingredients, sources, and percentage so I don't touch them. 

Bring vitamins, and as Gobot said, OTC meds, in bulk.

Ziplocs for freezers and heavy-duty tin foil are mediocre here.  I rely on both so they're important to me, but you may not care too much.

Bring your shopping bags if you have them at hand already.  Plastic carriers cost extra since the beginning of this month.

I couldn't find TRULY absorbent tea towels in spite of all the claims and recommendations, so I bought them in bulk from IKEA in my last trip, the kind with loops that costs £2.50 for a pkg of 4 (a bit more in the States, but that's the price on IKEA UK).  As paper towels/kitchen rolls are rubbish here, I use at least 2 tea towels each day so a few packages are needed in my kitchen at all times.

Speaking of loops, bring the strongest magnetic refrigerator hooks you can find.

Bring a few night lights.

Ciambella wrote:

Agree with Gobot on band aids and Neosporin.  Bring them in bulk.  Also agree with Gobot on good flip flops.

Bring your own skincare and haircare.  There's a fair number of substitutions here but they're mostly products from major brands.  I don't use major brand products, I don't buy anything with the dirty dozen in the ingredient lists, and I do not have any desire to lighten my skin.  Just from those 3 "NOs" alone, there's almost nothing in Vietnam which I'm willing to put on my hair and skin. 

There are some "natural" skincare here but the law doesn't require the makers to list all ingredients, sources, and percentage so I don't touch them. 

Bring vitamins, and as Gobot said, OTC meds, in bulk.

Ziplocs for freezers and heavy-duty tin foil are mediocre here.  I rely on both so they're important to me, but you may not care too much.

Bring your shopping bags if you have them at hand already.  Plastic carriers cost extra since the beginning of this month.

I couldn't find TRULY absorbent tea towels in spite of all the claims and recommendations, so I bought them in bulk from IKEA in my last trip, the kind with loops that costs £2.50 for a pkg of 4 (a bit more in the States, but that's the price on IKEA UK).  As paper towels/kitchen rolls are rubbish here, I use at least 2 tea towels each day so a few packages are needed in my kitchen at all times.

Speaking of loops, bring the strongest magnetic refrigerator hooks you can find.

Bring a few night lights.

You forgot to mention the extra luggage charges you pay in order to bring all those extras every trip... 😁

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

You forgot to mention the extra luggage charges you pay in order to bring all those extras every trip... 😁

No extra luggage charge.  We moved here with everything packed within the allowance.  For each trip to the States, we flew out without taking luggage (just 7kg of carry on on husband's shoulder, and nothing on mine), then returned with 100 kg of checked bags between the two of us, still within the allowance.  We used Home Depot heavy duty boxes instead of suitcases the last time.  Boxes were much lighter and easier to pack.

We'll be able to bring more next trip with Eva Air -- 120 kg instead of 100 kg.  That's 264 lbs of things I don't want to live without. 

Ciambella wrote:

Bring a few night lights.

Americans better pass on the night lights because of voltage.  As the OP is from England, her night lights should work but still might need plug adapters.

THIGV wrote:

Americans better pass on the night lights because of voltage.  As the OP is from England, her night lights should work but still might need plug adapters.

Good reminder. 

For decades, I've bought night lights from every country we've visited; a great majority of them including VN are 220-240V with type C plug (round 2 pins).  so it has been working out well.

I don't have a clue where to buy them but when I first arrived in Vietnam to be married, my wife-to-be had nightlights in the hallways of our rented house.  They were the flat type without bulbs, maybe LED.  They must be available.

When in Saigon, I live in district 7, the Lotte mart there carries most of the stuff your talking about above. Tea towels are hard to find but check out the local laundry, they some times have clothe left behind which can be recycled as tea towels, just stitch a hem around the edges. Also Cho lon has a lot of fabric sellers to tryAli foil is an easy 1, just double layer it, skin care_ coconut oil. Only worry about script medication and cold remedies, the stuff here is rubbish

OP :  paracetamol 1g

Ciambella wrote:

We'll be able to bring more next trip with Eva Air -- 120 kg instead of 100 kg.  That's 264 lbs of things I don't want to live without.

Ha, I always seem to fly Evergreen 777s to SFO now, usually best price or close enough.
Good all around though Taiwan Taoyuan is boring and they closed half the restaurants when I was there in March.

Jeez I'm always going off topic...

.
         "Jeez I'm always going off topic..."    ..but, don't panic...

   Relax, it gives us food for thought; wondering about your wandering...

     ..then again, maybe we are just jealous..?       
.

Gobot:  Continuing on the off-topic path (my motto: never let a good thing go to waste), I looked up Evergreen because I've never heard of it: it's dead a long time ago! 

Are you using it as a nickname for EVA because of its green logo?

Ciambella wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

You forgot to mention the extra luggage charges you pay in order to bring all those extras every trip... 😁

No extra luggage charge.  We moved here with everything packed within the allowance.

On the initial move, yes.

But you later posted about bringing an extra 50 lbs on a different flight for $118+ USD:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 97#4514978

Since it's a well-known fact that no one packs as efficiently as you ( 😁😁😁 ) we can probably expect the OP to go over the baggage limit if all advice here is followed...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

But you later posted about bringing an extra 50 lbs on a different flight for $118+ USD:

Since it's a well-known fact that no one packs as efficiently as you ( 😁😁😁 ) we can probably expect the OP to go over the baggage limit if all advice here is followed...

Oh yeah, we did, did we?  We brought an extra 50 lbs in addition to the free 200 lbs.  I don't remember what was so important that we had to pay for extra luggage and couldn't wait for another trip.   

And no, I'm not a good packer.  Husband is.  I'm a useless appendage when it comes to wrapping, packing and carrying.  I was only the idea and strategy behind every move in our marriage, the actual work belonged to him. 

PS:  Asked husband about the extra luggage.  He was stumped also.  Very strange.

Ciambella wrote:

I was only the idea and strategy behind every move in our marriage, the actual work belonged to him...

Careful.

Slipping into the past tense... 🤣

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Careful.

Slipping into the past tense... 🤣

Moving to VN had to be our last, I promised him that.  But you're right, no one can tell about the future.

Ciambella wrote:

Are you using it as a nickname for EVA because of its green logo?

When you land at Taipei Taoyuan, see all the hangers and trucks say Evergreen.


Strange dual branding, I suppose initials for planes are cool, like ANA, KLM, TWA, KFC.
See the internet oracle of truth.

I once asked a stewardess how you say EVA. She said "Eee-vee-ay".
But in ads, they say "Eva", like a Hollywood name.

Supermarkets such as Big C, Coop.Mart or Emart will have all you need, no worries

Relax, you're not parachuting behind enemy lines, it's not Cuba,  they do have what u need, you will adapt and things will be ok, you will survive.
Bringing suitcases full of supplies???????????????????????
To each their own! And remember, what you must have will eventually run out, and you will make do.

Well, I know exactly what to bring that I won't be able to find everywhere in Vietnam, like 4-blades or 5-blades razor cartridges and good aftershave. The thing I will miss the most is my 100% natural peanut butter (thank you Costco), yeah I'm sure it can be found in Saigon or Hanoi but it will be much pricier and I'm not convinced about quality.

.
   "..but it will be much pricier and I'm not convinced about quality"

    Wot Cabbage!   ..but as a FNG,  (Foolish New Guy)...

   ..we worry about you Willy.   Go Ogle can help you     

   Peanut Butter (+ Vegemite) are cheaper in Ha Noi...     

     ..and  (Yawn) yes, yer raspy razers sell well in packs of 10...     

      You'll see much better wiffout the blinkers...      
.

I find 100% peanut butter with no sugar made in VN for cheap at Big C. And, (5 blades) cartridges can easily be found on Lazada. Hope that helps

What? Good natural peanut butter and Gillette Fusion in Vietnam? Thanks guys, I might not fill my luggage with those after all

.

        ..be careful...      They may well be Chinese copies...     

        ..altho..?     I think I'm fairly safe with my Vegemite...       

.

No reason to rent a seacan, or charter a flight, thank god!

Canman63 wrote:

No reason to rent a seacan, or charter a flight, thank god!

.
    Canned Moose..?   ..now there's a thought...

          ..but as a can man, you already have it tradenarked..?     
.

WillyBaldy wrote:

What? Good natural peanut butter and Gillette Fusion in Vietnam? Thanks guys, I might not fill my luggage with those after all

That peanut butter may push you over your luggage limit but you still might want to bring some blades as the weight is insignificant.   Gillette Fusion blades are available but they may be over 200,000 for a pack of two or about double the price in Costco.  As far as I could see, the ones I bought were the real thing.  Made in USA.

Canned moose????? Don't give me any ideas!
And to think of the weight of my suitcases!
Perhaps a seacan would be in order.

THIGV wrote:

WillyBaldy wrote:

What? Good natural peanut butter and Gillette Fusion in Vietnam? Thanks guys, I might not fill my luggage with those after all

That peanut butter may push you over your luggage limit but you still might want to bring some blades as the weight is insignificant.   Gillette Fusion blades are available but they may be over 200,000 for a pack of two or about double the price in Costco.  As far as I could see, the ones I bought were the real thing.  Made in USA.

Good advice to bring a full supply of blades as I hadn't been able to locate them in Hanoi or Danang.

I was happy to find apparently genuine Gillette Fusion 5+1 blades last week from a seller at Bến Thành Market

₫450,000 VNĐ for a pack of 8 (eight) which is comparable (I think) to what I was paying for them in The States.

I'll follow up here after I open the package and use them.

THIGV wrote:

WillyBaldy wrote:

What? Good natural peanut butter and Gillette Fusion in Vietnam? Thanks guys, I might not fill my luggage with those after all

That peanut butter may push you over your luggage limit but you still might want to bring some blades as the weight is insignificant.   Gillette Fusion blades are available but they may be over 200,000 for a pack of two or about double the price in Costco.  As far as I could see, the ones I bought were the real thing.  Made in USA.

Thanks for the info. I'm actually using 4-blades cartridges I buy in Costco (Edge razor) and it's only about USD$1 per cartridge and they work almost as well (at least for me) as Gillette Fusion. They sell them in packs of 17 cartridges for around CAD$25 (USD$17). So I already have a full pack for my 6-7 months stay.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I was happy to find apparently genuine Gillette Fusion 5+1 blades last week from a seller at Bến Thành Market

Where do you live now? You move so much it's hard to follow!