Books have come to play a significant role in all our lives. Everywhere in the world, there’s a huge demand for books as people have come to love countless genres, look up to popular authors and just simply, grow fonder of reading. Vietnam is packed with people of different backgrounds, people who speak different languages, and people who are not Vietnamese. This means that to accommodate such diversity, bookstores need to have a larger and more varied selection of books. Here are some of the best offline bookstores in Ho Chi Minh City and online bookstores based in Vietnam to buy English and other foreign books:
Offline
Boa Bookstore
Boa Bookstore was the product of two book lovers who wanted to open an independent bookstore that prioritized selling English books and a few selection of French books. Secluded within an apartment complex, this charming bookstore is a hidden gem for bookworms in Ho Chi Minh City. They have a wide array of English books with different genres such as young adult, romance, fantasy, and more. There is a 50/50 combination of brand new and secondhand books. Because Boa Bookstore is fairly small and has not gained a lot of popularity yet, they are not required to stock the most popular books. Instead, the owners tend to import books that are distinct to their preferences which lead to a number of rare editions and collectibles that are sold in their store.
Location: Room C26, 2nd Floor, 6 Cong Truong Quoc Te (Turtle Lake), District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
Book Nest
Book Nest was opened by a reporter who wanted to create a community for story lovers in a space that only sold a careful selection of books. This bookstore is filled with the aroma of books, the rustic pages of old novels, and quaint designs such as antique wooden shelves. Customers can immerse themselves and read in the warm atmosphere of the bookstore whilst listening to soft tunes venting from a cassette player. Book Nest’s little features all add up to create a sense of nostalgia for the past. Often, they host unique exhibitions such as poetry drafts and workshops that teach different skills like bookbinding techniques for example. A special quality that Book Nest boasts is a “Lost & Found” section, in which people can write notes describing books or other items that they’ve lost and put it in a chest. Book Nest will then try to find those lost items and put them in the chest for their longing customers who are sentimental for a thing of the past. Every now and then, guests will also be on the receiving end of free Vietnamese delicacies given out in the bookstore.
Location: Street No.11 (Mieu Noi), District Phu Nhuan, Ho Chi Minh City.
Fahasa
Fahasa opened in 1976 and is still one of the largest bookstore chains in Vietnam. Not only is there an abundance of Vietnamese books, Fahasa offers a selection of foreign books including English, French, Japanese and more. Aside from novels, Fahasa also sells a large selection of academic material for learning English or for practicing tests. This bookstore is stocked with books, stationery and trivial products such as toys. It’s an ideal bookstore to spend a lot of time in since there is a profusion of space to sit and read. There are over 20 Fahasa locations in Ho Chi Minh City alone, so we’ve narrowed it down to a few of the best places to get English books.
Locations (best locations that sell English books): 60-62 Le Loi, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City | 40 Nguyen Hue, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City | 387-389 Hai Ba Trung, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.
PNC (Phuong Nam Corp)
Phuong Nam Bookstore is a prominent establishment known for selling a variety of books. Being one of the bookstores in Ho Chi Minh City that sells English books, Phuong Nam imports books of numerous genres: science fiction, horror, health, travel, children’s, cookbooks, business, and plenty others. They take into account the most sought-after books and most popular authors to ensure that the selection available in their stores is varied and accommodating. In some locations, Phuong Nam bookstore has expanded to have a cafe in order to add to the experience of book lovers.
There are over 30 Phuong Nam bookstores in Ho Chi Minh City, all of which are designed with a modern perspective, and work to satisfy customers’ needs. These are the few Phuong Nam bookstores with the best selections of English books.
Locations (best locations that sell English books): 2A Le Duan, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City | 2nd Floor, Parkson Center, 35-45 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City | 4th Floor, Saigon Center, 65 Le Loi, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Nam Phong Library (Librairie Nam Phong)
Nam Phong Library was founded in December 2002, with aims to preserve the Franco-Vietnamese cultural tradition that lingers in history-packed Ho Chi Minh City. It’s perhaps the best bookstore to buy French books of all genres ranging from science fiction novels to comics. Nam Phong Library has over 7,500 French books to choose from, both new and used.
Customers have reviewed this bijou bookstore as a place with a warm and pleasant atmosphere. Not only is it a spot to enjoy reading, it’s an opportunity to find a multitude of different books and meet fellow expats who speak a language other than Vietnamese in the center of Ho Chi Minh City.
Location: 82 Truong Dinh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Online
Vinabook
Vinabook is one of the most popular online bookstores in Vietnam. They have a strong desire to promote the importance of reading in Vietnam. Vinabook has over 60,000 books for sale and their list is constantly updated every day. There is a large variety of foreign language books for customers of all ages to choose from. To satisfy all readers, they stock up on many genres such as romance, mystery, historical, and more. Vinabook also has free shipping worldwide.
Tiki
Tiki is an online platform based in Vietnam that sells a variety of products. They have a section dedicated to English books where readers can look for best sellers and new arrivals. There are multiple book genres to browse: business and economics, education, and even children’s books. Tiki has free shipping and a 30-day return policy where customers can register to return a product, confirm their choice through email or text message, and send the product back with no extra cost. All of Tiki’s products are guaranteed to be 100% genuine.
Fahasa
Aside from having a range of bookstores to browse in, Fahasa is also a great option to buy books online. They sell a number of English training books, popular new arrivals, children’s books, as well as Japanese books. They emphasize the importance of product quality and make sure that things are sold at the highest possible standards out of their respect for their customers’ needs. Fahasa also has “Deals of the Day” where books are sold with discounts.