Living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam:
Tips for Moving and Visiting

Make sure you can get a work permit and long term visa. These are much more difficult to obtain now than they have been. That is if you are planning to work and live here, legally. For working, or for retirees with a sufficient nest again, other South East Asian countries such as Thailand or Malaysia seem to be more welcoming at the moment, or easier to navigate, regarding rules, paperwork and regulations, etc..

Ho Chi Minh City or previously known as Saigon is swarming with motorbikes and pop-up sidewalk coffee shops and eateries. The majority of the population does not speak English and the few who do cannot carry a long conversation, just the basics.

Ho Chi Minh City is a very busy city with a lot of motorbikes. If someone moves to this city they should be careful when crossing the road as there appear to be no traffic rules. Riding a motorbike is a lot of fun and much easier to get around, but you have to be very careful.

Ho Chi Minh City is a bustling, sprawling city of 10 million people. The main form of transportation is via motorbike and there are very few places for walking. It is a very noisy city as well and the culture will test a foreigner who is unfamiliar with it. However, most people are very friendly and it is not hard to meet people. It is a great city if you keep an open mind about it.

When the city was captured by the French, Sai Gon transformed from a small town to a megacity and a metropolitan center of the South. Today, this location plays a significant role in the country’s education, culture, scientific and represents the country’s largest center of economics. As businesses keep flourishing, Ho Chi Minh city certainly is a great business-friendly destination that continues to attract more foreign investors’ attention from all around the world.

Ho Chi Minh city is very diverse. Ho Chi Minh City has a lot of places where you can get your dose of entertainment on a good level. Don’t forget to see the AO Show at the Royal Opera House when you’re in Saigon. There are so many clubs and bars in Ho Chi Minh City that it would take you a lifetime to visit them all. You can have a party in style on one of the fashionable rooftops, or you can go to Bui Vien Street for a pint at one of the bars for backpackers. I found Saigon to be much more affordable than Da Nang. You can find cheap apartments and houses to live here and the street food is not only delicious, but also cheap compared to the one we found in Hoi An and Da Nang.

A person who is thinking about relocating to Ho Chi Minh City should know how loud it is as a living environment. Traffic in Vietnam’s most densely populated city is heavy throughout the entire day. Most drivers, whether they are in trucks, cars or motorcycles, beep their horns frequently. This produces a great deal of noise that is difficult to escape and means quiet neighbourhoods are very hard to come by.

Ho Chi Minh is a big city in a small country located in Southeast Asia, Viet Nam. It is the largest urban area in the nation with a total of 795.3 square miles of the surface area. Unlike many other regions, the name of the city itself marked an important historical event for many Vietnamese people. Back when the city was conquered by French, its original name was known as Sai Gon. However, after the government successfully reunified the country following the Vietnam war, they officially renamed the city in honor of the communist leader of the North in 1976.

The city suffers from heavy pollution with a crowded population. This may caused a newcomer to be very surprised and not very happy while waiting for traffic, as traffic lights can last for over two minutes and there are people who like to honk white waiting.

Despite all the chaos, HCMC seems to have a pretty chill lifestyle. On a regular weekday, most people would prefer to enjoy their breakfast outside and start working at 8. Morning coffee is essential to SaiGonese, some people can skip their meal but cannot go to work without a cup of ice coffee. HCMC never sleeps. No matter how tired people are after a long day of work, somehow, they are full of energy to hang out all night with friends and family.

Many visitors would not dare to cross the street for the first time visiting because of the chaos and craziness of the traffic. Overloaded vehicles on the road happen every day, and motorcycles are the primary transportation throughout the country. Unlike the North of Vietnam, HCMC only has two seasons. Whether it’s sunny or rainy, people will experience extremely hot and oppressive weather for 365 days. Many first-time travelers may find it confusing to wander around the city without a map or plan. HCMC is full of endless mystery alleyways behind or between the local streets.

The air quality in HCMC is not so good. You probably cannot see the blue sky above for it is always covered by a cloud of smoke. Secondly, traffic jam is a common practice in megacities in general, especially during rush hour. Above all, foreigners might be taken advantage of. Given that expatriates do not really know the real price of the products, they might be charged higher than their real values.

The food here is amazing. Secondly, we have all kinds of activities from day to night. Last but not least, price is very affordable. people from Ho Chi Minh City are very friendly especially to foreigners, so if you are wondering about something, just ask someone around the corner. Not all Vietnamese speak English, but most of us are.