Vietnam?

[idris]

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to be exact. Anyone have any experience in Vietnam? Any positive or negative experiences?

Thank you!

[lin]

I've been to HCMC twice and to Hanoi twice as well. Not sure what kind of info you are looking for, but I can say that I really enjoyed every visit to Vietnam! HCMC has some great restaurants (look for one called Lemon Grass - I think.) The War museum is very good but rather depressing; I wouldn't recommend it if you are very sensitive as there are some pretty graphic photographs on display. Make sure to look both ways before crossing the street - in Hanoi especially there are motorbikes EVERYWHERE and they come at you CONSTANTLY. Crossing the street definitely becomes an extreme sport!

[allibally]

azure has lived in Vietnam. I know she loved her time there and would be happy to share. You might have to wait till after the weekend since it's slow here on weekends.

[idris]

Thanks! I may have an interview with a school in Vietnam. I applied to Hanoi and the photos I saw of there were absolutely amazing.
I guess my questions are:
How is the cost of living?
Would it be an acceptable place to take my children?
How hard is it not knowing the language?

Thanks again!!

[fernane]

I'm in Da Nang and love it! What kind of school are you interviewing with? I have been to HCMC on several occasions and can answer any questions you might have.
HCMC is like most any huge city..it's extremely busy, traffic is horrendous, etc. but there is plenty to do and see, some nice parks, lots of diversity and choices of restaurants, shopping, etc. Western imports are a lot easier to come by there than in Da Nang. There is also a lot more choice when it comes to medical practices.
We have been here almost a year and came not knowing a lick of VNese, and it is difficult at first, not being able to communicate efficiently and not knowing any of the foods, etc., but it does become easier and easier and you pick up useful words and phrases pretty quick. The language is rarely a large hindrance for us anymore. Also, more people will know English in HCMC than they do where we live.
There are lots of stories of theft coming out of HCMC..people who get bags snatched as they drive on motorbike or just walking around. But if you are always conscious of where your purse is and keeping it close/in front, it shouldn't be an issue.
It's also a plus that when you need to relax and get away, Da Nang and similar cities are only a $50 flight away. We have beautiful beaches here and it's much more laid back which is why we chose Da Nang..I've never been a big city person although I love visiting.
How old is your child? I wouldn't think twice bringing a kid over, especially with all the modern conveniences of HCMC.

[azure]

Hi! I lived there for 7 years, I love HCMC and would move back in a second. Cost of living is pretty low compared to North America or Europe, but the prices are rising. We had a huge villa with a large garden for 750 USD/month, I don't think that would be possible anymore from what my friends have been telling me. Eating out is still really reasonable and you have any kind of food you want in Saigon.
It's a great place for kids and there is a huge selection of international pre-schools and schools, you can hire a full time nanny and maid for peanuts.
It easy enough to get around in Saigon without knowing Vietnamese, but I would suggest trying to learn if you are living there, it makes life a lot easier when dealing with crooked taxi drivers or calling the cable company also for travelling in the countryside where English isn't widely spoken.

Some downsides: the pollution (this is one of the main reasons we left), the traffic is horrible, theft (motorbike snatchings as pp mentioned).

I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have.

[idris]

My children are 10, 6, and 4. It's one of the Cambridge affiliated schools. I haven't really found too much about them. I need to look a little closer and see if I can find anything. There's really nothing about them on the internationalschoolsreview.com page. What I've read about other schools in the area has been very positive, so that is encouraging.
I am not sure about too many questions right now. I probably will have plenty once I know more about what is going on.
Thank you so much! =]