The Top 5 Things That I Will Miss Most About Living in Vietnam


Top 5 Things About Living in Vietnam

Living in Vietnam is awesome.

Everyone knows about the amazing travel opportunities. From deltas, to mountains, to bustling cities – lined with a 3,260 km coastline!

And of course there’s the incredible food with its fresh ingredients, and its blending of tastes and textures.

But what I’m going to miss most about Vietnam isn’t the pho. I actually got a little tired of it after the first 4 months.

The best things about living in Vietnam are the little things that I started doing regularly. Things that I couldn’t do in North America, but I really enjoyed doing here.

Top 5 Best Things About Living in Vietnam

Number 5!

Fresh Fruit

I love being able to buy fresh, in-season fruit for insanely cheap prices. When mangoes are in season, I can get one for 13 cents. I make fresh fruit smoothies almost daily, and there are a ton of Vietnamese tropical fruits that you’ve probably never heard of, but are delicious.
Fruit stand in Can Tho, Vietnam

Number 4!

Cheap shaves

Honestly, I haven’t shaved myself since moving to Vietnam. Not once. Why would I when I can get someone else to do it for me for only 45 cents? It’s relaxing, social, and turns my face into the ultimate kissing surface. Because they do such a great job, I only need a shave about every 5 days.

Number 3!

Inexpensive nights out

Whether you just want to have a nice dinner, or you want to drink until you make bad decisions, you likely won’t break the bank… unless your bad decisions lead you to trying to rob a bank. A really great night out might involve: dinner with beers, a visit to the bar with beers, shooting some pool with beers, a serious lack of judgment that leads to a karaoke session… with beers!

A bottle of Saigon Green Beer at a bar in Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon Green, a very popular beer in Vietnam

Number 2!

Coffee shops

Of course, you can go to a coffee shop almost anywhere in the world, but I’m afraid the experience won’t quite be the same as the one I have in Vietnam. Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk is an amazing treat.

I say ‘treat’ because the amount of calories in one makes it something that you probably shouldn’t have everyday, but you can also get coffee without the condensed milk, or find a place that serves espresso.

Cafes are great if you are looking to do work, if you want to socialize with locals, or if you just want to escape in a relaxing atmosphere away from the noises of Vietnam.

My favorite way to kill a few hours is to go to a cafe, get a cup of coffee, and play Chinese chess (xiangqi). Be warned, if you’re playing against a Vietnamese person who’s hanging out in a cafe, chances are you are going to lose badly.

Fact: You will not beat these guys at Chinese chess.
An intense game of Chinese chess.

Number 1!

Crazy shit!

The best thing about Vietnam is the day-to-day craziness. For example, there was that time the truck fell through the sidewalk, there’s all the weird things people eat, there’s this guy playing tennis with a stool, there’s the animal cruelty… I probably won’t miss that too much. Uh… one time the power lines were on fire and a guy tried putting it out by throwing a bowl of water into the air, only to have it splash back-down onto himself. That was pretty funny.

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