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Vietnam Articles

After living in Vietnam for 2 years, I’ve experienced it’s long beaches, it’s fresh mountain-tops, and the unforgettable vibe that resonates through you as you traverse the country’s markets and other public spaces. These articles cover my experiences while living and traveling Vietnam. Some of them were written to be funny. Some of them are more informative. Some – I probably just wrote because I was interested in the topic and I was going to do the research anyways.

If you are planning at trip to Vietnam, this website has a ton of information. Be sure to check out my Vietnam Budget Travel Guide – $20/day, and if you are interested in the incredible food – I have a guide that took me 2 years to put together. It has over 75 dishes in it with original photos, information, and a food-dictionary that will help you decipher Vietnamese menus. Food-Lover’s Guide to Vietnamese Food.

Getting a Vietnamese Visa in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The best advice I have about getting your Vietnam visa in Kuala Lumpur is: don’t do it if you don’t have to. Vietnam now permits visas on arrival if you are flying into Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, or Danang via an international flight. You simply find an agent to get you a letter of approval (Google ‘Vietnam visa on arrival’ and you’ll find a bunch of companies to choose from), print out the letter, and bring it (along with the visa fee in USD cash, your passport, a completed copy of the Entry and Exit form, and one passport size photo) to the “Landing Visa” counter when you arrive in Vietnam.
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The Best Travel Insurance for Backpackers

“No Mom. I’m invincible. I don’t need travel insurance.” *Mom smacks me in the head and makes me cry.

For the longest time, I was against travel insurance. I rarely get sick. I don’t have accidents (including the ones that happen in your pants). I’m generally a pretty safe guy. What I didn’t think about was the different lifestyle that I’d be adopting while traveling the world.
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7 Thing you Should Know Before Drinking Beer with a Vietnamese Person

Food in Vietnam will amaze you. Check out my Vietnamese food guide with over 75 dishes.

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

Pounding back beers is a popular activity in Vietnam. Beer consumption in the country is going up every year. In 2013, Vietnam was #1 in Southeast Asia for beer consumption per capita. Considering it is only #8 for per capita income, that’s pretty good (or maybe bad). Heineken predicts that in 2015, Vietnam will be their largest market. There are many restaurants that will plop a case of beer down next to your table, along with a bucket full of ice, and let you drink until you pass out or have to go pick up the kids from school.
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A Rant About Vietnam: Parenting

I’ve lived in Vietnam for just less than 3 months now. I feel as though I’m getting used to the craziness that this country has to offer. I’ve seen a lot since my first afternoon stroll, when I saw a man drunkenly fall while getting up from a beer can covered table and then getting on a scooter and driving away. For the most part, I’ve enjoyed the insanity, even when my survival is being compromised, but I really can’t stand watching a parent risk their child’s life by putting them on a scooter.
Three people on a scooter in Vietnam
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Conquering the Roads of Vietnam: Buying a Motorcycle

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Buying a Motorcycle in Vietnam

Motorbikes, motorcycles, or scooters are a huge part of the the culture in Vietnam. They are great on fuel, they keep the roads from becoming too congested, they’re like mobile aircons. Yes, it is a bit scary at first, but you should really consider buying a motorcycle in Vietnam if you’re moving, or even planning a long trip to the country. I love to walk, but in Vietnam it’s too damn hot and the sidewalks are too cluttered with bikes, stalls, and holes. The public transportation system in cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are not great. They’re limited, often packed, stifling, and not very convenient. Hands down, a motorcycle is the best way to get around. Unless you know you’re going to be in Vietnam for a really long time, I recommend buying a used bike because they motorbike in Vietnamare cheap, easy to repair, and they don’t attract as much attention from the infamous Vietnamese police
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Buying Beef in Vietnam

Beef stall at a Vietnamese market
Beef stall at the market.
I consider myself a bit of a meat connoisseur. I worked in the meat department of a grocery store from the age of 16-21… some of the best years of my life — not really.
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If You’re Not Working in Vietnam, What the Hell are you Doing There?

I’ve met a lot of people since moving to Vietnam – both Vietnamese who want to practice their English, and expats (the word we use for immigrants that are white) – and it’s usually assumed that I’m a teacher. Where do you teach? You teacher? So, you must be the new teacher at such-and-such a school. I’m getting a bit tired of having to tell them that I’m not a teacher, but what’s even more tiresome is trying to explain that I’m not working in Vietnam. At least, not in the traditional sense.
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A Rant About Vietnam: Saving Face

Vietnam has taken me on a roller-coaster ride since I’ve been here. There’s the ups and the downs, but the ups usually take longer — you know, like how a roller-coaster slowly ascends. click. click. click. And then, when it gets to the top and goes over that hump, it’s a quick exhilarating drop that only lasts a second. Well, Vietnam is like that. The ‘ups’ are longer, and the ‘downs’ only last a little while. But I guess the whole exhilaration thing kind of screws up my metaphor. Vietnam is like a box of chocolates… No. What I’m trying to say is, don’t think that I hate living in Vietnam just because I rant about it. I love it here, but I have to get my frustrations out somehow, and if you ask anyone living here if they have frustrations they will tell you, “Yes, yes I freakin do”.
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The Vietnamese Have Been Eating Hipster Since Before Hipster was Hip

Southeast Asian hipster
Southeast Asian Hipster
I’m not a hipsterologist or anything — in fact, I once thought being hipster, scenester, and emo were all the same thing (an hour long rant set me straight). However, I did live in Toronto, Canada for about 8 years, and… Well, if you live at the zoo, you’re going to learn about animal behavior. Most of my hipster behavioral studies courses have taken place at cafes or restaurants, so I think I’ve got a pretty good sense of their eating habits. Since moving to Vietnam and having the chance to study an entirely new race of people, I have found some interesting similarities to the hipster race. I’ve decided to break it all down and see who eats more hipster – the Vietnamese or the hipsters. Lace up your Cons, this shit’s on.
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A Rant About Vietnam: Everything is so Cheap…ly Made.

Vietnam is great. If you get the chance to come here, do it. The people are friendly. The food is amazing. It’s exciting and challenging and rewarding. Sometimes it makes me want to put on a hockey skate and stomp a puppy. To stop myself from doing that, I must vent. That’s why this article exists. Consider one week’s worth of puppies saved (at least from me — I can’t save the ones that will end up on a Vietnamese dinner plate).

Made in Vietnam Clothing Store
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A Rant About Living in Vietnam: The Driving

Of course, I have to preface this article by saying that I love Vietnam. I am enjoying living here and I am excited about what’s to come. Everyday I see something new, and everyday I feel a stronger connection to the country. That being said, it’s sometimes an extremely frustrating place to live. It’s difficult to stay positive when something goes wrong. In Vietnam, when it rains it pours — both literally and metaphorically. So here goes a bit of a rant. Let this be a warning to someone who is considering a move to Vietnam, but mostly let this be a therapeutic exercise for me — cause there’s a history of people losing their shit in ‘nam.

Motorcycles driving in Vietnam
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