CHAPTER 6: LAST POINTS AND WRAP-UP

Following from the numbered list started in Chapter 3, 4 and 5, here you have another final overview about more specific Vietnam aspects.

27) How is the nightlife?

Well, let’s face it, besides working you also need some carefree time. While underlining that I am not much a club-goer any longer, I have tried a couple of them in Bien Hoa with very disappointing results: expensive, quite empty, dull music, forcing services that you do not need (fruit, table, shisha, drinks bucket, tempting girls pushing you to drink more or pay them a drink, etc.), people not able to speak English and not very active… all for a final whopping bill of… Apparently in Bien Hoa there is no chance to just walk in into a club and order one cocktail for yourself while easily standing or dancing. They have to round up the bill in some (and many) ways. In addition, a 10 % extra fee could be charged for the service.

It has to be said that Hanoi and Saigon are the real spots for proper clubs and nightlife. Feel free to add suggestions here in the comments, thanks a lot.

28) How is dating in Vietnam (limited personal experience after a few months in peripheral Bien Hoa)?

Dating in Vietnam, especially outside of the main cities, can come with unique challenges due to dozens of cultural, social, economic and practical factors or problems.

Many Vietnamese women, particularly those in secondary areas, live with their parents until they do get married or engaged, and are expected to adhere to family rules and commitments as well as curfews, often limiting outings to daytime with simple coffee or tea dates. Evening activities are generally off the table, as many have restrictions on going out after a certain hour. Most probably for the first date or two, a family member is calling and waiting for the girl (regardless the age) even until late if she is not back yet and she is living with the family (until 25-30 years old, it is almost normal in Vietnam).

Financially, the expectation is often that men will cover the date expenses, which can add pressure when resources are tight. Remember that if you pay once or twice, you have set a future (not Western) rule : )

In terms of distance, again, it could be a problem to meet if you are living over 10 Km away from each other, because of hellish road traffic, police checks and laziness.

Additionally, the demands of work, family responsibilities, and sometimes even children (as many may be divorced with kids even in their 20s) limit their logistics (they cannot bring guests at home) availability and energy for dating. Some girls assert that they are often tired or busy.

Schedule could be another issue, as in private schools you will be also working at weekends (public schools have Mon – Fri timetable instead) and this might not perfectly match a regular Monday – Friday profile.

Communication can be another serious barrier, as English is not widely spoken in many peripheral areas. You might not want to use Google translator all the time : )

Besides, popular Western apps like WhatsApp or Instagram are less common; instead, locals might use Zalo, a Vietnamese messaging platform.

Furthermore, the dating landscape can feel sparse and repetitive, with many using outdated or unrealistic photos on apps, leading to mismatches and sometimes even fake profiles, leading in their turn to scams or paid services.

Traditional expectations around relationships may mean both limited intimacy and freedom, with no drinking, smoking, or physical contact involved, especially in public.

Most of girls are thus normally shy, conservative or hesitant to take action or  initiative. Men have often to take the first, second, third and so on step! Furthermore, adaptability and flexibility are not key features for average Viet women. You will probably need to adjust yourself to their food, culture, traditions and timetable.

Moreover, it seemed evident to me that there is still a general cultural and educational gap in conversations, as well as a widespread lack of interesting stories about travels or exciting experiences to narrate. Scarce cultural appetite, educational system failure, limited finances, family pressure and scanty free time are the main reasons here. They even do not seem much fascinated by far-off cultures and traditions. No much thrill then.

Altogether, these factors can make dating in Vietnam a nuanced experience, especially in areas outside the urban centres. There you might bump into a local and narrow-minded setting far from the International approach in Hanoi or Saigon. On top of that, foreigners in Bien Hoa or satellite cities, do not look even so attractive or exotic.

Outside the biggest conglomerates, therefore, expect to find countless, endless problems when dating a girl or undertaking a relationship with her.

My suggestion: try better big cities if you are looking for additional fun and open-mindedness, although you might face higher budgets, expectations and temptations.

29) How is air pollution in Vietnam?

Vietnam is grappling with severe air pollution, particularly in urban centres like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In the last 10 years, PM2.5 levels have significantly risen, with Hanoi ranking among the top 15 most polluted Southeast Asian cities. Vietnam itself is among the 25 most polluted countries in the world (source here).

Major causes include vehicle emissions, construction dust, and industrial activity. Aged vehicles, traffic congestion, and biomass burning worsen air quality, especially during the dry season.

People here are intrinsically so lazy that they need a scooter to cover even few hundred meters. For sure the excruciating heat and dampness do not help, granted. And you end up bathed in sweat after only walking 1 Kilometre during daytime in the South. However, sports and walking are not shared activities among the local population. They even take elevators in my building for 1 floor : )

To address this, Vietnam is implementing stricter environmental regulations, promoting cleaner energy, and building public transport systems. Citizens are doubtlessly resistant to changes though and still prefer private transport, which is causing appalling traffic jams too.

In rural areas, artisanal industries contribute to pollution too, but in lesser degree compared to big conglomerates.

30) What is the state of health of the Vietnamese economy?

The World Bank projects Vietnam’s economic growth to reach 6.1% in 2024, rising to 6.5% in 2025 and 2026, fuelled by rebounds in exports, tourism, and investment.

Despite global challenges, Vietnam shows resilience, though it hasn’t fully returned to pre-pandemic growth levels. Increased public investment could address infrastructure needs in energy, transport, and logistics, supporting growth. Rising non-performing loans pose a risk that needs monitoring.

Capital market development, particularly by leveraging Vietnam Social Security (VSS), could provide long-term funding, attracting foreign investors if reclassified from Frontier to Emerging Market status. Coordinated financial reforms would boost market transparency and drive investment, crucial for Vietnam’s high-income, long-term ambitions.

31) Curious facts about Vietnam

• Badminton and pickleball look like very popular and serious sports here. Tennis and padel much less.
• Funky balls (nitrous oxide-filled balloons or laughing balloons) are absolutely a cornerstone of the local nightlife. You can see them quite often.
• Old-fashioned lottery stalls or peddlers selling lottery tickets are again extremely popular and at every corner.
• Fresh, homebrew beer is served in 2 or 5 litres Keg growlers.

• Grab (through its app) is perfectly and commonly working in Vietnam as the best way to get a bike ride at a very reasonable fare (if you do not have your own). Fares are quite insignificant: I am currently paying 0.70 USD for a 2 Km ride; or 1.34 USD for a 7 Km ride. At night, though, lower options and more expensive fares (still very affordable).
• Like in many Asian countries, there is no proper breakfast Breakfast is either just a coffee or an emulation of lunch : ) Sweet, western-like breakfasts are in fact rare and costly, if any available. Better to have it at your home then.
• When buying different types of Italian pasta of different brands and in different times (from the same mega store though), I noticed a few times they had bugs inside the sealed package. Not sure about the root cause, but still you can eat them, no problem : )
• At least in Bien Hoa, ants are a real threat inside the house. As soon as you leave anything appetizing for them in the cupboard, colonies start to flow in. Improve your storage techniques and spray them with suitable products.
• In Vietnam only 2 surnames cover more than 50% of the whole spectrum: Nguyen (38.4 %, stemming from the notorious Nguyen Dynasty) and Tran (12.1%). Moreover, Vietnamese have each one at least 3 or even 4 names, monosyllabic (like all words in Vietnamese), with accents and quite similar one another. A total jungle.
• Vietnam’s coffee culture is unique and renowned. The country, a major coffee exporter, is famous for its “egg coffee,” a rich drink made from Robusta coffee blended with whipped egg yolks, sugar, and condensed milk. Another luxury coffee, “Weasel coffee” (or civet coffee), is made from beans that have passed through a civet’s digestive system and ranks among the world’s most expensive coffees.
• Motorbikes and heavy-traffic dominate Vietnamese streets, especially in cities like Ho Chi Minh City, which has around 7.4 million motorbikes for 8.4 million residents, creating a bustling and unique traffic scene. Totally, there should be around 70 million registered bikes out of 101 million inhabitants, but I presume the ratio could go as high as 1:1 with “off-license” vehicles.
• Many women wear the traditional Vietnamese conical hat called the nón lá, which translates to “leaf hat”. It’s a traditional symbol of Vietnamese culture and a popular item in many villages.
• Street food trucks or stalls use very low stools and tables for dining. I think it’s a practicality thing — probably a combination of cheap price, storage and materials. You can make twice as many tiny stools as you can big ones, and you can store twice as many in the same area.

Oh and also, especially in the case of street food vendors, if the cops show up it’s far easier to scurry away with a tiny stack of plastic stools away than it is huge chairs.

• Churches (and other activities) in Vietnam (at least in Bien Hoa), might be quite annoying when starting to ring bells and sing at 4.30 or 5 am. Choose your living location carefully : )
• When buying things at convenience stores or ordering at bars / restaurants, you will be always questioned how many units you need, even if you are alone. Normally, at least in Europe is like that, the implicit quantity is always one, unless differently specified. Strange fact.
• When buying fresh food at convenience stores (like GS25) they will always ask you if you need to warm it up, even if it is sushi or Korean kimbap. Strange again. Instead, when asking for soy sauce, they generally do not have it.
• Pharmacies: most pharmacies (especially the small “window-booth” ones) can sell to customers medications per tablet (outside the full package) or group of tablets. Furthermore, on a general basis, they will rarely ask you for a doctor’s prescription, even though the government is blandly trying to curb the phenomenon. On a side note, remember to check expiry date on all medications : )
• Steam rice in restaurants is hardly available. Fried is the main option.
• Vietnamese language is written with latin alphabet but it is mostly a monosyllabic, tonic and tenseless idiom (you only use the infinitive verb). There are several dialects too.
• I have seen many times beer being served at room temperature with ice cubes : )
• Vietnam is definitely a sugar-oriented country: they add extra sugar to milk, yogurt, biscuits, cakes, bread (even!), cereals, oat, fruit juices, etc. It will be hard to find “regular” products.
• When ordering a coffee (with or without milk), be mindful that in most cases you will prompted with a cold one : ) Specifically ask whether is hot or not.
• The new trend amongst Vietnamese (and not only them : ) is wearing pool rubber slippers or all-closed crocs, even at school. Yes.
• There are no OFFICIAL money-exchangers in Vietnam, only banks. I have been told however that some off-licence “gold” shops (hard to find) exist though.
• I am not sure why in Vietnam the word “scooter” is very often erroneously translated and written as “car”, being a car a 4-wheel vehicle and a scooter a type of 2 wheel vehicle 🙂
• 1 L petrol costs around 0.80 USD, very cheap (December 2024). In Bien Hoa city center, however, almost no stations.
• Scooters helmets are generally very light and not homologated to safety standards.
• In local eateries rice rolling papers are used for wrapping Banh xeo with assorted green leaves.
• Assorted green leaves are brought to the table without oil or vinegar in the natural state, still attached to branches and in huge quantity, as they were for “goats” : )
• During main celebrations (e.g. New Year’s Eve or the South East Asian football cup) in public spaces, not even a drop of alcohol was detected. It was still allowed to bring some beers in and drink them with police officers nearby : )
• Girls and boys will only introduce you to the family if an official relationship is established.
• In some clubs 10 % service is applied to the final bill.
• Street barber’s shops are still very widespread.

• Taking photos in front of Buddhist temples is very popular among young female teenagers with their elegant outfits and dresses.
• Coffee and tea are normally served cold with ice unless specifically requested. Tea can be refilled as many times as you want during a normal meal at a local eatery.
• Gyms are regularly open almost 24 hours from 5 am to 12 am. Same principle of churches and temples working at 4.30 am :
• Company parties are quite frugal with maybe 20 USD assigned per employee and alcohol finished in two hours or so : ) Local staff normally leaves the party after the early dinner due to family, curfew, budgetary, linguistic and social reasons.

Sharing is caring!