Hi, I’m an expat living in Vietnam. I have lived here for five years. As someone who has quite a few years of experience in living overseas (especially in developing countries), I’m interested in sharing with you guys what I feel about the country and why I decided to choose Vietnam as my second home.
The article will focus mainly on the reasons why I chose Vietnam as my final destination (At least until now, it’s my final destination). Therefore, I will share with you the five reasons why Vietnam could convince me to settle here, open a business, and live a life as an ex-pat living overseas.
I recently wrote about what foreigners don’t like in Vietnam. As you may guess there are always pros and cons everywhere, that’s why this article will provide you with the other side of the picture and why I decided to make Ho Chi Minh City my second home.
The constant changes
Vietnam has shown a lot of potential over the years. It has given many foreigners coming into the country so much opportunity. Also, due to its policy giving ex-pats the right to run my business, I can do the things that I enjoy doing which I couldn’t pull off when I was still in France.
However, the downside of Covid-19 has made it a bit harder for foreigners to survive in this country. Although the reality is challenging at the moment, I still believe that Vietnam is aware of pushing forward the growth of its economy. To do it, there’s no other way but to enact laws that allow foreigners to access the country and dedicate themselves to it.
The great diversity
Vietnam has so much to offer to foreigners when they visit the country. You have a great diversity of different modern cities including Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang, Ha Noi, and other small cities that are growing modernly and still keeping that fresh traditional vibe of Vietnam which provokes my interest to explore as much as I can.
Vietnam offers an amazing diversify and lifestyle
Also, the people in Vietnam are a perfect mix between the traditional and the modern. Here you will see people that are modest in the way they speak and welcome foreigners. Even though they can’t speak English, they still have ways that make us understand. Some young people are educated and can speak English fluently. You can easily connect with them to make friends and understand more about the country.
The endless exploration
What I love about Vietnam is that it has so much to discover. I spent my first years traveling around Vietnam by motorbike. However, I still couldn’t finish the journey that I planned out in the beginning. The country is so big. Also, nature is amazing. If you’re wondering where to spend your next vacation, you should visit Vietnam in the future.
The opportunity
When I came here, there was a lot of opportunity waiting for me to catch it. That was how I could open my own business in Vietnam. However, due to the situation currently in Vietnam, the situation has gotten pretty rough. Nevertheless, things are slowly going in the right direction again.
I hope the new norm in Vietnam will turn the situation into a more positive side.
The quality of life
Everything here seems a lot easier to get through. Back in the days living in France, everything was so expensive that I had to work a lot to afford a standard living condition. However, Vietnam is different.
Of course, it would be unequal to compare Vietnam and France. However, all I need seems to be all here in this country. Everything is so cheap that I can work and entertain flexibly. Also, the people are friendly. I feel welcomed while living here.
The environment is also great. It’s only a bit polluted in big cities like Saigon. However, you can always choose other places that are less populated to settle in. If you are considering moving to Vietnam, you can download my book : The 7 mistakes I made in Vietnam to avoid pitfalls and take proven shortcuts to make the right decisions and thrive in the next 5-10 years.