Wild Rose Travel

An expat in Hanoi

August 2019 – January 2020

First things first, you’re not alone! There are a lot of expats in Hanoi, which is always nice to know. However seeing as it is such a huge city, you can more often than not feel like you’re the only one. The majority of expats tend to reside in Tay Ho district. This is on the West Side of Hanoi, along the surroundings of West Lake. This is now also a very popular tourist destination with tonnes of boutiques, bars and restaurants with unbeatable lake and city views.

During my time in Vietnam, I lived in the Cau Giay district, situated in the South-West area of Hanoi. This wasn’t by choice, but where the company I worked for were based. Just South of Tay-Ho, it is not too bad if you are in need of some serious expat company. It is actually quite nice living away from it, as you are then “forced” (in a good way..) to engross yourself within the culture even more, rather than feeling like you’re just living amongst Westerners. Similarly, the old quarter (probably where you’ll spend most of your free time whilst living in the city) is around 15 minutes away by bike or 20-25 minutes in a taxi – as long as you don’t go during rush hour as this can take double – then again, when isn’t it rush hour in Hanoi?! Cau Giay is more typically known as the business district, with a large Korean population.

Banking
One thing that is a nightmare is money. I mean, it’s only a nightmare if you don’t plan on living in Vietnam for the longest period of time, work, and then want to get the money you are earning back home/into your Western bank account. There is very limited options when it comes to transferring money back home, and unfortunately they aren’t the easiest or cheapest. One method you can use is Paypal, by creating an account using your Vietnamese bank account details, however a lot of the bank accounts in Vietnam (including mine) are local accounts only, meaning the details needed to set up online accounts are not available – so bare this in mind when choosing which type of account to set up – if you can find one to use alongside PayPal that’s a winner! If you can’t (more likely), your options are Western Union (I have no personal experience with this – despite it being very popular), or independent bank transfers. I banked with MB (Military Bank), which charges a stand alone fee of £40 to send Vietnamese Dong to your UK bank account.

In terms of money, download the currency converter app to stay on top of things. For quick reference, 1 GPB is equivalent to approx. 30,000 VND. This is a lot to get used to at first but you soon get your head around it and process the money by ignoring all the 0’s on the end!

When it came to me wanting to withdraw my money, with impeccable planning and timing from me, it was the TET national holiday – meaning all banks were closed for a week. I had to leave the country because my VISA was expiring, and therefore either needed to find a way to get the money, or simply leave it in a bank account and return to withdraw it at a later date (not ideal).

In the end, I found a small money conversion shop that were willing to help, and had to withdraw the full contents of my Vietnamese bank account into USD cash, and travel with it. It worked, as I could then budget with the cash I had but of course it is never ideal to travel with a large amount of cash on you. I would not recommend, however it was one of the only options I was left with at the time so I made it work.

Comfort
One thing I had to adapt to quickly was the cultural difference in comfort. Say goodbye to your comfy beds and sofas, they do not exist here. I have spent the last 5 months sleeping on a rock hard “mattress,” about 5cm thick. I may as well sleep on the floor, and have to move multiple times every night to avoid dead limbs. BUT, despite all the moaning and the most negative few sentences this blog may ever see, it is most definitely all part of the fun. Take it with a pinch of salt and it’s something you soon get used to. I like to just use it to find more positives in going home – WOW am I looking forward to that first night back in my own bed!

Western Food
One thing you will quickly become accustomed to when living in a new country, is the food. After all this is something you cannot physically live without, therefore cannot avoid! You can get your hands on pretty much anything in Hanoi, but it goes without saying that you will pay more for Western/non-Vietnamese foods. Sometimes this is necessary! Take away wise, you can expect anything from McDonalds, Burger King, KFC (not the same as UK – just saying!), Dominoes Pizza and so on. My all time favourite restaurant I found whilst living in Hanoi, when I fancy a treat is 4P’s. 4P’s is an Italian Japanense fusion restaurant chain in Hanoi and is just UNREAL. The 4 cheese pizza (classic) is like nothing I’ve ever had before! Definitely my favourite pizza in the world (so far) for sure!! If you are a pizza lover like me, tourist or expat, be sure to check this out whilst in Vietnam.

Technology
Vietnamese plug sockets are the same as the majority of European sockets – the double round or flat pin. This makes adaptors easy enough as most of us already have European adaptors. If not, they are more than easy to pick up. As usual when travelling, just be aware of voltage differences. High voltage appliances are sometimes too much e.g. hair dryers, hair straighteners and so on. Sometimes technology goes wrong, and when it does you want to be sure you have a reliable service to help. There are a few Apple credited phone/laptop repair shops around Hanoi, which can be found through the Apple website itself. It is best to look through this, rather than trusting the signs outside.. as most will say they are legit but of course will not always be true. This way you are unlikely to go wrong.

Celebrations
If you are living in one area for a long period of time, you are of course going to experience some (or many) traditional and local holidays. Some don’t like to be away from home at times like this, but I think it’s great fun being immersed in a new culture to see how the different occasions are celebrated. Whilst living in Vietnam I have experienced, Vietnam National Day (Independence Day), Teachers Day, National Women’s Day, Christmas and New Year. I will soon be writing a post all about these holidays, so stay tuned for that if you’re interested on how each is celebrated in Vietnam.