Hi, just arrived in Da Nang and looking to meet up with like minded people. I’m only around for a month but keen to share some ideas and get some feedback on concepts I have. Or just meet up for a social chat. Let me know…

Great info in this thread!

Will be making my way to Da Nang on February 7th and will be living there for four weeks. My first go around at living the digital nomad lifestyle internationally!

Would love to meet any of you who are in town. LMK!

(Note: Visiting through Hacker Paradise)

@jonmyers, I’ll probably do my deposit with Dreamplex in a few weeks. I’ll be coming March 1. Are you in a “studio?” I told them I’d consider finding a group to share a studio since it’s 24/7 hours which I’d prefer.

I’m terrible at learning language. I love learning about cultures and the way things are done in other places, though. I’m guessing English speaking is strong with Vietnamese that work in Dreamplex. So you make “business calls” from home and VoIP is good enough? Thanks.

Eric

@jonmyers quick question. I’m making my preparations for coming. Am working at Dreamplex. Can you tell me if VoIP via Skype or something like Vonage is good enough to use from a strong ADSL in an apartment building? I need to talk to people in USA at 11PM from a home apartment. Not sure I can get a good enough call quality. Thanks!

@jonmyers you have been a Ministry of Hospitality for a country in a prior life, I think. Thanks for more fantastic advise. Japantown sounds perfect. Dreamplex is perfect for those that want quality surroundings like me (RE: not just cheap desks and cheap plastic chairs). Their one problem, which I’ve seen at over 1/2 of al co-working places in USA and Asia, is the close too early. I sent them a message to see if I could team up with a few others to get a “studio” sized space. I’m guessing co working places only want the private office spaces to have 24/7 access, but they lose tons of biz by shutting at 6PM when some are working with folks in the West.

Hey @jonmyers. I’m getting serious about coming in Jan or Feb for 1-4 months or longer (let’s see how well I handle the pollution). Can you suggest an updated piece about the merits of different Districts and neighborhoods in Saigon for someone with good/decent spending budget living more than 1-2 months? As with others on here, I’m looking to be very close to the fun and excitement (mostly District 1, but hey maybe there is plenty in other areas) but I definitely don’t want an apartment that’s loud from construction or street noise. Anything to help get with quiet when I’m home.

For me, I plan to take taxis or motorbike taxis. I can’t ride a motorbike because…long story to do w/ an accident in Thailand (my parents and friends might kill me for riding a motor-bike after my accident in Thailand).

I’m budgeting 500 USD to 950 USD per month for 1 BR apartment. I’d like to be close to the co-working space I use.

Right now my top choice for co-working is http://saigoncoworking.com. I’m not looking for a cheapo place: all co-working is super good value anyway.

Thanks, and hope to meet up for beers on me in 2016.

Jonmyers,

You’re right about the “longer you stay somewhere.” That’s always the 1 mm dolar question for those of us that want to be nomadic: it’s hard to deny all we MISS by not planting roots. I’ve been living in Philadelphia for 5 years now (a long time for me, other than my hometown city of Boston) and the “roots” have done tons for me at this point. I would hate to move to another city in the USA even though a couple jobs could lure me 2 hours away to NYC.

But spending part of the year in Vietnam, well I guess the key is it would always be “part.” I think splitting time between two vastly different worlds is very cool vs. say two places in a home country.

I think the serendipity you experience in Vietnam is great. I’ve also seen that when I had some small roots in Cebu or Makati in the Philippines. Very small world of expats leading similar lifestyle (RE: serious about their work, not just slacking because SEA is cheap).

Hi All, cheers for all the cool tips. Its looking like we will be in HCMC at the end of this month. While Da Nang may be more my kind of area there’s some business reasons to spend some time in HCMC. I noticed a lot of places on Agoda for the town were high end but found the references by @jonmyers here and that will be invaluable. Will be heading to the Japantown region and looking for accom to get started.

@jonmyers any tips on transport from airport to Japantown? Unfortunately I’m still lugging a surfboard with me everywhere and it can be a real pain in the arse to fly in blind and work it out with so much luggage.

@jonmyers yea I can see it as a world of difference. I went with three of my employees from Cebu back in 2007 to Bangkok for work. I was fascinated by their experience with the Thai, also a world away. Interesting that people in the Philippines almost always prefer to visit a “wealthy” country. But I get that. They want to go to HK or Singapore if somewhere in SEA. I think my employees (two women) saw the Thai as just as “exotic” (a word a hate, but don’t have a better one for what I’m trying to say) as two backpackers seeing Asia for the first time and landing in Bangkok.

Certainly I know I’d love being around people that believe in Buddhism, and that’s a big appeal for Vietnam for me. Would be interesting to see how their religious ideas are a mix and include Confucianism (which is not technically a religion). Was there for three weeks before, but didn’t talk to people about that.

My question is similar to Marko’s, above: what’s the visa situation like for Americans in Vietnam? How does one stay while working, legally and long-term?

Same question for Thailand as well, especially given the situation there now. I’ve found that a lot of similar discussions tend to skirt around this topic.

Building a business won’t be helped by deportation, or even the threat thereof!

Not much real meat here in terms of statistics, but funny enough - I just stumbled on this Sovereign Man post about Vietnam’s growth potential.

Wish you’d jumped on the China boom 20 years ago? Here’s your second chance in Vietnam.

Hey everyone, I’m a fresh boarder here. Very interesting read regarding Vietnam and especially interesting to hear that Da Nang looks exactly like the place to set my eyes on.

I’m currently on business visa and located in Chiang Mai, Thailand but the visa situation here is becoming harder and harder on growing pace so thinking of options outside the country.

Can anyone give me heads up on how to securely obtain business visa in Vietnam? And if anyone has more overall experience regarding living and working in Da Nang I would be more than happy to hook up in Facebook etc.!

Anybody searching for a co-working-space in HCMC District 1?
I am from Germany and settled six months ago in HCMC. I will stay for a while, so I rented an office - but it´s to big for me and my Software-Developer.
So, I´d love to get more life into our office, meet new people, and - maybe there are ways to cooperate. I am strong in software-development for the financial markets, but very weak in marketing software-products online.
But anybody is welcome, even if you´re a cookbook-writer

I too will bookmark the thread. I started a company in Cebu, Philippines in 2005 to do web dev and design for US w/ the absolute best talent in the country. But over the years the PH just didn’t seem like the best fit even though I love SEA and have traveled/worked extensively there. I explored Vietnam for 3 weeks in 2002 (explore: not there “on holiday”).

So, @jonmyers your post that you mention here…that was actually one of the inspirations of realizing Vietnamese cities are a great fit for me after I read it recently. You’re a rock star, no pun intended: what an awesome pic for your post about Saigon!

I will now date myself, age-wise. I moved to Prague in 1993 and worked there for a year-- most of you can’t imagine such a distant time-- but I was the advertising manager for “Prognosis” and it was enough to make anyone want to travel/work the rest of their life.

That was the biggest spot since Paris in the 20s. China became that …for a time. But now seems like Vietnam has all the amazing qualities of being the place to be if you thrive on on the positive energy that comes from a city in exciting times. It continues to explode with enthusiasm and people that have a chance to bring a fantastic city to a new level.

Are women there getting open minded about dating (if you’re a woman considering working in Saigon, I’m sure you’re interested in the way guys there stick to conservative ideas for boy/girl relationships as well)? I’d heard that it was like USA in the 1950s, perhaps especially when dating foreigners and that for women their eyes are always on marriage from the first date (not interested in BF/GF relationship).

If you aren’t into urban living, Hoi An seems much more charming than Da Nang. Hoi An has incredible style in the Ancient Town, and it’s easy to get to the beach side as well. Some resorts are super cheap, and you can still find great expat bastions like Dingo Deli, a great digital nomad oasis even when the power goes out. Another Westerner comfort: incredible brunches, and we have been floored by the monthly brunch at Almanity as well as the weekly one at Victoria. I can’t speak for many places, since I’ve only stayed in Da Nang and Hoi An so far.

@Casey_Rosengren: Great question, since Internet for the whole country slows to a crawl (about .5 to 1 Mbps) when the undersea cable breaks, which happened 2 or 3 times in the last year, I think. Some people get around it reasonably by tethering to 3G data, but that’s about it. If your work can’t function at less than 5 Mbps for a month, planning a long stay in Vietnam may not be worth it. I worked around it okay.

Overall, I’m thrilled to be living in Hoi An for a couple months.

Question to all Vietnam expats - what do you do when sharks eat the cables and Vietnam loses Internet connection to the outside world?

wow this thread is awesome, bookmarking this one. thanks for the info guys!

It’s simple, you want to focus on something specific and don’t want distractions, go to Danang. I personally like Hoi An to get work done, but others may find it boring. If you want to meet new people, network, and have a bunch of activities to do on the weekends, Saigon is the place to be.

Wow, awesome feedback. You’ve all made great points, now I can’t wait to visit both cities!!

I’m planning to fly out around the end of October, probably HCMC first for a couple months followed by Da Nang.

I’ll give you guys a shout when I’m in town, cheers!

I definitely feel you. I lived in HCMC for 6 months (district 3) and loved it. Favorite 3 things about it are:

1. So many like minded people doing the same thing to meet and share ideas with
2. Best city in the world for coffee shops. 1000’s of them and they are nicer (and more varied) than what I’ve seen anywhere.
3. Even after being there for 1/2 a year, you can drive 5-10 mins in any direction and find a completely new neighborhood with tons of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars that you never knew existed. The city is massive and a true playground for an urban explorer.

In my opinion, HCMC is where you go if you want to network, grow you business through new opportunities, and enjoy all the benefits of a massive, bustling city. Da Nang is a great place to focus on your specific project, be able to enjoy the outdoors/beach/mountains, and be without the hassles of a huge city (but Da Nang is still ~1 million people). Seattle vs NYC is the best comparison I can come up with.

Internet is pretty much the same in both; very good for working unless the shark eats the cable.

For one last image of Da Nang, here was a sunset from the other day:

Overall, I’d say you won’t go wrong in either as they are both wonderful for working remotely. Jon, drop me a line when you come up and we’ll give you a good welcome

Yeah, you really have to know yourself with regards to location.

Some far prefer Danang others like myself are Saigon through and through.

Over a longer term, I go nuts in slower, sleepier cities.

Really depends on you, but you should carefully consider your location criteria.

Hopefully, I didn’t paint Saigon as a paradise.

It’s far from it.

The city is constantly noisy, traffic initially overwhelming, the pollution bothers some people (I don’t ride at rush hour), music in cafes - always too loud, and the locals will seem very abrupt at first.

And for myself, herein lies the charm.

I have spent a vast majority of my life in big, dirty cities.

From Kolkatta to NYC to Buenos Aires to here in Saigon, and beyond, I like and prefer the constant activity of big cities.

I find calm where others find chaos.

You must know yourself well on this point.

And, with said chaos, it’s quite easy to escape and find tranquility.

Here in District 2, I have a newly built, 3-story home, which was designed by a well-known architect focused on a blend of modernism and Japanese design.

Sakura trees scale the house. Trees are in the house. The back is open air allowing for a breeze through the entire house coupled with a waterfall and pond in our living room.

I wake up everyday in the peace of my home, and head to the third floor, which houses my design studio. I just work. Collaborators visit. Customers visit. My food is on schedule. Gym is sorted.

It’s easy.

<44>jon-myers-home-office.jpg960×720 74.1 KB

FYI - ugly construction is nearly done and concealed. old pic.

I don’t say these things to brag, just stating that there is incredible value here for this kind of living, peace and creating a positive work environment to really get shit done.

One big thing I would say about location selection. Wherever.

Look at what you do every single day - day in and day out. Those same things.

Not the things you might occasionally do if…

I used to think I was a beach guy. I love the beach. Love to surf. Still skateboard if I have the chance, but in reality - when I was presented with living in beach towns from Miami to Ao Nang/ Krabi to Gulf of Thailand Islands to here in Vietnam, I found I didn’t use the beach nearly as much as I thought.

Nice to look at - for sure, but that factor for me personally, it carries less weight. Beaches are vacation destinations for me not business hubs. Business is the most important thing for me right now. Probably will be for a long time. Others place more weight on having a beach. Depends on you.

That day in and day out thing is what I value the most.

What I do day and day out, who do I connect with, how do I make it enjoyable, optimize it and gain maximize impact. Ohh, and just have people around to have fun with.

In that regard, I find the lifestyle optimizations for how I run my routines and show to be the best in bigger cities. Certainly in Saigon, there are fantastic lifestyle multipliers.

Further, and finally to help give you a mental model for location selection.

Examine where you are at and what goals you are trying to obtain.

Near the top of my list for location selection is one thing - - -

It’s about the people.

It’s about inserting myself in a place where you have a higher potential for serendipitous interactions to take place and a higher volume of people with whom to connect.

Most of the breaks I’ve had in my life have come from simply setting up shop in larger cities and being active.

Saigon is no exception.

In the time I’ve been here, simply from always being out, being active and meeting lots of people, I have had opportunities handed to me.

For example, I have been consulting with a VC firm here and helping them launch a national bank.

That was a word of mouth connection developed here.

I’m not convinced such connections are as easy to establish in smaller towns.

So, consider that factor. Are you building, scaling, need to connect or all of these?

Location, who you are, what you love, what you tolerate and what you hate, determines the location calculus.

Hopefully that helps.

I’ve got get up to Da Nang and hang with the crew there. I will probably head there in a few weeks to have a look at a friend’s operation. Would love to hang out with you all.

If you all make it down to Hoch, first one is one me.

Cheers.

I second Da Nang. By far the most beautiful city in VN. If you want a healthy lifestyle along with good internet, food, culture… then Da Nang wins hands down. You have some of the best beaches in Vietnam (My Khe Beach), the Son Tra peninsula, Han River (with the Dragon bridge that breathes fire), Red Beach, the Hai Van Pass, Hoi An right down the road, Hue a morning’s drive away, and a modern, clean city of 1 million people. You can see the sunrise over one beach and set over a different beach (how many different cities can say that)! Great seafood, soups, and some really good expat/western spots.

Also, Da Nang is off the normal backpackers route, so you avoid trashy elements and get much better experiences with the locals. The expat community is much smaller than HCMC, but that means people are generally much nicer and happier to meet other westerners.

For $350/month we have a brand new 1bd apartment with views of the sunrise over the beach. We are constantly reminding ourselves that we live here rather than just on a few day vacation. It is one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. HCMC is great, but the difference is a New York/Chicago like city vs San Francisco/Seattle like area. I prefer the latter.

Some videos to see what it’s like:

I prefer Danang for the beaches, safety, cleanest and amazing food. Local people are very friendly and hospitable.

I have lived in Ho Chi Minh City (also, referred to by its old name, Saigon) off and on now for about 3 years.

I love it here, and am here somewhat indefinitely.

We have large crew of nomads always passing through and more established entrepreneur expats. A typical night out can easily have 15 - 20 of us out.

There are literally 1,000s of coffee shops to work from. My friend James wrote this article on some of the best:

http://www.nomadicnotes.com/travel-blog/ho-chi-minh-city-cafes/

Awhile back, I wrote a Medium post about bootstrapping from Saigon:

As a new arrival into Saigon, I would recommend only living in District 1, the Central District.

It’s “fairly” walkable depending on where you are at. You will meet a lot of other people, which should be a primary goal when settling in.

For location, I would recommend walking the alleys of Saigon’s Japantown (the alleys of Thai Van Lung and Le Thanh Ton) and you will see lots of signs with rooms for rent that range from $200/ month and up.

A back up would be the street of 18A Nguyen Thi Minh Kai. Walk the street and look for the signs for rooms for rent, walk up and inquire.

I would strongly recommend not settling in the backpacker area in District 1, which goes by Pham Ngu Lao or Bui Vien Street. Most people who have had a “bad” experience in Vietnam - overpaying, scammed!, phone stolen or other petty crime - have had it happen there. It’s fun to visit, it would be a hassle filled shit hole to live in.

The other districts are great, but the city is overwhelming at first.

I live in District 2 and love it. There are lots of longer term expats in this district. However, I have been here for a while, ride a motorbike everyday and know quite a few people. There is fantastic housing stock in this district and I really lucked out on a house here.

But again, I would say District 1 only as a starting point.

Hope that helps.

Hit me up when you roll into town and I will introduce to the group.

Cheers.

Saigon without a doubt! Would look at d3, d5 or d7.

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