I was in Vietnam this time last year for a few weeks, Da Nang and Hoi An really stood out, especially Hoi An
Got to agree the food is some of the best in SE Asia, tough to pick between Vietnam and Thailand for me
I spoke in detail to a woman at one of the resorts we were staying in who lives there (as an expat) and she said it’s brutal in the rainy season, ie rain for weeks at a time, so much that they can’t even dry their clothes when they come out of the washing machine because there’s too much moisture in the air
She also said the language is incredibly difficult to learn (although her early teens son had managed it)
I think the extreme heat, rain seasons and humidity makes it a pretty uncomfortable place to live year round
Hoi An is such a pretty place. I love visiting it but I prefer to stay in Da Nang because it has a more vibrant expat community and the beach is right there. The coconut boat tickets sellers are also annoying in Hoi An. When I drive around on my motorbike, I'll have locals tailing me trying to sell me the tour.
Yea the rainy season sucks. Especially bad in Jan and Feb when the temperature also drops and it can get surprisingly chilly and miserable.
The language is also horrible. Despite using roman letters, I can never pronounce menu items correctly so they always don't understand me. The tones are what confuses the most.
It's why a lot of people move around the region. From Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia etc. Go to Japan or Korea if you miss the winter and snow. I've been mostly going back and forth from Thailand and Bali but now Vietnam is in my list of options.
Serious question - how much money would you need to live a "high standard of living" in a place like Vietnam?
I'm only 39, but I've saved up a bit and outright own my house. Every time I get sick of of work I fantasize about saying "fuck it", and retire in South East Asia or Central America. Is a million dollars enough to live the rest of your in relative luxury?
I don't know about the rest of your life but with a million you'd be ridiculously loaded compared to the locals.
Let's see, my friend was paying 500 a month for a pretty damn nice two bed room apartment (which he actually would've paid less for if he stayed long term). My place is cheaper but not as nice but nice enough for me. I spend a bit more than 1000 bucks a month and that's including going out for cigs, drinks, drugs, gym, little trips here and there so spending money on extra accommodation, etc. Unless you're only eating at the most expensive restaurants and going out all the time and getting bottle service at fancy clubs, I don't know how you'd get spend more than 1,500 a month here. Plus I live in the center of the expat area so it's a bit more expensive.
Southeast Asia is way cheaper than Central America. I have friends there now and they say they pay more for a lower standard of living compared to Southeast Asia.
I had another uncle that was a chopper gunner, he died very young of cancer, he even said it was from agent orange before he passed away in the late 80s..
What a war. I occasionally see deformed local people who look old enough to have been alive or born around the time of the war, and I presume it's because of agent orange.