Hanoi or HCMC? Which do you think is better

Travellers often ask this question. It is simply a matter of preference. Most people like either Saigon or Hanoi, but not both. I prefer Hanoi, as I find it a charming city. Saigon is too busy and polluted for me, although I do accept that others find Saigon vibrant and exciting.

Better in terms of:
weather, scenery, costs, food, people watching, things to do, safety, pretty girls

as I am a:
male, female, confused, teenage, twenties, older, older yet, wise

tourist, expat, backpacker, Viet kieu, English teacher

from:
No America, Europe, Asia, other place

traveling / living:
alone, with partner, with family, seeing Vietnamese family

and my personality is:
extrovert, introvert, ambivert, none, Vietnam vet, skybar, sjw

and I prefer to avoid:
tourists, police, flooding, mosquitos, traffic and fumes, scammers

then my answer is: Yes. 

As a Saigonese, I vote for HCMC (open-friendly people, vibrant business environment, delicious street food etc) . Besides, I love sunshine, so cold weather of Hanoi is no interest to me 

Erikdaviking wrote:

It's a good question actually - I would say Hanoi as there is more culture and a bit of cool weather for a few months. What do you think?

I'm following Gobot's method here although I may not be as gentle:  Better in what aspect/s?  Better COL?  Better housing availability?  Better scenery?  Better air quality?  Better social interaction?  Better nightlife?  Better job opportunity?  Or, only in the two aspects that you fleetingly mentioned, better culture and weather for a few months of the year?

As a person who was born 50 km outside of Hanoi but grew up and educated in Saigon, whose family homes are still standing in the same spots in Hanoi and its vicinity for almost 100 years (still occupied by extended family members to this day), who has been living in both cities on and off as both a local and an expat, I definitely prefer Saigon.  (Actually, I prefer other parts of the country, but it's not an option in this thread.)

Notwithstanding the obvious reasons which travel books, blogs, and websites have stated aplenty, the one deterrent to me ever calling Hanoi home is the mindset of the people. 

While Saigonese are broad minded, Hanoians are inflexible.  While Saigonese embrace and adapt, most Hanoians are opposed to change.  While Saigonese let politic roll off them like water off a duck's back, Hanoians cling to the party and reverently speak of a certain leader as their Messiah.  Due to language barrier, most expats may not sense the ubiquitous factor that controls the life of Hanoians and the atmosphere of the city.   I have, thus I continue to visit Hanoi but consider Saigon my home, at least for now and in the immediate future.

Hanoians can be very,very difficult, whereas the Saigonese are a lot more laid back. As far as a city goes, Ha Noi is a much nicer looking city and not as brash as Saigon.

colinoscapee wrote:

Hanoians can be very,very difficult, whereas the Saigonese are a lot more laid back.

That reminds me:  In traffic, Saigonese drivers/riders honk at everything, but Hanoians honk, yell, and lecture at the smallest infractions.  And oh, how they lecture.  They do that at length, and they never fail to mention your mental ability or the way your parent brought you up.  The first couple of times when we're yelled at just because we stepped into the traffic a bit too soon or not yield to the honking (we're always the pedestrians), I laughed because I thought their over-the-top behaviours were funny.  After half a dozen times, it became incredibly annoying and insulting. 

It's not limited to traffic either.  Hanoians, even young children, have always been very didactic.  They insult when you turn down their goods.  They insult when you try to bargain.  They insult when you need change from a large note.  And Hanoi taxi drivers, that insolent breed, they treat you with disdain while messing with the fare to double or triple it.  Living in Hanoi is like being in a duel where you're not well armed and the opponents is not one person but almost the entire mass.

Hanoi is the only place in Vietnam where I sometimes wished I didn't speak the language so I wouldn't fully understand what's going on.

The only place I have been refused service was in Ha Noi.

Have you ever noticed when there is a problem on a flight, most of the time it will be a Northerner causing the trouble.

wow @ciambella, I had heard some of the attitude towards the north before, superior attitudes, stuck in 1974, etc, but had no direct experience so I didn't have the weapons. That is some good stuff!

Next time I hear visitor complaints about VN ripoffs and crooks and the very low return rate of tourists, I know what my question will be.

Ciambella wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Hanoians can be very,very difficult, whereas the Saigonese are a lot more laid back.

That reminds me:  In traffic, Saigonese drivers/riders honk at everything, but Hanoians honk, yell, and lecture at the smallest infractions.  And oh, how they lecture.  They do that at length, and they never fail to mention your mental ability or the way your parent brought you up.  The first couple of times when we're yelled at just because we stepped into the traffic a bit too soon or not yield to the honking (we're always the pedestrians), I laughed because I thought their over-the-top behaviours were funny.  After half a dozen times, it became incredibly annoying and insulting. 

It's not limited to traffic either.  Hanoians, even young children, have always been very didactic.  They insult when you turn down their goods.  They insult when you try to bargain.  They insult when you need change from a large note.  And Hanoi taxi drivers, that insolent breed, they treat you with disdain while messing with the fare to double or triple it.  Living in Hanoi is like being in a duel where you're not well armed and the opponents is not one person but almost the entire mass.

Hanoi is the only place in Vietnam where I sometimes wished I didn't speak the language so I wouldn't fully understand what's going on.

Never had any of those problem in Pleiku, of course that was back in 1969.
Rick

Budman1 wrote:

Never had any of those problem in Pleiku, of course that was back in 1969.

Never in Pleiku.  It's a gentle city, both back then and now, and I'm not saying that because of my personal connection to the city.  Pleiku's gentleness came from the air, the atmosphere, and the way people treated one other.

In 1971, my first year as a teacher, I taught Vietnamese Literature and French at Truờng Nữ Trung Học Pleime (Pleime High School for Girls).  I was the youngest teacher in VN at the time, and Pleiku loved me.  Fast forward 36 years later, during my first visit back, Pleiku still remembered me and treated me as their prodigal daughter.  Another 10 years gone by, I was in Pleiku earlier this year, no one remembered me anymore but the city was still one of the gentlest place in the country.  I wouldn't want to move there, but I would always feel comfortable there.

HCMC gets my vote. I'm able to find better suited accomodation (gotta have a pool) and everything is so accessible. Night life blows Hanoi out of the water (everything shuts down around midnight in Hanoi). Hanoi has a higher pollution rating than HCMC most the time (something to do with its proximity to china) but then again they both arent that great. Having said all that I'm not much of a city person and usually can't wait to get out to the beach or highlands for a month or two, but HCMC is always fun. When I want quite time I just stay in and work, go to the gym or pool, or watch a movie.

TigerPlease wrote:

Hanoi has a higher pollution rating than HCMC most the time ...

Is this really true?
Is this your own feeling or is it documented by air quality measurements?
I always thought that HCMC has higher pollution, especially in the city center.

Andy Passenger wrote:

TigerPlease wrote:

Hanoi has a higher pollution rating than HCMC most the time ...

Is this really true?
Is this your own feeling or is it documented by air quality measurements?
I always thought that HCMC has higher pollution, especially in the city center.

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