Planning to move to Vietnam very soon

Dalat is famous for honey mooning and growing cool climatr vegetables for all of southern Vietnam, including Saigon. Hanoi is famous for its history and culture. I suggest you visit both cities and decide which you prefer. I also suggest you visit other cities in VN for the same reason before deciding where to live. Good luck and happy relationship.

Thank you for your reply! I've already visited Da Lat (it's actually the place where I dated my girlfriend for the first time) and I've spent there 3 days. I really liked it and the climate is very good cause it's not cold neither to hot. In fact the main reason why we would move either to Da Lat or to Hanoi is the temperature, because is not as hot as HCMC ( I like the city but I can't bear the heath wave ). What I would like to know is more about things to do in general while living there, if there are sport facilities (I practice martial arts and I know for sure Hanoi has got good place where to train) or if for example there are some nice bars where to go for a drink in the evening.

King_of_the_Ring wrote:

She is 25 ... from a sort of rural area ...
any advice in order to live in Vietnam for the next 2 years without getting married

Hey King, I am sensing faint thunder in the distance. Just wondering...

Are you sure she and her family are onboard with you two living together for two years?  In a random city away from her home?  Maybe you have all discussed this, and her mother and relatives are modern feminists and everyone is happy with your master plan. Good - then the sky is clear! Nevermind.

But in case there has been no announcement, and you are assuming Western-style dating patterns, just a reality check - Vietnam is not Italy or Thailand.

I believe it is safe to generalize that Vietnamese families, especially rural ones, are traditional and expect a brief engagement period before marriage, then cohabitation, and then babies. In that order. At 25, her sisters and brothers and cousins are likely already married with kids, and she has been getting some 'encouragement' to do likewise. This sort of well-meaning pressure can cause turbulence, so just be aware!  The silver lining is that as soon as you marry, you can get a visa exemption and your visa issues go away.

Anyway no offense if I saw clouds looming that aren't there!

Hi Gobot! Yes, of course she mentioned marriage just a few days after we met for the first time and I told her no way I would get married before at least 2 years time. She first mentioned, the reason of her wedding request was that would show loyalty to her as she can be worried of me changing my mind about her, then she mentioned the "bad rumors" from the neighbourhood, because people don't see well a girl going to live with a man without marriage. I couldn't ignore this fact of the neighbourhood people opinion's so I promised to her we gonna get engaged this summer, just before going to Europe and then moving together. She and her mother were very happy with this decision. The family really loves me,both parents, brother, sister, uncles and grandparents, they make me really feel at home when I go to Vietnam so I guess everything is fine.

Anyway Gobot, thank you for your reply, I really understand where you coming from and this things about wedding was something I wanted to mention in my first introduction, but then I thought I would have been too long-winded.

King, you mention that you so martial arts, which are very popular on VN. VN has them all: aikido, judo, karate, taekwondo, kungfu, wushu, vo co truyen (traditional VN martial art) vovinam (modern VN martial art). I haven't come across hapkido yet, but it is likely to be around somewhere.

ralphnhatrang wrote:

...aikido, judo, karate, taekwondo, kungfu, wushu, vo co truyen (traditional VN martial art) vovinam (modern VN martial art).

Thanks for your information Ralph, but I'm more in to those ones around MMA like Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I found some good gyms in Hanoi but I'm not sure about Da Lat. I can definitely do Boxe in Da Lat but I would rather train Muay Thai, to be honest.

I haven't come across them on VN either. Perhaps an expat or two in Dalat does them. Good luck.

King_of_the_Ring wrote:

Yes, of course she mentioned marriage just a few days after we met for the first time

Yeah that's what I mean. It is different in Vietnam. If a woman in the US mentioned the "M" word on the second date, any guy would rocket out of there. Good luck with your plans, treat her well.

King, If you search on bing.com for "muay thai vietnam" you will get info for muay Thai and MMA in Saigon and Hanoi.

Hey Ralph, thank you so much! I will definitely give a look to this website. I hope to find something interesting in Hanoi!