I have decided on Viet Nam to relocate/live/retire

For that amount you can get a very nice rental property. I think it best that you come and stay in each city for a month, as they are very different. Danang is very popular with expats these days as its a much bigger city with better services than Vung Tau.

Thank you so much

Why in the world would you want to leave the best place to live in the USA, San Diego?

vndreamer wrote:

Why in the world would you want to leave the best place to live in the USA, San Diego?

Is there any good place to live in America anymore?
From what I see in the news it sounds more and more like the old west every day.

vndreamer wrote:

Why in the world would you want to leave the best place to live in the USA, San Diego?

We left Laguna Beach (family home is still there, 0.2 mile from Main Beach), and arguably the most beautiful city in CA, if not the whole country.

Didn't regret it then, don't regret it now.

.
Si, (Ci) Bella;

    (Why would you want to..?)

"(I) left Brisvague/guess (family home is still there)   .. and arguably the most beautiful city in 'the Great Southern Suffering', if not the whole country.

Didn't regret it then, don't regret it now ."

Yairs, 'usetabe'.   I think the Skin Horse said it best.
"Once you are real, you can't become unreal again"      ..and it lasts for Always... 

                                         (Margery Williams; 'The Velveteen Rabbit')            

            I don't mind being a Bunny.   At all...         

.

I think the OP would be very bored in Binh Chau, its a very small town. My wife comes from Binh Chau, and to be honest its got nothing for an expat.

Your dream can certainly come true. Lots of expats are living by the beach along VN's coast.

However, you don't mention if you've been to Vietnam before. If you haven't, you should definitely do a reconnaissance mission before moving everything over, just to make sure you've made the right decision.

Binh Chau is a good location to live I thought ( for myself). Beach is nice and quiet. not too far to SaiGon. 1 and half hours drive.
45mins to Vung Tau.
Its may not a great location for exparts but to live I think is a 'good  places.
Regards,
Hue

hoang1983 wrote:

Binh Chau/Ba Ria is the place you could check ourt if you wish to learn/ knownledge Vietnam/ beach(local and international) culture. ...

Its may not a great location for exparts but to live I think is a 'good  places.

if you need any help in VietNam, please contact me. I am experiences in locations, film production in VietNam, and a Buddhist meditator. I do teach Vietnamese aswell if you would interest to learn to speak Vietnamese.

m: 090XXXXXXX

Such contradictory statements.

The OP will be an expat, so if the location is not good for expats, why recommend it?

From the content of the last paragraph, is it possible that your recommendation is a lead-in to an advert for personal service?

hoang1983 wrote:

Binh Chau is a good location to live I thought ( for myself). Beach is nice and quiet. not too far to SaiGon. 1 and half hours drive.
45mins to Vung Tau.
Its may not a great location for exparts but to live I think is a 'good  places.
Regards,
Hue

To get to Vung Tau in 45 mins, you would need to have an average speed of around 90 klms an hour. I travel to Binh Chau around 6 times a year, that speed is just plain stupid.

There are many scenic places in Viet Nam, but is there really any place that could described as interesting or exciting?

The whole country seems to be a sleepy village.

It's relatively easy, stable and cheap but also a good place to catch up on your sleep.

Ciambella wrote:

We left Laguna Beach (family home is still there, 0.2 mile from Main Beach), and arguably the most beautiful city in CA, if not the whole country.

Didn't regret it then, don't regret it now.

I understand, but I have family in SD and I just love it.  In addition, it is a highly desirable place to live, just to expensive for a lot of people.  If I had a home in SD, I for sure would live part of the year there and part of the year in VN.  I do not think we could live year round in VN.  The goal is to maintain 2 homes, 1 in the USA and 1 in VN. 

But to the OP, I think it all depends on what one desires and they need to spend some time living there.  We prefer the countryside and have no intention of ever living in a VN city.

I'd recommend taking a pre-move visit to both cities and their respective beaches before making any final decisions.

OT: I can't fathom the thought of trading the beaches (or California burritos) in OB and La Jolla for Vung Tau and Da Nang but I'm sure you have your reasons.

Kupo wrote:

I'd recommend taking a pre-move visit to both cities and their respective beaches before making any final decisions.

OT: I can't fathom the thought of trading the beaches (or California burritos) in OB and La Jolla for Vung Tau and Da Nang but I'm sure you have your reasons.

Maybe because in Calif the cost of living is literally 10x more.
And the food in general in full of chemicals, not natural, doesn't taste as good and is still 10x more!

Wxx3 wrote:

And the food in general in full of chemicals

Good thing there are no shortages of organic food markets in California. And let's be honest; health is not a major concern if you're willing to put up with Vietnamese healthcare - private or public.

Wxx3 wrote:

not natural, doesn't taste as good and is still 10x more!

Just like all the "authentic" foreign food establishments in Vietnam. Although, I guess this would be a non-issue if you love Vietnamese food enough to eat it as often as the locals.

Gday mate. I am an Aussie that not only been to VN many times but I also lived there for 4 years. Within 18 months I will return back to Vietnam. I lived in Saigon in District 2 (where most of the International Schools and therefore popular for foreigners to live in) I would suggest your idea of living in Vung Tau is shall we say 'ok' but during Tet (New Year) Saigon empties out and Vung Tau becomes the go to place for most that are unable to return back to their hometowns. It is at this time VT turns into a giant garbage dump on the beaches and in the water. Additionally there is a very distinct lack of toilets and with such a huge influx of people (read party goers) the beach becomes a real popular place to use for a toilet. Thats when I noticed many rats running around off the beach. VT is a great place with much development but come Tet time its the last place I would want to be but maybe it may suit you. Suggest you do some more research re VT. Plenty of pics on the internet that reflect the 'festivities' at that time of the year.

Da Nang was the major storage facility for Agent Orange. So much leaked into the soil, once again suggest you research on how the clean up is going. Da Nang is really beautiful but just telling you what you may not know re the agent Orange from the VN war.

Suggest you look into Nha Trang as it too far away from the major Tet celebrations like VT (it's only a 2 hour drive to VT from Saigon) and no issues with Agent Orange. My wife and I are waiting for our Apartment to be built in NT, so that where our new home will be (my wife is from North Vietnam).

Hope m info is of use to you

Cheers
Bazza

"And let's be honest; health is not a major concern if you're willing to put up with Vietnamese healthcare - private or public."

Depending on where you live. world class medical care can be close by. In my case it is an 8 minute walk to CIH. The issue is that, you will most likely need to pay cash up front in most cases. In my case it takes roughly a year for the US Military to reimburse me for medical treatment.

Vung Tau? Hmm, not too sure about that. Reasonably close to Saigon (which can be a big plus for services etc) but otherwise fairly limited in options and a filthy beach with oil rigs offshore. Danang would be a far better choice from my p.o.v., the third-largest city in Vietnam but still nowhere near as manic as Hanoi or Saigon, with great scenery, a nice beach and beautiful (though overrun) Hoi An nearby. Hue is not too far away either, lovely place. Someone mentioned Nha Trang, but I suggest only if you like beachfront highrises and lots of lily-white Russian tourists who queue-jump in the shops. It doesn't really do it for me, though the beach and offshore options are appealing. As a few others also said, you're probably best advised to take a look for yourself and see what 'vibe' appeals to you.

Good luck!

vptd wrote:

It is at this time VT turns into a giant garbage dump on the beaches and in the water. Additionally there is a very distinct lack of toilets and with such a huge influx of people (read party goers) the beach becomes a real popular place to use for a toilet. Thats when I noticed many rats running around off the beach. VT is a great place with much development but come Tet time its the last place I would want to be

Suggest you look into Nha Trang as it too far away from the major Tet celebrations like VT (it's only a 2 hour drive to VT from Saigon) and no issues with Agent Orange.

Agree with you on the problem VT has during Tet, and agree that NT is too far from all major Tet celebrations, although the city has its own big celebration there too.

The problem we (all of my local relatives, my husband, and I) have with NT is that it's wall to wall with Chinese tourists, not for one week of Tet, not for the weekends, but 365 days a year. 

Every afternoon, between 60 and 100 aiport shuttles and tour buses bringing Chinese tourists to the city from the airport, strangle traffic for hours.  Every morning, the same 60 - 100 shuttles and buses strangle traffic for hours again so they can pick up Chinese tourists and take them back to the airport.  Twice a week, a line of lorries enters the city with goods from China to deliver to Chinese businesses in the city.

A huge majority of local business in NT have signs in Chinese.  Almost all restaurants have menus in Chinese. 

In the early morning, if you want to do some exercise on the sand, take a brisk walk along the esplanade, or watch the sunrise at Tran Phu Beach, you'll do that while listening to piped-in Chinese music.  If you take a sightseeing or activity tour, any tour except the one to Diep Son Island, you -- doesn't matter if you're British, Australian, North American, European, or Vietnamese, all of you combined -- will be count among the 5% minority because the other 95% of the passengers are Chinese.

The second unofficial language in NT is not English but Chinese.  Street vendors, shop clerks, taxi drivers, cyclo drivers, baristas, and even the men who trim the city trees, they all speak Mandarin at some level.  But not all of them can speak English.

The Russians are still there, but they're overshadowed by the Chinese.  In fact, everything in NT is overshadowed by the Chinese.

If you can speak Vietnamese, try to ask taxi drivers, workers at restaurants, spas, cafes, night clubs, tour guides, shop clerks, etc. about the presence of Chinese tourists and Chinese-owned businesses, you'll hear the fear in their answers.

NT is beautiful.  Clean beach, wide esplanade, hopping economy, vibrant nightlife, and in spite of the 50-story buildings that have mushroomed all over the place, there's still enough room above to see the stars at night. 

I like everything about NT except the painful fact that's it's almost no longer a Vietnamese city.  I told my husband that in a couple decades, the name of the city will probably be changed to something in Chinese.  His reply: "You will not be sadder when it happens because we'll be dead by then."

In the meantime, we'll stay put in VT.  It's not the best city, but it's still small enough and during the weeks, it's quiet.  The locals here know one another, the restaurants, eateries, and shops are identified by landmarks or the name of the owners (not the name of the businesses).  Even taxi drivers know us, not by our names but by our address.  The sense of small town is still apparent that when you walk around, people wave or call out hello from their homes.

I can deal with the mess in VT, especially the rowdy crowd during Tet week, as long as I don't have to be surrounded by Chinese, hear Chinese language, and put up with Chinese rudeness for 52 weeks of the year.

A piece of advice, don't advertise your financial well being or you will be taken advantage of.  Visit the Vietnam and stay few months to see if your like it here or not.  Anthony Bourdain might make Vietnam sound like a paradise but in reality it's not.  It all depends on one's point of view.  If your health in need of constant care, you better of living in the USA.  You may not be able to get the same medicines that you needed here.  They will sell you anything for your money so be careful. 
       I have been to VN more times than I can remember.  My wife family is still here in Ben Tre.  I am also a Vietnamese but currently living in US (Colorado).  My wife wants to live here sometimes in the distant future.  I don't know why?  May be she to be close to her niece and sisters.  We don't have any children.  In my opinion, Vietnam is the big garbage dump.  Everywhere you go, you will see trashes and garbage.  From cities to country side, rivers to beaches, all dirty with lot of plastic garbage.  Since 1999 ( that was the first time I've been to VN), it has not changed.  Like they say "Thing changes but it stay the same" dirty.  People still eat and trash where they sit.  I am not bashing VN but true have to be told.  So James, take a trip to VN first visit, see the country, then make your decision.   Good luck.

@70yearold
   You must have a war injury.....” world class medical”. You have to be joking. There are onky two accredited hospitals in VN and that is through JCI. And there are NO accredited labs ( the literal heart of any medical operation). If it is so World Class why hasn ‘t medical tourism caught on?

I just visit about 1 year ago. The country is still under developed.  I hope some day near future,  the government will provide basic sanitation such as water treatment, Food inspection program,  and vector control program.  There are many rats crawling into street at night time. The restaurants are not inspected.

@vqhuynhtravel
Not sure how old you are. But unless your in grade school VN will probably still be underdeveloped when they plant you.

Vagabondone wrote:

@vqhuynhtravel
Not sure how old you are. But unless your in grade school VN will probably still be underdeveloped when they plant you.

Definitely a finalist for quote of the year.  HS that is to funny.  Thank you, just made my morning. 

70 years old wrote:

"And let's be honest; health is not a major concern if you're willing to put up with Vietnamese healthcare - private or public."

Depending on where you live. world class medical care can be close by. In my case it is an 8 minute walk to CIH. The issue is that, you will most likely need to pay cash up front in most cases. In my case it takes roughly a year for the US Military to reimburse me for medical treatment.

Hey there, I sent you a private message a couple weeks ago, did you not get it??  Hope everything is okay with the Missus...........Tim

I just arrived Saigon this morning at 1:10 AM. It hits you in the face as you step off the plane - the smell and the humidity and the warmth.  You take your first breath and it's all over you, yep - Saigon.
The visa on arrival went very well and customs was uneventful. I found a Vinason taxi and was in mu hotel on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Q3 by 3 AM. After disturbing several hotel workers greatly I made it to my room. BTW - I went through Shanghai. Strange airport with unusual organization. Process of transition not as intuitive as some. Found my gate and heard many Vietnamese conversations going on. That was a comfort after hours of Mandarin which I don't speak but recognise immediately - it's full of sh sounds with a nasal quality.
The last leg of my flight was on a China Eastern Airbus adapted to tiny Asian people. It was like one of the Japanese torture boxes from WWII. Not enough room to sit down or stand up - no comfortable position possible. Won't do that again, just like I will never fly AA internationally - same same.
After bun bo hue for breakfast and bun thit nuong for lunch I walked to a bank and got 23,560 dong per dollar exchange rate - best I've ever seen.
By tomorrow AM Saigon time after hours of sleep I will be in sync with Vietnam.

Just out of interest, I suggest that you research into the rainfall, particularly in the peak rainy season. I've checked this all along the east coast, and the further north you go, the longer and heavier the rains seem to be - up until Hue, after which it seems to get more sheltered.

ie: (in inches)
Tranh Hoa Aug=5  Sept=10  Oct=5
Hue            July=10  Aug=17  Sept=10
Dha Nang  Aug= 5  Sept=10  Oct=18  Nov=10  Dec=5
Nha Trang Sept=5  Oct=9  Nov=5

Believe me, if you're averaging 13 inches of rain over 3 months, peaking at 18 inches in the middle, that's going to be one wet, muddy and miserable quarter!

https://weatherspark.com/y/119966/Avera … Year-Round

I like rain. It purifies the air. 

Andy Passenger wrote:

I like rain. It purifies the air. 

Cools it down too.

To your point, this year Đà Nẵng started off with a "dry" monsoon season, in that the wind direction shifted (as always happens during the monsoons) but didn't bring along any moisture.

The dry winds kicked up so much dust and other crud, many people--including locals--were getting really sick with allergic reactions; bronchitis, Rhinitis/hayfever and general malaise.

Most of us were thrilled to see the rains finally come.

A lot of that rain comes in downpour bursts of 1 to 3 inches. So 18 inches in a month sounds like constant rain, but there are a lot of breaks of dryness and sunshine in between the showers.

I just take more naps when it rains...

Of course, don't talk about the rain.

You might encourage it...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Of course, don't talk about the rain.

You might encourage it...

Ditto forecast on weather.com for Quy Nhon...perhaps January will be less rain...if not I'd be the last one to melt. Now considering bringing my SCUBA gear.

workplacestars wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Of course, don't talk about the rain.

You might encourage it...

Ditto forecast on weather.com for Quy Nhon...perhaps January will be less rain...if not I'd be the last one to melt. Now considering bringing my SCUBA gear.

In weather like this, at least a snorkel...