I have been both HCM and Da Nang. Da Nang is obviously a winner. Cooler climate, nicer people, less crowded, less pollution. Love it here

Da Nang

Let's make it short again: (1,5 years living experience in Da Nang)Da Nang is Chiang Mai with a Beach without the annoying nomad scenes.-Most foreigners are English teachers or retired Australians. If you don't like it, mix up with locals. 90% of my friends are Vietnamese. -Be careful with Constructions at the Beach Side. If you want a quiet life go to Son Tra. If you want more Action go to An Thuong Area. If you want local experience go behind the bridge - Nightlife growing and enough Options there. (Check out DJ Mad Tea Party in Da Nang) - Clean Air and Beautiful Environment- Amazing Girls that are easy if you are good-looking. ( But logically not comparable to Saigon or Hanoi ) But if you are not good-looking go better to Thailand or Philipinnes.- Locals English level is very low besides some young peopleIf you need this whole scam Digital Nomad Events, you are wrong here. If you are able to earn yourself a nice income and want a beautiful and amazing place with BEACH AND MOUNTAINS. Welcome to Da Nang!I love it so much.PS: the rain season sux asf. See it as the burning season in chiang mai without the burn :) Avoid it!

After having lived here for two months, I've got to say that this must be one of the worst places in Asia. The only reason I am still here is because I'm stuck due to the covid-19 situation. There is nothing to do here, except going for a walk at the beach. No events, no social life, no activities. Mind you, this has nothing to do with the current situation, it was the same before things got shut down because of the virus.The locals don't really like foreigners and you can feel that often, even though the city wants to be a tourism destination. There is no mingling between locals and foreigners at all, because the city is divided by the river. All the locals live on the left side and all the foreigners on the right side. A few foreign guys date Vietnamese girls, that's it. That means you are living in a bubble with other foreigners which has nothing to do with living in Asia. The expat community consists to 90% of English teachers. It's really hard to meet people here who are actually nomads or are doing something else with their lives than teaching English. If that's your crowd, go ahead.

Pro's:- Beach is beautiful- Food pricing is decentCon's- This whole city starting from the airport to the beach is trying to take advantage of your tourist intentions, feels like everyone is trying to overcharge or scam- Barely any english spoken here, hard to communicate- Lot of construction because it is still developingIn summary: Ok for a 2 days visit, skip living here long term

I previously wrote a very long review on Da Nang and wanted to update my experience after almost 1 month here. As mentioned, Da Nang is an up and coming place but is not for everyone. From my perspective the main pros and cons are as follows:+ very affordable. Rent, food, and taking grabs around is very cheap.+ beautiful area and surrounding. A lot of interesting day trips, especially with a motorbike.+ good place to digital nomad in, plenty of coffeeshops and places to work. An expat scene too.- You'll feel like a walking wallet. We've been ripped off by immigration, taxi drivers, restaurants, etc. Most of the restaurants in our area have fake reviews. You sort of have to be on your guard more than other places in south east asia.- Its not pleasant to walk around here. Crossing the road is terrifying (you get used to it a bit) and there's construction everywhere so sidewalks are a mess.- Still developing. At least where I live (My Anh), there is tons of construction (really loud). People selling various foods with loud speakers (Banh Bao!) into the late hours of the night (which gets old really fast. This area feels like a mix of tourist traps and construction sites. However, there are some gems to be found and once you're here for a week or so, there are plenty of good places to regular.To summarize: While I had a very negative impression of Da Nang, i don't think it's such a bad place. Compared to a place like Chiang Mai, it is a much harder place to live as a DN, but you also may be rewarded with a bit more authenticity. There is something fun about living in a place that is changing at such a rapid place, but many downsides as well. Personally, I would probably advise waiting several years before coming to Da Nang until it's more developed. Or if you do stay, trying to stay in neighborhoods by the main city rather than near the beach, which feels more like a tourist trap under construction. In general, it's a reasonably livable city. You'll get some of the vibrant energy that makes Vietnam special, but without the convenience of a place like Chiang Mai or the culture and history of somewhere like Hanoi.

There's another long review here that's based on (1 week) but is very accurate.Been here almost 3 months, If you've lived around Asia, you'll find the Vietnamese to be louder and rude in comparison to Thailand / Korea / Taiwan.Da Nang is a huge construction site, Vietnamese food is bland.They tend to rip each other off, and foreigners aren't treated differently as well.Do not pay Grab taxis here in advance (cash only, avoid credit cards) the locals like to "pick up" without actually picking you up.Hoi an is near by, and its got a nice beach (An Bang)In general, have to agree with the one week reviewer, Da nang is relatively safe but if you've lived in Bangkok or Chiang mai in the past, you won't like it.

This is going to be a long review but hopefully it will be helpful. I understand this is my subjective experience after only a limited amount of time (1 week) in Da Nang and your mileage may vary. I could imagine some people really enjoying living here but for me it is not a great place to live and I decided to shorten my stay as a result. To start, some good things about Da Nang: It is a very cheap place to live and I think you get decent value too. There are many coffeeshops to work out of and if you search you can find some nice spots to eat, drink, and hang out. There are things to visit in the surrounding area. The city itself has an interesting vibe, like the rest of Vietnam it is very vibrant, but also is in an extreme period of transition and it shows.I have been living in the My An area of Da Nang (by the beach). I could imagine some people really enjoying living here but I personally do not like it here for a few reasons.To start, some good things about Da Nang: — It is a very cheap place to live and I think you get decent value too.— There are many coffee shops to work out of and if you search you can find some nice spots to eat, drink, and hang out.— There are things to visit in the surrounding area. — The city itself has an interesting vibe, like the rest of Vietnam it is very vibrant, but also is in an extreme period of transition and it shows. — The traffic isn’t so bad and roads are decent for the region.— There is a decent expat scene and some nice people to hang out with, although this seems in isolation to the rest of the city.However, there are many negatives, I’ll just list the two main ones for brevity:— You will feel like a walking wallet and people will try to rip you off everywhere. We had some majorly inconvenient and expensive issues with the visa process, experienced blatant lying and short changing by taxi drivers, ridiculously priced items at shops. In our neighborhood, tons of the restaurants have fake reviews and terrible food. Basically, you feel like you need to be on your guard or you will be taken advantage of, which makes it not very enjoyable to stay here.— Rapid Development Pains. Because Da Nang is developing so fast, there are a lot of rough edges, as one could expect. Construction is everywhere and makes it hard to walk around. To add to this, crossing the street in any city of Vietnam is quite a stressful experience. Most of the ATMs in the city seem to not work. There are random power outages in our neighborhood. The area we live feels like a depressing mix of construction lots and tourist traps. To summarize: We had a very negative introduction to Da Nang, but after several days here, things did get a bit better. Compared to a place like Chiang Mai, it is a much harder place to live as a DN, but you also may be rewarded with a bit more authenticity. There is something fun about living in a place that is changing at such a rapid place, but many downsides as well. Personally, I would probably advise waiting several years before coming to Da Nang. Or if you do stay, trying to stay in neighborhoods by the main city rather than near the beach, which feels more like a tourist trap under construction.

Scenic beach + mountains, decent internet, excellent cheap food and a vibrant expat community makes this one of my favorite spots in SEA.

I've been here a couple times, living in HCMC right now. Compared to HCMC, there's alot less traffic and pollution. Beach is a huge plus. Locals are super friendly. Loads of Korean tourists. Nightlife is actually pretty decent given it's not an especially big city. I'd say there's a fair amount for a young single guy to do. Considering moving here. One of the other reviews mentioned the construction, that's everywhere in Vietnam. But it's easy enough to avoid it in Da Nang if you get a place closer to the river/downtown. I'm honestly surprised to see Da Nang hasn't taken off more with the remote working crowd. Way better than Bali. Yuck!

I have spend 2 months there but their is not a lot to do. The city is not very special. And the beach is ok for walking. But that is about it.

Wrote a really long review that disappeared. To summarize it: way too much construction going on here. Might be a nicer place 5-10 years from now.

One of the best places to live in Vietnam. I'm glad not many people have discovered this city yet :)

Hanoi feels more like a "large village" than a proper city. It's also what I call "unapologetically Vietnamese" given the way most places and shops are occupied and used by locals. English penetration isn't bad, but maybe because I speak Vietnamese I never had much of a problem in Hanoi. Prices for coffee, juice, smoothies, and food are insanely affordable. I wouldn't say the locals are "friendly to a fault" and mostly have left me alone.   Yes, the old town city center is dirty, garbage on the sidewalks and streets are a common sight. Traffic is chaotic but I never found it a nightmare, no worse than other SE Asian cities I've been to. I wasn't really prepared nor never liked how "cash only" heavy Hanoi is, even higher end cocktail lounges don't accept cards.

Hanoi

Hanoi feels more like a "large village" than a proper city. It's also what I call "unapologetically Vietnamese" given the way most places and shops are occupied and used by locals. English penetration isn't bad, but maybe because I speak Vietnamese I never had much of a problem in Hanoi. Prices for coffee, juice, smoothies, and food are insanely affordable. I wouldn't say the locals are "friendly to a fault" and mostly have left me alone. Yes, the old town city center is dirty, garbage on the sidewalks and streets are a common sight. Traffic is chaotic but I never found it a nightmare, no worse than other SE Asian cities I've been to. I wasn't really prepared nor never liked how "cash only" heavy Hanoi is, even higher end cocktail lounges don't accept cards.

I do not like Hanoi. I would not recommend it. I would rather go to Mexico city (cleaner and easier to get around). The driving situation is bizarre and scary. Gab app only works with cash, and honestly, most things only work with cash. The streets are dirty and disorganized. People barely speak English here (I found more english speakers in Da Nang, Vietnam). I tried to stay in Truc Bach and it was so dirty and loud that i left to West lake (which is supposed to be one of the nice area). It is a bit cleaner but still, the air quality is horrendous in this city. The internet is okay, its functional but not great. I am not a fan of the people either, so far they have scammed me and deceived me. The people in Da Nang, Vietnam are much nicer and friendly. Honestly, i would not waste a ticket or money on a long stay here. If you want to come to go to the famous attractions, cool. But i would not recommend staying here for a long time. Not a place for nomads based on my standards.

Cheep bear and party place. But only have 3-4 beautiful places to visit. I stayed 5 days and thanks! There are more beautiful places in Asia than Hanoi. I don´t think I come back. Good food and cheap but nothing more..

Could never tolerate this city beyond a couple of weeks. Always felt like an alien here because the locals are even more antisocial than southern and central Vietnamese. That is, unless they were trying to hassle me for free English lessons.

I lived in Hanoi for 3 full months and I really loved it. Hanoi has a big foreigner district called 'Tay Ho'. If what you are looking for is somewhat foreigner(English) friendly, the spot is yours. However I preferred to stay in the Japanese area that was full of good sushi. The charm of the city comes from the people. Vietnamese are aggressively kind and way too friendly. I even rented a piano from a local shop, placed it at home and played it. Took private Muythai lesson from a local gym where the instructor speak no single word of English. Had beautifully tasted egg coffee from a local coffee shop and delicious bun-cha, pho and bahn mi. Went to a local market to buy fruits and veggies. Had beers and hookah in the old quarter. Made a best friend with piano teacher and my bf's barber(!). Hanoi is the city that wonderful things happen :)

Terrible place. Don't go!I jest. I loved my three weeks in Hanoi. Going to beer street and drinking 50 cent beer while munching on spring rolls with beautiful locals. The interesting architecture which is infinitely more beautiful than Saigon, which is an ugly city in comparison. Hanoi just has this vibe that you're actually in a foreign country. The old town is great, the prices are great, the food is great. It's a wonderful place. The downsides are the air quality and the enforced curfew for bars. The cops come out and shut down all the bars at midnight. But that doesn't mean the party stops. Everyone just goes to the underground parties after that. I think Hanoi is a great place and you all shouldn't go there.

Hanoi is great, it's bursting with culture, tasty food and beautiful people. I lived here for almost 3 months and loved it. Summer is really hot and air quality is bad so check what time of year you go! Make sure you hit up Sapa - get the overnight train, also Ninh Binh is perfect for a weekend trip!

My wife and I have been living in Hanoi now for over five months. After having lived in Japan for nine years, KOREA for four months, Kunming, China for four months and Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia for two months each we’ve decided that Hanoi is our favorite city of all (when factoring in cost of living—and probably regardless of cost-of-living). I don’t agree with the current traffic safety assessment. I walk everyday allOver the city—on average, 10 miles a day and in every direction. I’ve personally witnessed six or seven motorcycle accidents and been hit from behind by a motorcycle while walking, sustaining painful injuries requiring months to heal. I have had direct contact with three other people involved in motorcycle accidents. Love the city and still walk every day, but safe...NO. Meanwhile, I do agree with most of the cost factors I see listed. What amazes me is the assessment that there is “bad nightlife” here???! What?? If all you’re looking for is a place to get drunk and pick up women, maybe. But what I love most about the city is that nightlife is evident in every neighborhood, coffee shop, cafe and on every sidewalk every evening. People are out relaxing, eating, drinking and socializing everywhere I go every night, and in every neighborhood—not just in the “entertainment districts”—which almost always bore me, anyway. So I guess it depends on what kind of traveler you are. Further, this city is resplendent with interesting architecture, historical buildings and monuments, temples, lakes and the rivers, and has a fantastic international community. I’m Caucasian but have interacted frequently with people of all races, and most frequently with the local Vietnamese community. While unfortunately it does seem that Hanoi is not freer of racism than New York, London, Tokyo, Sao Palo, or any other major city in the world I certainly feel that is less racist than many places—just my personal perception. I’ve only spoken with one person in five months (a beautiful Indian woman) who talked about feeling discriminated against, and that was in reference to getting an English teaching job. Yes, it does seem that a white face, even with non-native English, can get hired as an English teacher far more easily than an Asian or person of other racial heritage, even if that person speaks English almost like a native—as this woman did. Ultimately I can only go by my own experience. People have been kind, mostly extremely honest, helpful and friendly and it is the Hanoians themselves who have been mostly responsible for my love affair with this city. The delicious coffee and food and interesting places to walk with no fear of being attacked, accosted or robbed have only helped. Now, if they’d just do something about the air pollution—second worst in Asia by many accounts.

I liked Ho Chi Minh City a lot. It has all of the convivences one could expect from the city except for an MRT system which as of September 2022, they are in the middle of building one anyway. Things are affordable although I have noticed a tamer street food scene compared to other places in Vietnam like Hanoi. Seems to be making more room for higher end dining but affordability is still easy. HCMC without a doubt has some great nightlife, so party animals are going to be very happy here. I am sure those willing to use grab or even rent a motorbike may find even more affordability outside of District 1.

Ho Chi Minh City

Been living here for more than 3 years. Overall I do not recommend it. Its not terrible but overall theres better options in asia. The city is constantly busy, noisy and polluted (air and landscapes). You can hardly go out for breeze of fresh air or to relax and ease your mind. There is not much nature, beach or mountains for you to escape. Traveling is very restriced because people go crazy due to covid. During the lockdown you couldnt even leave your appartment for a walk outside. They trapped everyone inside. It was like a prison! It is very hostile for dogs as most Vietnamese treat animals like trash. The people can be rude and xenophobic. Some people are nice and helpful if you ask them but overall very uneducated, sleezy and close minded. The girls are attractive in looks department but dont make great long term partners as they are too childish, insecure, and stupid. In general the people are funny and sociable but uneducated, immature, poor. It is an interesting place to discover for a few weeks after that you wanna get away

Only thing to add is that in general Saigon has terrible walkability. I love Saigon, lived there for 3 years. But motorbikes are always parked on the sidewalks so you constantly have to step onto the road which is a little hair raising. And if it's not motorbikes then there are restaurant tables scattered across the pavement. Plus the pavement is almost always cracked. I'm a pretty chill person. But going for a random walk in Saigon always leaves me kind of irritated after a while. Of course the parks and pedestrian zones are all fine though.Great city, but you need to drive everywhere.

Usually goes dead after one month. Polluted streets and antisocial locals. It’s okay for a few weeks, but the fun diminishes quickly and boredom sets in. You are left with high rent and no fun after about a month.

It used to have a lot of character and charm but all the construction is making the city lose its culture.Apartments and accommodation are ridiculously expensive. 300 to 500 a month for tiny rooms in a shared house.For single guys go elsewhere. Women here are rude, ultra conservative and have flat personalities with nothing going for them. Food is okay but plenty of MSG and food safety is atrocious. In addition motorists are aggressive and plenty of accidents take place.Don't live here imo but come and visit.

Main advantage of Vietnam in general is the ease of getting a visa. That's real nice but there are some big problems here. The food is terrible. Bland soups with slippery, boring rice noodles topped with weird stuff like pig's feet are not my idea of a good meal. Neither are sandwiches with fatty mystery meats. Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia all have way better food. The sushi I've had here was also terrible. The city itself is pretty ugly. Every building is the same tall, skinny shape. Overall safety is low and you'll probably end up in a traffic accident if you stay here long enough. It costs more to rent a place and if you're on a low budget you'll likely end up in a home stay or guesthouse when you could have rented an apartment for the same price in another city. Many places have curfews, even as early as 8pm, so make sure to ask your Airbnb about that because they won't bother to mention it in the listing. Stay in D1/D10/D3/D4/Phu nhuan. Avoid Tan phu, D7, D2, Tan binh, and Go vap.Avoid the rainy season.

Ho Chi Minh City is clearly the place to be right now. What I like most is the diversity : there are quiet places, busy places, cheap places, fancy places. Above all, the most important thing for a digital nomad is the Internet and it's almost perfect (there are some breakdowns a few seconds here and there) but overall it's pretty fast. You can feel a great vibe, there is just the right balance between chaos and comfort. Highly recommend.

Great city for working that is incredibly cheap and has great cafes to work at. There's plenty of activities and social events so making friends was easy. Sadly food quality and air quality is very poor and there is a lack of nature nearby. I recommend staying here three months to half a year if you want a big city life but longer than that and you will get bored. Also stay out of district one as outside of it everything is cheaper and there's still plenty to do.

"omagad they like totally stole my iphone", "it's like the worst, everybody is like so aggressive" welcome to the Real World, maybe you now learn to appreciate your cosy first world country and stop bitching about your oppression and your rights.Ho Chi Minh is an awesome upcoming city. It has an original and still traditional look and vibe to it, interesting colors (check out japanese district) not swamped with brand shops (the local coffee shops dominate starbucks in terms of quality and design and some are open 24h !). The nightlife also has plenty of options and be sure to enjoy the view from a the many rooftop bars in the city.You get to see a city full of energetic, young people growing their country after a devastating war and under an authoritarian regime. You get a choice between older buildings in D1 or totally new apartment buildings in D2 all at great value prices.There are a lot of people coming here to work remotely and also to start businesses. Decent sports facilities readily available (check out mach's gym, UFC center). If you don't want to spend money on the gym you can always do a workout on one of the many parks that have bars for chalistenics available.However, beware the pollution and always wear a mask, especially in D1. This is the biggest con here in my opinion.

worst place I have ever been to. walking is difficult. weather is extremely humid. lack of infrastructure so terrible smells which are hard to cope with. they keep trying to sell you things. lastly, aggressive people all around the place, especially males.

Cheap and friendly city. very spread out with limited public transport but there is an Uber-like app called Grab you can use to get a ride to anywhere in the city cheaply.

my girlfriend's iPhone was stolen from a backpack in Ho Chi Minh City - be careful in this city

Ho Chi Minh City is a big hot spot for digital nomads. Currently experiencing huge growth in the number of co-working spaces available. It has a slower pace of life compared to other cities. Ho Chi Minh City is well known for its coffee culture (many local cafés), traditional architecture, and friendly locals. Prices for food and accommodation are low in comparison to other South East Asian locations. Added bonus: weekend getaways at the beach are just a bus ride away.

Big, dirty, vibrant, and cheap. Not an easy city compared to somewhere like Bangkok, but it's a good experience. I recommend at least a three-month stay.

Very nice place to stay a few days. I would not recommend to stay very long, since there is not much to do. On the other hand its a beautiful place to relax. There will be a lot of tourists in the next years, so go there before that will happen.

Phu Quoc

Very nice place to stay a few days. I would not recommend to stay very long, since there is not much to do. On the other hand its a beautiful place to relax.There will be a lot of tourists in the next years, so go there before that will happen.

Terrible. Don't go here if you need to get work done.

City was cheap and pretty but there's not that many cafes to work from, plenty of tourists and it was hard to make friends. If you go here make sure to rent a motorbike and check out the nature but there are better places to live at in Vietnam.

Nha Trang

Many Russians live here. Not the tattoo ones, mostly Russian families often with small kids. Many of them has small restaurants or shops. We stayed for one months and it wasn't great but it was also not too bad. We stayed in many places in Vietnam for long periods of time but in Nha Trang the locals are not very friendly. Especially the men are very macho and rude.

0.02$ for dinner?? Load of crap. Anyone who has been here or lives here knows that it is impossible. Who puts those calculations!? Totally unreliable

I stayed in Hoi An much longer than I planned (10 days) because it was so pleasant. Yes, tourists everywhere. But my hotel was gorgeous and cheap and the wifi was plenty fast for work. When not working I biked out to the beach or through the paddies or into town (too crowded for a bike most times but functional if needed) or just around the countryside. Had some of my friendliest encounters here and as a single woman, always felt safe - night or day. 

Hoi An

I stayed in Hoi An much longer than I planned (10 days) because it was so pleasant. Yes, tourists everywhere. But my hotel was gorgeous and cheap and the wifi was plenty fast for work. When not working I biked out to the beach or through the paddies or into town (too crowded for a bike most times but functional if needed) or just around the countryside. Had some of my friendliest encounters here and as a single woman, always felt safe - night or day.

Completely artificial and touristy city. The only locals you see are there to serve tourists. Gets extremely packed from afternoon to night time. Hoards of Chinese tourists. But tons of great food with many international cuisines, and still cheap to rent. So if all you care about is the comforts of home at a cheap price, maybe you’d like it, but I would never visit here for more than 2-3 days let alone be a nomad here.

I would never go here as a digital nomad. It's a tourist trap. Fun for a few romantic nights, but every closes around 10PM and people try to sell you stuff all the time. The phrase "You want to buy something" is something I remember from Hoi An. Did go there with my girlfriend on a holiday, but I would never go there as nomad. Only Ho Chi Minh/Saigon I would go to.

Loved by solo female travelers for its mellowness and safety. You can bicycle around town, do some work in the cute cafes and coworkings and meet other nomads easily.

Hoi An is awesome! My partner and I are digital nomads and love the life here. It is peaceful, yet has an active, vibrant expat community. It is home to delicious  food, world-class art and great people. The internet speed is 15 mbs and up and home to an awesome co-working space and great cafés. Some of those scores need to be updated! 🙏❤🙏😎

Da Lat is not a great place. I came here for  fresh air (after 1 year in Chiang Mai) but unfortunately that is an illusion. They are burning in the mountains and you can see the smoke going up to the sky.  And in the city it is not much better, the air is very much polluted there as well. I tried many restaurants but mostly the food is not very good and the service is depressingly bad. Combine that with the rubbish you see everywhere (especially around the center) and Da Lat makes not a happy place.

Da Lat

Da Lat is not a great place. I came here for fresh air (after 1 year in Chiang Mai) but unfortunately that is an illusion. They are burning in the mountains and you can see the smoke going up to the sky. And in the city it is not much better, the air is very much polluted there as well. I tried many restaurants but mostly the food is not very good and the service is depressingly bad. Combine that with the rubbish you see everywhere (especially around the center) and Da Lat makes not a happy place.

Perfect temperatures, fantastic coffee scene, rather relaxed mid-sized town atmosphere. As of late 2018 it's still not crowded with tourists or expats so it's retained authenticity. That said, the small expat community is very friendly and relatively close-knit. Moreover, great waterfalls and a few decent mountain hikes around the city.On the downside: the night life is about non-existent and the town seems poor for dating if you're into it. However, overall it's great for winding down from big city life and getting some work done.Best time to stay: from late November to late April, when it's dry.

Wasn't a huge fan of Mui Ne. Looks like most of the place is catering to Russian midrange tourists. The sand dunes are pretty cool, make sure to visit them, but wear covering clothes in order to not get badly sunburned.

Best Cities To Remote Work In Vietnam

Da Nang

Hanoi

Ho Chi Minh City

Phu Quoc

Nha Trang

Hoi An

Da Lat

Mui Ne

Hue

Sa Pa

What Makes These Cities in Vietnam the Best for Remote Work?

How To Choose The Best City in Vietnam For Your Remote Work Needs ?