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Living and working in Vietnam
Living and working in Vietnam: User move
Continuing the theme of combining work and travel, this time we will tell you about another Asian country - Vietnam, which can be a great haven for the long term for fans of exotic, ocean and coffee supervkusnogo.
Meet Anna is Fomenko, she lived for a year in Vietnam and kindly shared her experience and basic information that will be useful to anyone who thinks about the time (or not) of moving to another country.
I sometimes wonder if I could settle permanently in one place, nowhere to go, enjoy the same view from the window, to communicate with one group of people. Maybe someday it will happen, because almost a whole year of the four years of traveling through Asia, I spent in Vietnam. Here is the sea and the mountains, several climatic zones, a huge amount of fruits and convenient visa.
When to go
Official tourist season starts in Vietnam since the end of September and ends in March. This is the most comfortable time for a first acquaintance with the country. Even if you decide to move to Vietnam for all, it is better to live here for a while and see everything with your own eyes.
In which region to go
I love the sea, so we chose Mui Ne.
Most preferred Nha Trang as more modern and comfortable city. Some guys live and work in Mui Ne in the season and move to Nha Trang, where everything here is emptied.
Both of these resorts are located relatively close to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - the second largest after Hanoi (capital) city. So if you want to work under the palm trees on the coast, learn to surf or kite - this place is for you. In contrast to the beach resorts in the big cities in the summer it's hot and muggy, but close to the sea breeze and the constant heat is not so hard.
In the hot season, you can travel to Dalat. It's an amazing city. Only a few hours, and you forget about the heat. Dalat cool air and beautiful views, so it is also called the city of eternal spring or small Paris.
In Dalat, I was already three times. Every time I come with great pleasure. Rent a room in a hotel for $ 12 a day, we are thinking to move there for a couple of months. Naturally, not in a hotel, but in a rented room. So many parks, great coffee is rarely where you will find. Dalat for me - a delightful fusion of European and Asian. Something unique, want to return again and again.
Dalat, park
Dalat, of course, do not limit yourself. There are island Fukuoka, the imperial capital of Hue, Hanoi cold, exotic and travel Sapa. And that's not all.
I admit, I'm a big fan of Vietnamese ceramics, all these cups, saucers with the image of life.
About work
For foreigners working in Vietnam, pretty much. In addition to instructors Aquatics can get: a restaurant manager, an administrator at a hotel or club, a travel agent or the seller in the store. In Nha Trang and Mui Ne your Russian will be an added bonus - the tourists from Russia comes a lot, and the owners prefer to hire those who speak the language. English does not hurt, Australians are no less than the Russian.
Personal experience: I work remotely, but I know a lot of guys who make good money in the season and live here very comfortably. Difficult to name the amount of payment, and you can receive $ 250 and $ 500 and $ 1,000. Everything depends on the type of activity and your capabilities.
Flight
Here I can recommend to monitor not only loukostovye company but website www.vietnamairfares.org. Sometimes there can catch interesting suggestions. Recently friends have bought tickets to Moscow for $ 350 per person.
Insurance, medical training
In addition to standard recommendations for the insurance, I can share a personal experience. Socialized medicine inexpensive. But my acquaintance with her ended when the dentist suggested immediately snatch three teeth. Then I explained that it considered the operation and is more expensive than repair. Therefore, the girl saw a foreigner immediately counted income. But at that moment I felt a slight chill. Naturally, did not pull out and turned into a private clinic. There I did very well, put the seal, the doctor was very attentive and careful.
In Ho Chi Minh City is an entire street where there are a few good hospitals with different levels of service. Some doctors know Russian, as the education received from us. Although the main language of communication - English. Where to go - to a private clinic or public - only you choose. But I would recommend to apply to private and thus carefully choose the treating physician.
Visa
Visa for citizens of the Russian Federation for a period of 15 days is not necessary. If you are planning a trip to Vietnam for a longer period, then you need to obtain a visa in advance, as well as VisaApprovalLetter - visa support. This letter should be obtained in advance and present on arrival together with the visa.
Where can do VisaApprovalLetter? For example, take the help of agencies (one of them: visasup.com/ ).
Personal experience: we drove into Vietnam from Cambodia, made in the Vietnamese embassy visa for six months, so we do not VisaApprovalLetter handy. Since then traveled only once, rest of the time we extend a visa on the spot every three months. Using the services of intermediaries - we are so easy. Cost of visa extension from $ 30 for three months, depending on where and who you are renewing it, of course.
Easy to extend the visa:
need to get the documents to fill out;
usually fills them or owner of the hotel, Guest, home (where you will live) and certify in local law enforcement;
after that you carry paper and applying for a visa extension.
The procedure can be simplified if we pay an extra $ 10-15, then the agency will fill it ourselves and question papers will disappear by itself.
In addition, there is an opportunity to make a business visa to Vietnam for six months or a year. Conditions and opportunities carefully painted on the forum Vinskiy. Recommend the study guide from there - the whole process of getting painted detail, and you can read it exactly there.
Search property
To shelter each has its own requirements. It is difficult to recommend something. Most often, the search is already on site or through social networks. Facebook and "VKontakte" have a pretty big group devoted to these issues.
For example:
Flea market Mui Ne vk.com/baraholka_muine;
Mui Ne Buy Sell www.facebook.com/groups/296933003776101/;
Rent houses Mui Ne - Nha Trang vk.com/home.vietnam.
Options for those who want to live in the city, you can look at these websites:
Expat-blog;
Brighthomevietnam;
Saigonapartment.
I want to emphasize that the price - indicative, depends on the season, the requirements, the level of income may be more or less. It is difficult to give a specific range. There are guys who quietly laid in the amount of $ 400-500 (accommodation + food in Mui Ne), there are those that it seems inadequate.
For example, in the tourist area of Ho Chi Minh City, you can rent a room in otelchike from $ 7 per day, but comfortable to live and work, it will not. Normal studio in Ho Chi Minh City with the lease of six months and can be found from $ 250 a month for a room in a shared house, and from $ 500 - in a good area.
If you want to shoot it a villa with swimming pool in European style on the coast for a long time, the price can start from $ 1,000.
Vietnamese-style house will cost several times cheaper - from $ 400 per month. It is everything: hot and cold water, internet, washing machine, furniture and its own kitchen.
If the house is for you - it's a lot, then you can find a studio. As in the previous embodiments, the seasonal, but the average price starts at $ 300 per month. It is quite large rooms, bright, divided into sleeping and working areas.
For those who are focused on a budget option, suitable guesthouse, from $ 10-12 per night for a room, and an average of $ 220 a month - with hot water, internet, and a shared kitchen.
Prices for apartments in Nha Trang can kolafigetsya from $ 250 for a condo to $ 500 and above.
Also, the price for a room, a house, a villa depends on whether it is a tourist town or not. For example, in Nha Trang and Mui Ne prices are higher than in Danang or Vung Tau. In Vung Tau many Russian speakers, mostly people working on oil-producing enterprises. Yet more travel, I would call Nha Trang and Mui Ne.
The indicative budget for these towns will become:
Expenses / Ho Chi Minh City Nha Trang Mui Ne
Accommodation from $ 650 to $ 300 from $ 250
Meals from $ 300 to $ 300 from $ 200
We film studio in Mui Ne for $ 250, it has everything: internet, hot water, electricity, air conditioning, desk (important, yes).
What to look for:
renting a room, be careful: once specify, whether included in the payment of electricity. Sometimes this "forget" to mention at once;
paying a deposit, agree that it is - it is an automatic payment for the last month's rent;
If you are renting for a long term, be sure to request a discount - the more, the better. If the hosts are confident that you will live long, and give quite decent prices.
I want to emphasize that the number of options - endlessly. I know about the little rooms above the restaurant for $ 75 a month and a villa for $ 1,000. You can find accommodation in this range, and higher or lower. It all depends on your needs.
In the off-season (summer) rates fall, you can find an acceptable option is much cheaper. Again affect your ability to negotiate, and then, for how long you intend to stay in the house.
Transport
Price to rent motorbikes - from $ 6 per day and up, depending on its condition. Bike courier traditionally more expensive, although for long trips I recommend taking with manual switching speeds. If you plan to stay in Vietnam for a long time, then it is preferable to buy the, in many places of tourist proposals / used bikes. Price for them also vary depending on the season. Can be found for $ 100 and $ 150 - usually such suggestions appear at the end of the season, when most people leave. Naturally, new for this price you can not buy, but for a start it is not needed.
Officially to control the bike or car needs Vietnamese law, international standard does not work. Vietnamese law can be obtained on the spot, it is necessary to contact the police and update information on the site. But often foreigners in tourist areas go without rights since coming season.
Gasoline cost: about $ 1, 15-1, 20.
Personal experience: drive a car or a bike, of course, possible. But Vietnam is known for its crazy traffic on the roads. Here is the customary rules can not act: to stop and think before you, turn blinker on one side, and then roll to the other, go to overtake on the narrow road - all this is possible in Vietnam. Therefore, there is only one advice: accuracy and attentiveness. If you are not confident in their abilities, better use a taxi, bus or bike-taxi, plenty of them here.
Food
After several years of journey begins very appreciate home cooking. So mainly we buy products on the market and prepare them at home. Although I am a big fan of interesting and unusual coffee, so it's a special case of my expenses.
For example:
- Coffee at the coffee shop in the usual way in the Vietnamese style can cost from 7,000 dong (less than a dollar);
- Coffee in the coffee shop of the European type in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) - from the dollar, two, sometimes three.
Examples of food prices (per kg / liter):
Rice - from $ 0, 7.
Potatoes - $ 1, 2.
Sugar - $ 1.
Flour - from $ 1.
All local vegetables at the market (cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, green) - $ 0, 4-1, 2.
The price of fruit, except for some exotic, from $ 0, 4-2 per kilogram. For example, bananas - about $ 0, 5, pineapple - about $ 0, 7 apiece, papaya - from $ 0, 5. Imported fruits like apples cost $ 4.
Milk - $ 1, 4-2.
Fish - $ 1-7, normal - about $ 3.
Meat - from $ 3.
Eggs - from $ 0, 9 (per dozen).
What to eat and where to eat
Vietnamese cuisine is varied. Here, eat a lot of seafood, all kinds of meat (even exotics like crocodile or snake), a large number of tropical fruits. Worth trying the most out of what you can find. And the cuisine of north and south Vietnam have many differences. Sometimes you can find unfamiliar dishes even in the neighboring city or province.
Particular item of local cuisine is coffee. It seems that the whole of Vietnam impregnated his smell. It is drunk everywhere. In any cafe, wherever you come, you can always try this delicious drink. Traditional Vietnamese coffee drink is very strong, it is only diluted condensed milk and nothing else. Depending on the region, or the temperature, it can be hot or iced.
In addition, it is always served in a manual press "Fine", from which slowly, drop by drop flavored drink dripping on white condensed milk, allowing you to relax from the cares of the contemplation of this process. Live in Vietnam and never try the local coffee tantamount to a crime. Fragrant, with a strong taste, filtered through Finn - it's a whole philosophy.
What to do besides work
Firstly, you can learn yoga, surfing, kiting - there are many schools on the coast, offering their services.
Secondly, it is traveling on Vietnam. The country is quite large and diverse. North differs from the South. This imperial city of Hue, French Dalat speed Saigon, Hanoi cold. You can choose to stay and where interesting.
In Vietnam, people contact. Somehow there is a stereotype that the Vietnamese rarely smiled. To be honest, I do not know where he. People smile, laugh very often. Young people learning English, with them just to find a common language.
Vietnamese weekdays
Important details:
Internet and hot water in Vietnam tourism and big cities everywhere. With this there is no difficulty.
Mui Ne, Nha Trang - many say in plain English or Russian. Here problems arise with mutual understanding.
Ho Chi Minh City - mostly in English.
Personally, I can not write about Vietnam indefinitely. About unusual traditions, beautiful ceremony, traditional clothing. I wonder many things: culture, books, coffee. I think this country is impossible not to love this for what it is.
Anna Fomenko, project organizer Everywhere !, good traveler, on my list: Georgia, Azerbaijan, India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. In Vietnam, I lived for a year now, and I like it here. Engaged in the development of projects in the network.
©
Continuing the theme of combining work and travel, this time we will tell you about another Asian country - Vietnam, which can be a great haven for the long term for fans of exotic, ocean and coffee supervkusnogo.
Meet Anna is Fomenko, she lived for a year in Vietnam and kindly shared her experience and basic information that will be useful to anyone who thinks about the time (or not) of moving to another country.
I sometimes wonder if I could settle permanently in one place, nowhere to go, enjoy the same view from the window, to communicate with one group of people. Maybe someday it will happen, because almost a whole year of the four years of traveling through Asia, I spent in Vietnam. Here is the sea and the mountains, several climatic zones, a huge amount of fruits and convenient visa.
When to go
Official tourist season starts in Vietnam since the end of September and ends in March. This is the most comfortable time for a first acquaintance with the country. Even if you decide to move to Vietnam for all, it is better to live here for a while and see everything with your own eyes.
In which region to go
I love the sea, so we chose Mui Ne.
Most preferred Nha Trang as more modern and comfortable city. Some guys live and work in Mui Ne in the season and move to Nha Trang, where everything here is emptied.
Both of these resorts are located relatively close to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - the second largest after Hanoi (capital) city. So if you want to work under the palm trees on the coast, learn to surf or kite - this place is for you. In contrast to the beach resorts in the big cities in the summer it's hot and muggy, but close to the sea breeze and the constant heat is not so hard.
In the hot season, you can travel to Dalat. It's an amazing city. Only a few hours, and you forget about the heat. Dalat cool air and beautiful views, so it is also called the city of eternal spring or small Paris.
In Dalat, I was already three times. Every time I come with great pleasure. Rent a room in a hotel for $ 12 a day, we are thinking to move there for a couple of months. Naturally, not in a hotel, but in a rented room. So many parks, great coffee is rarely where you will find. Dalat for me - a delightful fusion of European and Asian. Something unique, want to return again and again.
Dalat, park
Dalat, of course, do not limit yourself. There are island Fukuoka, the imperial capital of Hue, Hanoi cold, exotic and travel Sapa. And that's not all.
I admit, I'm a big fan of Vietnamese ceramics, all these cups, saucers with the image of life.
About work
For foreigners working in Vietnam, pretty much. In addition to instructors Aquatics can get: a restaurant manager, an administrator at a hotel or club, a travel agent or the seller in the store. In Nha Trang and Mui Ne your Russian will be an added bonus - the tourists from Russia comes a lot, and the owners prefer to hire those who speak the language. English does not hurt, Australians are no less than the Russian.
Personal experience: I work remotely, but I know a lot of guys who make good money in the season and live here very comfortably. Difficult to name the amount of payment, and you can receive $ 250 and $ 500 and $ 1,000. Everything depends on the type of activity and your capabilities.
Flight
Here I can recommend to monitor not only loukostovye company but website www.vietnamairfares.org. Sometimes there can catch interesting suggestions. Recently friends have bought tickets to Moscow for $ 350 per person.
Insurance, medical training
In addition to standard recommendations for the insurance, I can share a personal experience. Socialized medicine inexpensive. But my acquaintance with her ended when the dentist suggested immediately snatch three teeth. Then I explained that it considered the operation and is more expensive than repair. Therefore, the girl saw a foreigner immediately counted income. But at that moment I felt a slight chill. Naturally, did not pull out and turned into a private clinic. There I did very well, put the seal, the doctor was very attentive and careful.
In Ho Chi Minh City is an entire street where there are a few good hospitals with different levels of service. Some doctors know Russian, as the education received from us. Although the main language of communication - English. Where to go - to a private clinic or public - only you choose. But I would recommend to apply to private and thus carefully choose the treating physician.
Visa
Visa for citizens of the Russian Federation for a period of 15 days is not necessary. If you are planning a trip to Vietnam for a longer period, then you need to obtain a visa in advance, as well as VisaApprovalLetter - visa support. This letter should be obtained in advance and present on arrival together with the visa.
Where can do VisaApprovalLetter? For example, take the help of agencies (one of them: visasup.com/ ).
Personal experience: we drove into Vietnam from Cambodia, made in the Vietnamese embassy visa for six months, so we do not VisaApprovalLetter handy. Since then traveled only once, rest of the time we extend a visa on the spot every three months. Using the services of intermediaries - we are so easy. Cost of visa extension from $ 30 for three months, depending on where and who you are renewing it, of course.
Easy to extend the visa:
need to get the documents to fill out;
usually fills them or owner of the hotel, Guest, home (where you will live) and certify in local law enforcement;
after that you carry paper and applying for a visa extension.
The procedure can be simplified if we pay an extra $ 10-15, then the agency will fill it ourselves and question papers will disappear by itself.
In addition, there is an opportunity to make a business visa to Vietnam for six months or a year. Conditions and opportunities carefully painted on the forum Vinskiy. Recommend the study guide from there - the whole process of getting painted detail, and you can read it exactly there.
Search property
To shelter each has its own requirements. It is difficult to recommend something. Most often, the search is already on site or through social networks. Facebook and "VKontakte" have a pretty big group devoted to these issues.
For example:
Flea market Mui Ne vk.com/baraholka_muine;
Mui Ne Buy Sell www.facebook.com/groups/296933003776101/;
Rent houses Mui Ne - Nha Trang vk.com/home.vietnam.
Options for those who want to live in the city, you can look at these websites:
Expat-blog;
Brighthomevietnam;
Saigonapartment.
I want to emphasize that the price - indicative, depends on the season, the requirements, the level of income may be more or less. It is difficult to give a specific range. There are guys who quietly laid in the amount of $ 400-500 (accommodation + food in Mui Ne), there are those that it seems inadequate.
For example, in the tourist area of Ho Chi Minh City, you can rent a room in otelchike from $ 7 per day, but comfortable to live and work, it will not. Normal studio in Ho Chi Minh City with the lease of six months and can be found from $ 250 a month for a room in a shared house, and from $ 500 - in a good area.
If you want to shoot it a villa with swimming pool in European style on the coast for a long time, the price can start from $ 1,000.
Vietnamese-style house will cost several times cheaper - from $ 400 per month. It is everything: hot and cold water, internet, washing machine, furniture and its own kitchen.
If the house is for you - it's a lot, then you can find a studio. As in the previous embodiments, the seasonal, but the average price starts at $ 300 per month. It is quite large rooms, bright, divided into sleeping and working areas.
For those who are focused on a budget option, suitable guesthouse, from $ 10-12 per night for a room, and an average of $ 220 a month - with hot water, internet, and a shared kitchen.
Prices for apartments in Nha Trang can kolafigetsya from $ 250 for a condo to $ 500 and above.
Also, the price for a room, a house, a villa depends on whether it is a tourist town or not. For example, in Nha Trang and Mui Ne prices are higher than in Danang or Vung Tau. In Vung Tau many Russian speakers, mostly people working on oil-producing enterprises. Yet more travel, I would call Nha Trang and Mui Ne.
The indicative budget for these towns will become:
Expenses / Ho Chi Minh City Nha Trang Mui Ne
Accommodation from $ 650 to $ 300 from $ 250
Meals from $ 300 to $ 300 from $ 200
We film studio in Mui Ne for $ 250, it has everything: internet, hot water, electricity, air conditioning, desk (important, yes).
What to look for:
renting a room, be careful: once specify, whether included in the payment of electricity. Sometimes this "forget" to mention at once;
paying a deposit, agree that it is - it is an automatic payment for the last month's rent;
If you are renting for a long term, be sure to request a discount - the more, the better. If the hosts are confident that you will live long, and give quite decent prices.
I want to emphasize that the number of options - endlessly. I know about the little rooms above the restaurant for $ 75 a month and a villa for $ 1,000. You can find accommodation in this range, and higher or lower. It all depends on your needs.
In the off-season (summer) rates fall, you can find an acceptable option is much cheaper. Again affect your ability to negotiate, and then, for how long you intend to stay in the house.
Transport
Price to rent motorbikes - from $ 6 per day and up, depending on its condition. Bike courier traditionally more expensive, although for long trips I recommend taking with manual switching speeds. If you plan to stay in Vietnam for a long time, then it is preferable to buy the, in many places of tourist proposals / used bikes. Price for them also vary depending on the season. Can be found for $ 100 and $ 150 - usually such suggestions appear at the end of the season, when most people leave. Naturally, new for this price you can not buy, but for a start it is not needed.
Officially to control the bike or car needs Vietnamese law, international standard does not work. Vietnamese law can be obtained on the spot, it is necessary to contact the police and update information on the site. But often foreigners in tourist areas go without rights since coming season.
Gasoline cost: about $ 1, 15-1, 20.
Personal experience: drive a car or a bike, of course, possible. But Vietnam is known for its crazy traffic on the roads. Here is the customary rules can not act: to stop and think before you, turn blinker on one side, and then roll to the other, go to overtake on the narrow road - all this is possible in Vietnam. Therefore, there is only one advice: accuracy and attentiveness. If you are not confident in their abilities, better use a taxi, bus or bike-taxi, plenty of them here.
Food
After several years of journey begins very appreciate home cooking. So mainly we buy products on the market and prepare them at home. Although I am a big fan of interesting and unusual coffee, so it's a special case of my expenses.
For example:
- Coffee at the coffee shop in the usual way in the Vietnamese style can cost from 7,000 dong (less than a dollar);
- Coffee in the coffee shop of the European type in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) - from the dollar, two, sometimes three.
Examples of food prices (per kg / liter):
Rice - from $ 0, 7.
Potatoes - $ 1, 2.
Sugar - $ 1.
Flour - from $ 1.
All local vegetables at the market (cucumbers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, green) - $ 0, 4-1, 2.
The price of fruit, except for some exotic, from $ 0, 4-2 per kilogram. For example, bananas - about $ 0, 5, pineapple - about $ 0, 7 apiece, papaya - from $ 0, 5. Imported fruits like apples cost $ 4.
Milk - $ 1, 4-2.
Fish - $ 1-7, normal - about $ 3.
Meat - from $ 3.
Eggs - from $ 0, 9 (per dozen).
What to eat and where to eat
Vietnamese cuisine is varied. Here, eat a lot of seafood, all kinds of meat (even exotics like crocodile or snake), a large number of tropical fruits. Worth trying the most out of what you can find. And the cuisine of north and south Vietnam have many differences. Sometimes you can find unfamiliar dishes even in the neighboring city or province.
Particular item of local cuisine is coffee. It seems that the whole of Vietnam impregnated his smell. It is drunk everywhere. In any cafe, wherever you come, you can always try this delicious drink. Traditional Vietnamese coffee drink is very strong, it is only diluted condensed milk and nothing else. Depending on the region, or the temperature, it can be hot or iced.
In addition, it is always served in a manual press "Fine", from which slowly, drop by drop flavored drink dripping on white condensed milk, allowing you to relax from the cares of the contemplation of this process. Live in Vietnam and never try the local coffee tantamount to a crime. Fragrant, with a strong taste, filtered through Finn - it's a whole philosophy.
What to do besides work
Firstly, you can learn yoga, surfing, kiting - there are many schools on the coast, offering their services.
Secondly, it is traveling on Vietnam. The country is quite large and diverse. North differs from the South. This imperial city of Hue, French Dalat speed Saigon, Hanoi cold. You can choose to stay and where interesting.
In Vietnam, people contact. Somehow there is a stereotype that the Vietnamese rarely smiled. To be honest, I do not know where he. People smile, laugh very often. Young people learning English, with them just to find a common language.
Vietnamese weekdays
Important details:
Internet and hot water in Vietnam tourism and big cities everywhere. With this there is no difficulty.
Mui Ne, Nha Trang - many say in plain English or Russian. Here problems arise with mutual understanding.
Ho Chi Minh City - mostly in English.
Personally, I can not write about Vietnam indefinitely. About unusual traditions, beautiful ceremony, traditional clothing. I wonder many things: culture, books, coffee. I think this country is impossible not to love this for what it is.
Anna Fomenko, project organizer Everywhere !, good traveler, on my list: Georgia, Azerbaijan, India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. In Vietnam, I lived for a year now, and I like it here. Engaged in the development of projects in the network.
©