Job Discussion Forums

[lulugirl27]

In this forum, people seem to comment endlessly on how polluted, loud, etc Hanoi is---and that the weather suck and is worse than in HCMC. I thought HCMH was much hotter? How cold is the winter in Hanoi and are there any pleasant months, temperature-wise?
I realize it is congested, polluted, noisy
etc....but is there a big city in SE Asia that isn't??? Is the quality of life there that bad?
How about the Hanoians----are they at all friendly or accepting of foreigners?
I'm considering moving there; so many folks talk about how pretty it is, (or parts of it) but then everyone here rants about all it's faults.
Feedback and comments, please!! wondering if I should re-consider.
HCMC may not have the kind of nightlife I want.....I just want to be able to have at least a few places to go out and have some drinks, see movies, hang at cafes or hear live music. Hanoi has some of this, no??

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Hi Lulugirl,

No two ways about it, the traffic, noise and pollution in Hanoi are bad. They are not great in HCMC either but they are definitely an improvement. The weather in Hanoi is cold and wet during winter and bloody hot during the summer. Autumn and Spring are pleasant. In Saigon it doesn't really get cold as it has a tropical climate (only two seasons - wet and dry) and whilst it gets hot here there is often a nice breeze which cools things down a bit. The people in Saigon I have found to be much, much friendlier than those I dealt with in Hanoi (but of course I meet some lovely Vietnamese in Hanoi as well).

Saigon is not an attractive city but there are parts of Hanoi which are actually quite pretty (particularly around the lakes). I personally much prefer Saigon but that's just my two cents. Everyone is different and I've got friends in Hanoi who hate Saigon and love their lives in Hanoi. If you can, it might be a good idea to visit both cities as a tourist and see what floats your boat. Anyway good luck with whatever you decide.

[lulugirl27]

[snollygoster]

A/c is everywhere in Hanoi.
In another thread I see about how deceptive the Hanoians are. Believe it from a 9 year veteran. Short-sighted and smile while they steal your wallett. Not all of course, but in general, be prepared for a more sophisticated and miore devastating scam in Hanoi than in HCMC.
An official in an Embassy here told me that Hanoians have the provelege as having the highest level of fraud in visa applications in the world- says something doesn't it.
At least in HCMC they will TELL you they dont like you before they steal your walleyy, Hanoians will suck up then steal your wallett.
Cynical? Experience speaks loudly.
Beautiful? Hanoi COULD be beautiful if the locals stopped throwing used daipers etc in the lakes, stopped peeing in the street and took a bit more pride in what is a beautiful city, but MY rubbish is more important than the city beauty any time, and I'll throw it where I like. Its everyone else who makes it a mess- not me.Noting is ever my fault, its ALWAYS someone else who did it, Only ONCE did I ever hear a Hanoian admit something was her fault and that she would do something about it- That womans cudos flew to high levels in my eyes, and I was quick to congratulate her. It doesnt happen often.
The Chinese say "Hanoi wears the face of deception." All food for thought. Expect nothing, keep your hand on your money, never accept the first quote, and be aware you WILL be ripped off sometimes by a smiling face.

[just noel]

[haller_79]

[just noel]

P.S. I have just accepted a job in Saigon and will be moving back down there. Overall, Hanoi is ok, but it's not for me.

[1st Sgt Welsh]

Last summer in Hanoi we had many days with maximum temperatures of well over 40 degrees celsius, but I only spent one year in Hanoi so this may have been an anamoly. Air cons are plentiful in Hanoi but, when I was there (due to drought), so were the powercuts. Not much fun when you are trying to sleep, but this didn't happen everywhere in the city. For example, my friends who lived in West Lake (a suburb of Hanoi where many Vietnamese Government officials live), were able to mysteriously avoid losing their power

In regards to what Snollygooster wrote about the littering: its sad but true that so many potentially beautiful sights are ruined by idiots not disposing of their rubbish properly. Even places like Halong Bay (where there is something of a campaign to turn into one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and the Vietnamese, at least ostensibly, seem very proud of) has tonnes of discarded bottles, plastic bays and other junk floating around at a great cost to the magnificant scenery.

[barkwood]

[beenthere96-2005]

[Slanted & Enchanted]

Hi, newbie here.

Do you guys go away on weekends much? Are there many opportunites to escape the city and head to the mountains or go cruising around places like Ninh Binh? That's part of the appeal of my wanting to go to VN.

[LettersAthruZ]

Errmm......there really isn't anything amusing or interesting in Ninh Binh. By land, Sapa is do-able for a weekend, and so is HaLong Bay. JetStar Pacific and AirAsia can be dirt cheap if you catch them at the right times, offering cheap airfares to Nha Trang, Da Nang, and HCMC and Bangkok and sometimes Kuala Lumpar (even though the airport in K.L. is about 500 Kilometres from the City Centre).....

.....Yeah, there is a fair choice of places to escape to!

[davemon]

[quote="just noel"]

[vabeckele]

If you put the 'green' inbetween the black market rates and the banks rates, the 'green' would be the spread.

[garo]

[quote="davemon"]