Vietnam Travel Tips : A Bustling Epicenter with an Eccentric Pace

When you think of Vietnam, you probably think of wise Vietnamese woman in conical hats, lush green rivers, and a third-world country. I did too until my flight landed in Ho Chi Minh and I was thrust into the city. After just feeling like I had become accustomed to the Bali way of life, BOOM, I take a straight slap to the face by Ho Chi Minh. It has nearly knocked me off my feet but I recover quickly and I’ve started to find a charm to this city. Nomad life is possible here, and below you’ll find out some ways to digital nomad right in the capital of Vietnam.

Step Out of the Comfort Zone in Saigon’s Bizarre Cafe Scene

Saigon ( Now called Ho Chi Minh ) makes up for it’s lack of nomad places with its vast variety of cafes that are some of the best of Vietnam. I will refer to Ho Chi Minh City as HCMC throughout the article. Most independent cafes fall under one of these three categories: garden cafes, nostalgia cafes, and ‘modern’ cafes. Garden cafes try to recreate the peace and serenity of rural Vietnam. Nostalgia cafes focus on the past – whether it’s 1960’s Europe or medieval Southeast Asia. ‘Modern’ cafes often have a theme: an artistic or architectural movement, a famous band or person, a nation or religion.

Personally, it really depends on my mood that day or the amount of Vietnamese funk I want to immerse myself in. Most Cafes will have a good Wi-Fi connection and coffee options. I will be posting a full list/guide to the top cafes in HCMC later this week so come on back to start planning out your offices for the day in Ho Chi Minh.

The Districts of HCMC and What Makes them Each Unique

Ho Chi Minh City is a city that spreads out endlessly into low-rise developments and industrial zones like the ones you’ll find in Thu Duc and Binh Tan. Areas like District 1 magnify the city into a small place. District 1 contains a deep contrast like the chaotic Bui View Walking Street ( backpacker Bui View ) and the six-star hotel, The Reverie, on Nguyen Hue. Then there’s the tree-lined boulevards and authentic street food of District 3, the reclaimed swampland of self-sufficient District 2, and the grimier ensemble of Phu Nhuan with its restaurant collection of Phan Xich Long.

Vietcetera, a Vietnamese blog breaks down the districts of Ho Chi Minh and where to eat, live, or just chill at in the city. 

In total, the city is broken into 24 districts consisting of 19 inner city districts and 5 suburban areas, some numbered and others named.

For a full breakdown of each district and it’s highlights, see Vietcetera’s insightful article.

Personally, I am staying in the Bin Thanh District and really enjoying it. It’s got a unique mix of local Vietnamese culture and new development to give you some culture spots while you can also find nice places to work.

Rent A Scooter and Learn the Ways of the Vietnam Road

If you listened to everything your Mother told you, you would be safe but would never have left your room. Yes, the streets of Vietnam are the craziest I have ever scooted on. Yes, there is not traffic laws. Yes, your patience will be tested. Phew, now that we got that out of the way, I plan to not sugar coat anything from here on out.

A scooter/motorbike will be your best option to navigate the districts of the city and is also the most affordable form of transportation. If Ho Chi Minh is the first stop in your Vietnam travel plan, then a great alternative to start is to catch scooter rides from GRAB. The app is free to download and it costs next to nothing to hop on a scooter driven by a stranger. Remember when your parent’s said, ” Don’t take rides from strangers?” In the words of Donnie Brasco, “forget about it“. Actually, forget about anything your parents taught you. Those ideals may have worked back home but out here in South East Asia, they won’t get you farther than your doorstep.

What do I mean by “Ways of the Vietnam Road?”

When taking part in Vietnam travel, the locals don’t drive using traffic laws. They drive using feeling, they navigate the road by knowing what other drivers will do next. I know, that sounds crazy to the Western world, but it’s the way of the road. In the words of the spicy Italian woman who rented me my scooter,

” It no longer matters what’s happening behind you. All that matters is where you want to go. You make your move, take shit from nobody, and drive fast!”

You should of seen the look on my face. Taking a couple Grab rides the first 1-2 days in the city helped me get a sense for the way of the road and I think it could help you out to. And they drive on the right side of the road… could be a plus or minus depending on where you call home.

Stop Fearing Failure

I’m no Guru and I know absolutely nothing. But I do have a unique perspective being a mid-20’s man who has been to 21 countries and also spent time in jail. Yes, a full summer in jail but that explanation is for a different time. All I am trying to convey is that I have been in some very bright places but also some extremely dark ones.

For me, fear of failure has always been a hitch on my side. The kryptonite to me living large and fully as myself. But as the failures seem to be back-to-back-to-back for me with zero “successes” in between, I started to realize a transformation happening. Rising from the ashes of these failures, I felt stronger and began to fear less. I started looking at failure differently, the experiences had changed my perspective.

In a society where our life is measured solely on our so-called successes, we neglect the ability of failures to elevate our growth.  I believe that our failures teach us more than our successes.

Everyone fails, so what if we failed hard and accepted it? 

Did you know that most of the top successful entrepreneurs and digital nomads failed miserably for years before they found success in a business?

Let’s see if you recognize any names from the list of 10 Famous Entrepreneurs who failed in business before becoming successful 

1) Walt Disney

2) Thomas Edison

3) Fred Smith

(Founder of Fed-Ex)

4) Steve Jobs

5) Oprah Winfrey

6) Steven Spielberg

7) Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank

( Founders of Home Depot )

8) Tim Ferris

( Author of “The 4-Hour Workweek”)

9) Colonel Sanders

(Founder of KFC)

10) Henry Ford

This is literally the tip of the FAILURE ICEBERG. I remind myself of this daily while I am traveling and working abroad. Nomad travel will have failures so fail often and let’s grow from failure.

Ok…now that I have taken a huge tangent to address that, let’s get back to the nomadic lifestyle in Vietnam…

Smile Often and Take Advantage of English-Speaking Opportunities

Being a Digital Nomad can be a lone-wolf movement at first. There is what I call a “tribe” or group of people that will form the nucleus of your working nomads community over time. Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh city in particular, is a primarily Vietnamese speaking city.

This may sound cliche but a smile can go a long way. Hand gestures can also help convey that you care enough to try to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak your native language. As time goes on, I am learning the Vietnamese basics and just trying to speak in their language makes the Vietnamese smile and adds to your Vietnam travel experience.

When an English-speaking person comes into my vicinity, I take the opportunity to spark up a conversation with them right away. Whether it is at a cafe, bar, co-working space, or nomad hub spot, take advantage and talk about what you are working on. The working nomads are sometimes not easy to detect outside of co-working spaces so just give it a shot and say hello. It is a pleasant surprise when a conversation leads to a collaboration.

Keep It Sintra Wherever Your Travels Take You

My intention with this blog is to provide an alternative outlook that may spark your interest or confirm your feeling that being a digital nomad is possible for you. If this reaches even one person and it gives them the knowledge needed to take the first step, then it makes it all worth it. Vietnam travel is a great way to see some authentic parts of South East Asia and the capital, HCMC, will kickstart the experience.

If you are enjoying my content, simply subscribe in the right sidebar >>> and let me know in the comments below. You are appreciated and as always… Keep it Sintra.