Hanoi, Vietnam Report of what it's like to live there - 12/05/25
Personal Experiences from Hanoi, Vietnam
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
This is our fourth overseas post.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
It takes about 24 hours of travel time to get back to Washington, DC. Travel through Doha is common, but also works through Korea with Fly America. We took the Doha route and had a three hour layover in Doha. It worked very well and while it is a long trip, it was smooth. Qatar Airlines is also good with pets, and the route worked well with our cat.
3. What years did you live here?
2025-present.
4. How long have you lived here?
Three months.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Many foreigners live in Tay Ho or Ciputra, often in apartments or tall single family homes. Our home has four floors with two rooms per floor. Rooms are large and there is lots of space, though not a ton of storage. The laundry is all the way on the top floor.
Some homes have small pools, often under the house. Some homes are down alleys that are not car accessible, which means carrying groceries and bags a distance. Ciputra is more residential with very few shops and more access to sidewalks and green space. It is close to UNIS, one of the school choices.
Tay Ho is by West Lake and has many shops, restaurants, and cafes. It is very active and has many options for things to eat or do. Tay Ho is busier and sidewalks are typically covered in parked scooters. There is not much green space (though there are many trees) and there are two small playgrounds. Often younger families appreciate Ciputra, while older kids like the activities in Tay Ho.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Many foreign imports are available, though you'll be paying more than you would back home. If you shop locally in smaller markets designed for locals, prices are pretty reasonable. Produce is cheaper if you get away from the expat markets and shop produce grown in country. Mega Market is a large store like a Costco or large Walmart that sells both home items and food. It is massive and worth a trip once a month or so to stock up on reasonably priced food.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Things worth taking/shipping: quality paper towels and napkins (toilet paper is fine here, as are Kleenex), whole wheat products (flour, tortillas, pasta, etc., if available, it is pricy), chocolate chips and their variations (expensive and small bags), chocolate Halloween candy, pepperoni, foreign products you use in bulk (if it's something you use once a year, you can probably find it here or make do without), gel shaving cream (foam is more popular here).
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
SO many restaurants and delivery options! We order delivery way more here than in the US. The Grab app is very easy to use and delivery is cheap and easy. Pho, pizza, burgers, bun cha, spring rolls, Korean, etc. In Tay Ho, there are lots of BBQ/Western meat places, Vietnamese (upscale and simple), Pho, Korean places, Japanese places, cafes and bakeries, etc. There's a great taco/Mexican place, too. We can find anything we want. Sushi is great and cheap, too. Price wise, as of fall 2025, simple pho is about $1.30, sushi lunch for two is about $15, burgers are about $5-7 for thick, high quality, bun cha is about $2-3, pizza is about $15 for a 12" and a build your own spring roll platter with pork for two is $4 for delivery (cheaper in person)
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
We get some ants, but not too bad. Occasionally a lizard gets in the house. I see rats outside some. Very few bugs inside.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
Embassy mail takes about 10-14 days typically back to the US or to get here.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Many people employ full or part time housekeepers who often also cook or do childcare. If people have pools, they often have a gardener who does pool and yard care.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
It is challenging to bike or run outside, at least in Tay Ho. Ciputra is easier for that. Many sidewalks in Tay Ho are blocked with cars or scooters that park there or are full of seating, and you often end up in the road. There is a lot of traffic, though you can manage the flow. Bike riding and running is doable if you time it right and are confident in traffic.
I don't really see kids (at least foreign ones) biking, which my son misses. Ciputra has more trails and some kids bike to school. I had hoped to be able to walk or bike around the lake, but the sidewalk is blocked by trees and scooters. Outdoor exercising for kids is more likely to be sports. Soccer is popular and there are English-language leagues (both a more casual one and a more competitive one). Rock climbing is also doable and there are several pools that offer both swim lessons (group or private) and swim team. The schools do a lot of sports and many kids do those.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There are a lot of mixed martial arts type places and some more traditional gyms. Adult soccer is popular (and kid soccer) and there is rock climbing. The American Club has a sand volleyball court and a pickleball/basketball combo court. Pickleball is pretty popular here too. Decathlon is a great sporting store with lots of available sports supplies. We bought (and had delivered) a treadmill and weights and do workouts at home.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Credit cards are often accepted at larger places or more Western ones. ATMs are common and usable. Most locals use bank transfers on their phone to pay, but you need a local account (which is doable). We mostly pay cash and then use card for bigger items. USD is accepted for some tourist things like Ha Long Bay excursions, Molo (pre arranged taxi), etc. Grab is linked to a credit card and foreign cards work fine on it.
6. What English-language religious services are available locally?
There are several Catholic churches and at least one Protestant one.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
You can manage without Vietnamese as Google Translate is easy and often at least someone in a store or restaurant speaks English. I had a local tutor for a bit who charged $15 an hour. The Embassy also offers language classes in person.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
It would be incredibly challenging. Roads are uneven, sidewalks mostly filled with stuff, stairs all over, and elevators may start up a flight of stairs if they exist at all. Most buildings are skinny and tall, so many shops span two floors.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Very affordable. Grab is like Uber and is easy to use and very cheap. A 30 minute drive across town might cost me $3-5 depending on time of day. A private vehicle with drive for a 2.5 hour drive to another city cost under $45. Trains and buses are also options.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Few people have cars, though some do. Many buy scooters/motorcycles locally. You can get trained locally, but having a motorcycle license from the US makes it easier. Gas scooters are being phased out for electric ones. Roads are often tight here with minimal parking and some roads are not car accessible.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Some buildings have wifi ready upon arrival. Ours did not, but our office sponsor set up the appointment for the day after we arrived. You need a local phone number to set up internet and we had to prepay for six months (so have enough dong). It works pretty well, though has a hard time reaching all floors. I suggest bringing a VPN router from home. Internet is cheap. Ours is maybe $15 a month?
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
We have both Google Fi with a US number and a local e-sim with a local number. Service is cheap here, $10 or so a month. Take your passport and set up just takes about 30 minutes. You can pay by the month or prepay for six months or a year.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No quarantine. We flew our cat excess baggage on Qatar through Doha. Very easy to do. We used the pet expediter the Embassy recommended and it worked well. While the USDA site says you need the physical printed wet-signed USDA health form to enter Vietnam, we only had the digital version b/c the wet-signed version did not arrive in time (I suggest flying out on a weekday not a Sunday like we did). We emailed the digital form to the expediter ahead of time and he literally met us at baggage, helped with bags, walked us through customs by talking to a guy, and got us to our sponsor without showing anything.
There are some great vets. We use Asvelis in Tay Ho. French and Vietnamese vets. Our cat is, unfortunately, very ill from kidney disease, and they have been wonderful and affordable. Exam, massive amount of blood work, x-ray, and a day's stay at the vet with monitoring and IVs cost about $300. Good English and very caring team. They check in via Whatsapp. Bloodwork came incredibly quickly. They do it in house and had results within 30 minutes.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Many work at the Embassy. Local options are pretty limited.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
You see the whole range locally. Locals wear shorts, t-shirts, tanks, etc. Young ladies will dress very cute and stylish, In residential areas, you'll see men with shirts unbuttoned. Tourists all dress pretty touristy. Be prepared to dress for the heat.
Not a ton of clothing stores for larger Western sizes, as most locals are pretty petite. Custom made stuff is reasonable.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
It is a safe post physically, aside from traffic risks. Use a VPN for digital security.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Mosquito borne illnesses, particularly dengue. There is a new vaccine available (WHO approved, but not FDA approved as of fall 2025) and you can get it locally for dengue. Dental care and eye exams are cheap and good. There are several hospitals/clinics foreigners like for medical care that are good. For bigger issues, you'd medevac to Bangkok or Singapore.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Horrendous winter air. As rain/monsoon season ends in Oct/Nov, the bad air starts to increase. Red and purple days are common, with some days being even worse. Hanoi ranks fairly high in bad air. Embassy houses have air purifiers. UNIS and Concordia schools both purify air and keep kids in on bad days. Local shops, restaurants, cafes are mostly open air. My son's soccer program doesn't reduce activity until levels reach 200 or code purple.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Lots of pork here, including in dishes you wouldn't expect. Lots of dust and pollution.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
Winter is very hazy and polluted, so getting sunshine and exercise is harder.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Monsoon season is about April to October. It is hot and humid then. Winter gets cooler, though still in 60s and air gets bad.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
Most Embassy kids go to UNIS (United Nations International School) or Concordia. UNIS is larger and located in Ciputra, which puts it close to that housing and not too far from Tay Ho. UNIS follows the IB program. Concordia is north of the river and is farther from both Tay Ho and Ciputra. It can be a long bus ride. Concordia follows a US Curriculum. Students wear uniforms and there is a strong emphasis on academic achievement and it has more homework than UNIS. Both schools have a large international body of students and have sports and extracurriculars. Many students stay after school every day or almost every day for sports and extracurriculars and take the late bus home, getting home anywhere from 4:30 to 6. There is also a British School, though it is far from Embassy housing. There are various preschool options.
We are homeschooling this year and we are the only family homeschooling. There also are not really expat families homeschooling in Hanoi, though there are some that do so in the De Nang area as it's popular for world schooling. Building a social life takes a lot of effort, way more than I expected, given that most kids stay after school for activities and don't come home. There is very little free time in kids' lives.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
Both schools can do minor accommodations and I believe UNIS can do slightly more. UNIS has a speech pathologist on staff and can do minor learning disabilities. I don't believe either school accommodates larger needs.
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Yes, there are preschools. I think most families do a nanny rather than preschool. People also use nannies for after school care, though both schools offer many activities and many kids don't get home until 4:30-6 because of those activities.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
Most do sports through school, but locally you can find soccer leagues (from about 5 and up). Dragons is very inclusive and not very competitive and practices near Tay Ho (about 18 million dong for a year); then there is a Brazilian team that is more competitive for stronger players. There is also a Japanese league. You can also do horseback riding (about half the cost of US lessons or about $50 a lesson at Hanoi Pony Club), swim lessons or swim team (Aquatics Hub among others) or do rock climbing (Arch Climbing in Tay Ho). I haven't found things like basketball or volleyball. Martial Arts I believe is also available and I think ballet.
Music lessons are popular. My son takes trumpet lessons ($25 for 30 minutes from an American expat) and both children take piano lessons from a Japanese woman (600k dong for one or 480k dong per child for 2 plus children). Other instruments are available. Art lessons are also available and there are various workshops that happen at malls or stores for crafts.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Tay Ho and Ciputra both have large expat communities, with Tay Ho in particular being very diverse. Old Quarter tends to have a lot of tourists who are in transit. I think morale is overall pretty good. There are many foreigners who come here to teach English.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Embassy has a book club and a group that meets weekly for volleyball. I'm not really part of the adult socializing scene, so not sure what expats do.
There is not a lot of common outdoor space to mingle or run into other families. I rarely see people I know outside because all the homes are fenced in with security fencing and there isn't common space. It's always exciting to run into someone I know on errands because it doesn't happen often.
The American Club is great in theory, but it is far from most housing. It has a restaurant (open to the public) and outdoor space: a large playground, small turf soccer field, dual basketball/pickleball court, sand volleyball court. Embassy holds events there sometimes (Moose and Roo Smokehouse). It takes 30 plus minutes to get there/home.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
I think so for all of them. There is a lot to do in various categories. Good schools. Good restaurants and cafes. I think there is a decent nightlife scene.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
I have not really met locals in a friendship sense, but everyone is very friendly. My kids talk to the neighbors and interact with them. I can't speak to racial prejudices.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
I'm not sure. You don't see a ton of PDA from anyone, so I'd imagine if you're discrete it's okay.
6. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Local food is very cheap and hotels can also be cheap if you're not looking for 5 star Western experiences. Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island are tourist classics for a reason and awesome. Ninh Binh is an easy trip from Hanoi and great. Massages are very cheap; I go weekly and depending on service and length pay $15-20.
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Old Quarter is so much fun to explore. Go to Hang Ma street every month for a different flavor of decor and items: they decorate by the holiday (even Western ones).
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Not really a shopping post, though silk and coffee seem popular to buy.
9. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Housing seems pretty decent sizing, and some is quite large. Schools are great. Lots of easy travel in the region.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
Kids are incredibly busy with school, after school activities (often daily at the school and they don't get home til 4:30 to 6), and (particularly if attending Concordia) homework. It is very hard to get together socially with kids (or their parents) because of all they do. It makes a social life outside of school challenging. I rarely see the people on my street and my kids rarely see others in the afternoon or on weekends. We have had to fill up with way more planned activities (soccer, swim, horseback riding, music lessons, etc) than I normally would ever do so they have things to do and people to see.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
winter stuff (except for travel).
4. But don't forget your:
rain gear, including shoes that handle large puddles or floods.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
The Bronze Drum is a great book.
