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Reekay's LifeBeyondTheSea - Reekay make sure you visit Hanoi. I think you will love it there better than Saigon. The weather at Hanoi is cooler and their city is more authentic and traditional old Vietnam. Saigon is more like downtown Los Angels city like. Make sure you visit Hanoi.
Ppl who go to live in the Phili are going there for a reason so you cant really compare the 2 in my opinion. Cause if your looking for a place to live based on what your used to there are many countries but if your looking to just get AWAY from the life you used to then the Phili is a great place to start.
I was stationed in the Philippines in the early/mid 80's. I went back a couple years ago to my old base. Subic. It was like things were frozen in time. It seemed like the country had not really progressed at all. Subic looked run down. The beaches were dirty and nasty. I almost cried. I've been to Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia in the last couple of years and they have progressed much more. Especially Malaysia. I was really surprised with Vietnam. The people seem so genuine. They are much less used to foreigners. When someone treated you nicely, it seemed genuine.
Another nice describtion. I agree that we can not compare $ in one place with other place. Yes, I agree that in general speaking Vietnamese ppl stay very focus and productive. They try to stand by their own feet ( some may rely on other), that is why they developing themself fast both human resource and infrastructure. They control what ppl call " corruption", so society moving fast. I dont know if you may consider doing vdo about their real estate like housing, land price or some sort of regulations whenever you have info infuter. Many years ago I heard ppl said that a house/ land plot have high value and sometime equivalent to the price in US. Thank you and hope you ll enjoy Vietnamese New Year!
Thanks for the detailed report and your thoughts on the living experience in Saigon. I have been to Thailand many times through the years and also visited Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines. I am always ready to try other countries in the SE Asia area and Vietnam has been on my radar for some time. You have moved it from the radar to the bucket list for me. Thanks for all your hard work and efforts in doing these VLOGS; they are not as easy as people think and do take up a lot of your time.
I have been to Vietnam too and about the service and professionalism your are right on. I am living in Thailand at the moment and it seem comparable to he Philippines for lack of good service by the staff. Yes they are nice and smiling but the mobile phone has priority over the customers in those countries . Because they speak better English in the Philippines, I must say it is easier to communicate than Vietnam or Thailand.
while in the PH, i "got accustomed" to the way things are done. but nobody enjoys having to wave down a waitress for every little thing. my biggest pet-peeve was when having a hard time trying to find someone to bring the bill. i'm done eating, i just want to pay and leave. but i'm feeling like a hostage because it seems as if they are purposely avoiding eye contact. ugh.
@@Lifebeyondthesea universal "sign language" to tell restaurant staff to bring the bill is to use one hand open palm up to mimic a pad and the other hand writing on it - usually works!
@@Lifebeyondthesea I agree with you the waiters and waitresses avoid looking at the tables. Many time I just stand up and go to the cashier. Then thr cashier goes in super active mode to get the bill done.
@@Lifebeyondthesea NO NO NO, you wanna leave, just stand up and start walking out. LOL LOL Magically everyone in that place has eyes on you and is screaming at you to pay the bill. LOL LOL. Why, because she knows the second you walk away and don't pay that it's coming out of her paycheck. Magically service improves for like 5 seconds.
In the Philippines the ladies like tsismoso that is why they are always texting on the phone. The Vietnamese ladies appear to be industrious aiming to earn as much financially as they can. I was on Pamilican Island, near Bohol, as part of island hopping with a lady tour guide who lives on that island. A resident of the island saw her with me then asked her if I am her boyfriend? The tour guide said to the lady no I'm a tourist who she is taking around. She told me the woman insists she is not telling the truth and that I am her boyfriend. Filipinos love gossip.
These are some of the reasons I left. Plus I do a lot of my income producing business on the internet, internet in Philippines was awful and I lost a lot of business while there.
when i was teaching online (in the philippines), my school was ready to drop me several times because i was all ready to teach a class and then.. the power would go out for hours or all day. they'd be voice-calling me on my phone while i was throwing my gear into a backpack to drive around and try to find both electricity and a net-signal decent enough for video-conferencing. had that happen too many times and my fellow ESL teachers in the PH had the same exact issue. and that was with a DSL and LTE connection. forget wireless signal, never was workable for live-video. i didn't get a decent, reliable signal until i moved to Mabolo, in Cebu.
Pretty much nailed it, reflects my experience as well. I could spend 20 minutes replying to this post and pretty much agreeing with everything. I've already told asawa, when I retire, we are out of here. So many great options in SEA.
I know in china they have shopping district. And then a art district. It's all art. People making paintings and ceramics. Then the clothing district for blocks nothing but clothes. And it was off the hook crazy packed with people. A table full of cheap knock off jeans gets wiped out in 5 minutes and then the line at the fitting room is out the door. Then they take back all the pants that don't fit and fold them and place it out on the same table and the mad rush starts all over again and then yup. The line at the fitting room is out the door again. The rush to get the pants was so crazy people didn't have time to see what size they was grabbing. It was just tiny arms with hands all over the table grabbing anything they could get. They seemed to enjoy the mad rush to get one and then they seemed so proud to wait in line for the fitting room as if they all won the pot of gold.
The service here in the US has a similar service in the Philippines. You will wait forever for waitress or server to serve you,refill your ice tea or your sodas. You will ask them for your refill on your tea,sodas and coffee. The service are so poor in the US......me and my wife have been in high ends Restaurant, fast food restaurants or just mom and pops restaurants the services are not like that......here in US and in the Philippines.
I dont know rick but i have a gut feeling you're gonna stick there for good. And I know its only been 1 month, but I can tell you like it there better. Because Vietnam has it all, city life , infraestructure, and it also has province life type and beach paradise type. Its like you can find everything there. Now to confirm even more my opinion, the girs, girls might be a little more of your taste. I know that. Cheers ! And keep up the good work with your videos. I really enjoy.
We have been in Hanoi for a short, one week trip from Cebu. My girlfriend, a Cebuana, noted these differences: The lack of sirens constantly from ambulances, significantly better roads, almost no askals (there's a good reason), and feeling much safer in general. Those are some good indications of just how different VN and PI are, as she is comparing Cebu (pop. 1,000,000) to Hanoi (7,000,000). I am sure there are some seedy parts of Hanoi, just like everywhere in the world. Obviously I am not referencing those areas. One thing that we are both surprised about is the food. Viet is my favorite in the States, but here, we have both been really let down by the lack of tasty dishes. For example, we both love Gỏi cuốn in the US and even Viet restos at Ayala in Cebu. Here, we have not been able to fully eat one. Not good at all. I assume the styles are different as you go further south in the country. One more thing, I got a fever/aches/runny nose etc. a few days ago. My girlfriend went to the nearest open pharmacy (most are close as it's during Tet) and described me and my symptoms. The pharmacist sold her 4 different kinds of meds, including an antibiotic. I am totally better now. She was surprised how easy it was to get the meds, particularly antibiotics, without going through the hassle of getting a script. I was very thankful it was so easy.
Waiting for everyone's food to arrive before eating is purely a western tradition and not really expected in many parts of Asia. So feel free to eat when you get your food.
looking forward to seeing what you have to say months from now when the honeymoon phase of moving to a new country wears off. being in a non-english speaking country where the people "shy away" from you and are too focused on making money can be an alienating experience for a bachelor. my friends that have been to vietnam advise getting out of saigon asap similar to how people suggest getting out of manila even if you like city life. anyways not trying to talk shit on vietnam its now on the radar as a possible early retirement destination (currently still prefer the philippines cause of the people).
Saigon is sooo different from Hanoi. Film your first day trying to cross the street in Hanoi!!! Been to Hanoi a few times and always get a kick out of watching Americans trying to cross the street!
i have no problem comparing the two. people compare calif to new york all the time. not because they are the same, but specifically because they are so different. :)
How is the Visa process there, I looked online and think you have to leave every 3 or 4 months. I think Vietnam would be a great place to live, but I'm not sure about a visa run 4 times a year. Unless a neighboring country was close to access. Always love your videos, I'm in the Philippines but Vietnam sounds great.
Hello Henry, do you know anything about the new thing they're doing in the Philippines of not stamping passports anymore and now stapling a paper to your passport?
A follow up video on tipping in Vietnam would be in order. Vietnamese definitely have better work ethics than Filipinos. Although despite the language issue, Filipinos are still friendlier by nature. I noticed also that in most of S.E. Asia, the waitresses or waiters are quite attentive to the customers' drink. They'll come and refill the glasses once they're half-empty. That never happened to me once in the Philippines...they are perpetually glued to their cell-phones and oblivious to their surroundings.
Always good info from ya Henry! Seams like the standard of living in Vietnam is better then Philippines. I like that kinda style, with all do respect it's like ya cant get a philipno out of there cell phones.
Nice video, I was there in 1966-67, if you know what I mean. I liked the people and the country, doesn't sound like normal basic people have changed. I will be returning this year. I got a place online for a short or long time stay in Da Nang while I go apartment hunting. Wondering if your going to do something about medical insurance in the near future?
I'm reading comments on Philippines Vietnam Cambodia Thailand Malaysia etc. I am living in Thailand but ..... Unfortunately I'm not American and I'm not a native English speaker either, but if I could I would live in my favorite place near Houston TX I can't compare it with any city in Southeast Asia.
Although many eateries Philippines at offer a 'bottomless drinks' option............You'll be hard pressed to even get a single refill. Also, the Philippines love serving customers cold or just slightly warm food for some odd reason. And if it is somewhat hot when it arrives at your table, it will surely be cold before you can start to eat it because not everybody at the table has their food yet.
Looks like the quality of living is better there. The only thing that PI has is they know how to speak English. You got me thinking now about retiring there. Thanks for the great info. God bless 😊
please don't get so caught up in the name ho chi minh city most people still know it's Saigon. Saigon would later become the capital of South Vietnam from 1955 until its fall in 1975. On 2 July 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia Định Province and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City after revolutionary leader Hồ Chí Minh (although the name Sài Gòn is still widely used).
I enjoy the Philippines because there are do many beautiful islands to visit but, service? Very poor. Top-down. If your requesting information/service from a business (store, restaurant, bank, etc) or government establishment, I may be the only one behind the counter and there would be multiple employees sitting, standing looking on their phones and totally ignoring you. And if you call them, the wait is much longer. It really makes you feel really small. The funny thing, l seen when a celebrity walks in, they all drop their phones and rush to that person. Another crazy thing they do in the Philippines, if your standing in line to pay for your groceries, or at the mall or to order food at a fast food joint, they will cut in front of you! That's why it's common to stand ONE INCH from the person in front of you. Try doing that in the U.S. You'd get the shit knocked out of you. BTW, good luck trying to call a business, it will ring forever. BTW, I'm a Filipino born in the U.S. Who visits the Philippines every year.
so true. many filipinos work like people in Haiti when I visited it. people always smiling and nice but when you ask for service you have to wait because they like talking with each other a lot
If language wasn't such a big problem, I'd pick Vietnam over the Philippines every time. But the feeling of isolation in Thailand, Vietnam or any other non English-speaking country is too much for me. Yes, it is completely true that when you break the ice they're the friendliest people I've ever met. Also honest and hard-working. But... Vietnamese is hard as hell with its six tones. :-P
@Q M V Oh, but I already know three languages! Spanish (my mother tongue), English... and also C# :-D Jokes aside, yeah, I guess that making a big effort I would be able to communicate at a basic level in some months, but I want to try with the Philippines. I've been in Da Nang and it was a nice small city, but the feeling of being a tourist is so omnipresent over there... Saigon is probably a better bet for being an urbanite expat.
About your statement about them not smiling. I did notice this at the airport with the people wearing the military uniforms going through passport,customs and visa. Not one smile the people came off as miserable to me.
I don't believe from what I've seen in videos and online that you could get a studio like you got in the Philippines all inclusive for that price that was that clean. Maybe you can get an apartment for that price maybe even a one bedroom but not with brand new appliances. That's also why I think you'll be happier there even if you don't find a woman LOL
Philippines sounds just like Thailand with the restaurant service, Main course arrives and 10 minutes later your starter will arrive, 3 or more people out for a nice evening meal then forget it!
Philippines is not connected to mainland Asia. 15 million tourists visit Veitnam compared to Philippines 6 million. 32 million visit Thailand. Tourists visiting Philippines is comparable with Cambodia.. Philippines is viewed as dangerous with Muslims and viewed as under American/Spanish Catholic umbrella. Chinese are number one tourist in South East Asia with the exception of Philippines.. Times are changing though.. Chinese tourists to Philippines has doubled to 1 million as Philippines tries to form independent foreign policy. Veitnam is basically southern China. 5 to 6 million Chinese visit and invest in Veitnam each year. Philippines and Veitnam are among the fastest growing countries in the world. All the Philippine bashing on this thread is dumb.. unsubbed..
I love how you have such a fair, analytical mind. From seeing your Vietnam vids so far, I thought Vietnam actually sounds much better than Philippines in most ways. The city seems much more advanced. Do you have any theories why Vietnam seems much more advanced in general? Labor is so cheap in Philippines. Do you know if they generally pay the workers more there?
@@phillipborbon6598 I personally know several Mexicans who have lived in the U.S. for several years and they can just barely put together a sentence in English. They work with other Hispanics who can understand English and they communicate thru them. So there are many immigrants (legal??) who can't speak a lick of English here in the U.S.
Good info Reekay. It seems Saigon has really modernized as a major world city. Apparently Vietnamese culture has a better understanding of customer service than Philippines. I am always saddened when I perceive that common attitude in Philippines of trying to scam or shortchange the customer, especially when I am prepared to give extra tip for extra service.
Thanks for this really eloquent comparison. I experienced the same. Overall, unfortunately the Philippines are very low level compared to Vietnam and Thailand and even Laos. Cambodia is Wild West and more comparable to Philippines.
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Reekay's LifeBeyondTheSea - Reekay make sure you visit Hanoi. I think you will love it there better than Saigon. The weather at Hanoi is cooler and their city is more authentic and traditional old Vietnam. Saigon is more like downtown Los Angels city like. Make sure you visit Hanoi.
How do you protect your valuables? Vietnamese steal wallets, phones and purses
Ppl who go to live in the Phili are going there for a reason so you cant really compare the 2 in my opinion. Cause if your looking for a place to live based on what your used to there are many countries but if your looking to just get AWAY from the life you used to then the Phili is a great place to start.
I was stationed in the Philippines in the early/mid 80's. I went back a couple years ago to my old base. Subic. It was like things were frozen in time. It seemed like the country had not really progressed at all. Subic looked run down. The beaches were dirty and nasty. I almost cried. I've been to Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia in the last couple of years and they have progressed much more. Especially Malaysia. I was really surprised with Vietnam. The people seem so genuine. They are much less used to foreigners. When someone treated you nicely, it seemed genuine.
Precise observations, very good. Thank you.
Another nice describtion. I agree that we can not compare $ in one place with other place. Yes, I agree that in general speaking Vietnamese ppl stay very focus and productive. They try to stand by their own feet ( some may rely on other), that is why they developing themself fast both human resource and infrastructure. They control what ppl call " corruption", so society moving fast. I dont know if you may consider doing vdo about their real estate like housing, land price or some sort of regulations whenever you have info infuter. Many years ago I heard ppl said that a house/ land plot have high value and sometime equivalent to the price in US. Thank you and hope you ll enjoy Vietnamese New Year!
Very informative video, Reekay.! I like the comparisons.
Thanks for the detailed report and your thoughts on the living experience in Saigon. I have been to Thailand many times through the years and also visited Laos, Cambodia, and the Philippines. I am always ready to try other countries in the SE Asia area and Vietnam has been on my radar for some time. You have moved it from the radar to the bucket list for me. Thanks for all your hard work and efforts in doing these VLOGS; they are not as easy as people think and do take up a lot of your time.
wow.. time sure flies by huh Henry? 30 days already . Glad u are enjoying so far. Looking forward to more
I have been to Vietnam too and about the service and professionalism your are right on. I am living in Thailand at the moment and it seem comparable to he Philippines for lack of good service by the staff. Yes they are nice and smiling but the mobile phone has priority over the customers in those countries . Because they speak better English in the Philippines, I must say it is easier to communicate than Vietnam or Thailand.
while in the PH, i "got accustomed" to the way things are done. but nobody enjoys having to wave down a waitress for every little thing. my biggest pet-peeve was when having a hard time trying to find someone to bring the bill. i'm done eating, i just want to pay and leave. but i'm feeling like a hostage because it seems as if they are purposely avoiding eye contact. ugh.
@@Lifebeyondthesea universal "sign language" to tell restaurant staff to bring the bill is to use one hand open palm up to mimic a pad and the other hand writing on it - usually works!
@@laman491 Or simply two hands raised above your head and clap twice then draw a rectangle with your thumb and finger.
@@Lifebeyondthesea I agree with you the waiters and waitresses avoid looking at the tables. Many time I just stand up and go to the cashier. Then thr cashier goes in super active mode to get the bill done.
@@Lifebeyondthesea NO NO NO, you wanna leave, just stand up and start walking out. LOL LOL Magically everyone in that place has eyes on you and is screaming at you to pay the bill. LOL LOL. Why, because she knows the second you walk away and don't pay that it's coming out of her paycheck. Magically service improves for like 5 seconds.
In the Philippines the ladies like tsismoso that is why they are always texting on the phone. The Vietnamese ladies appear to be industrious aiming to earn as much financially as they can. I was on Pamilican Island, near Bohol, as part of island hopping with a lady tour guide who lives on that island. A resident of the island saw her with me then asked her if I am her boyfriend? The tour guide said to the lady no I'm a tourist who she is taking around. She told me the woman insists she is not telling the truth and that I am her boyfriend. Filipinos love gossip.
Great information. Thanks. I have the feeling that you are going to be there for quite awhile!!
The service you describe sounds refreshing.
These are some of the reasons I left. Plus I do a lot of my income producing business on the internet, internet in Philippines was awful and I lost a lot of business while there.
when i was teaching online (in the philippines), my school was ready to drop me several times because i was all ready to teach a class and then.. the power would go out for hours or all day. they'd be voice-calling me on my phone while i was throwing my gear into a backpack to drive around and try to find both electricity and a net-signal decent enough for video-conferencing. had that happen too many times and my fellow ESL teachers in the PH had the same exact issue. and that was with a DSL and LTE connection. forget wireless signal, never was workable for live-video. i didn't get a decent, reliable signal until i moved to Mabolo, in Cebu.
Pretty much nailed it, reflects my experience as well. I could spend 20 minutes replying to this post and pretty much agreeing with everything. I've already told asawa, when I retire, we are out of here. So many great options in SEA.
I know in china they have shopping district. And then a art district. It's all art. People making paintings and ceramics. Then the clothing district for blocks nothing but clothes. And it was off the hook crazy packed with people. A table full of cheap knock off jeans gets wiped out in 5 minutes and then the line at the fitting room is out the door. Then they take back all the pants that don't fit and fold them and place it out on the same table and the mad rush starts all over again and then yup. The line at the fitting room is out the door again. The rush to get the pants was so crazy people didn't have time to see what size they was grabbing. It was just tiny arms with hands all over the table grabbing anything they could get. They seemed to enjoy the mad rush to get one and then they seemed so proud to wait in line for the fitting room as if they all won the pot of gold.
Happy that everything has been smooth with y in Vietnam
Keep up the great travel reviews. Most excellent video Sir.
great info
The service here in the US has a similar service in the Philippines. You will wait forever for waitress or server to serve you,refill your ice tea or your sodas. You will ask them for your refill on your tea,sodas and coffee. The service are so poor in the US......me and my wife have been in high ends Restaurant, fast food restaurants or just mom and pops restaurants the services are not like that......here in US and in the Philippines.
Sad though, coz here in the Philippines people don't usually give tips.. No wonder people don't enjoy customer service here..
I dont know rick but i have a gut feeling you're gonna stick there for good. And I know its only been 1 month, but I can tell you like it there better. Because Vietnam has it all, city life , infraestructure, and it also has province life type and beach paradise type. Its like you can find everything there. Now to confirm even more my opinion, the girs, girls might be a little more of your taste. I know that. Cheers ! And keep up the good work with your videos. I really enjoy.
We have been in Hanoi for a short, one week trip from Cebu. My girlfriend, a Cebuana, noted these differences: The lack of sirens constantly from ambulances, significantly better roads, almost no askals (there's a good reason), and feeling much safer in general. Those are some good indications of just how different VN and PI are, as she is comparing Cebu (pop. 1,000,000) to Hanoi (7,000,000). I am sure there are some seedy parts of Hanoi, just like everywhere in the world. Obviously I am not referencing those areas.
One thing that we are both surprised about is the food. Viet is my favorite in the States, but here, we have both been really let down by the lack of tasty dishes. For example, we both love Gỏi cuốn in the US and even Viet restos at Ayala in Cebu. Here, we have not been able to fully eat one. Not good at all. I assume the styles are different as you go further south in the country.
One more thing, I got a fever/aches/runny nose etc. a few days ago. My girlfriend went to the nearest open pharmacy (most are close as it's during Tet) and described me and my symptoms. The pharmacist sold her 4 different kinds of meds, including an antibiotic. I am totally better now. She was surprised how easy it was to get the meds, particularly antibiotics, without going through the hassle of getting a script. I was very thankful it was so easy.
As far as Southeast Asia is concerned. Singapore would be number one, followed by Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.
Waiting for everyone's food to arrive before eating is purely a western tradition and not really expected in many parts of Asia. So feel free to eat when you get your food.
looking forward to seeing what you have to say months from now when the honeymoon phase of moving to a new country wears off. being in a non-english speaking country where the people "shy away" from you and are too focused on making money can be an alienating experience for a bachelor.
my friends that have been to vietnam advise getting out of saigon asap similar to how people suggest getting out of manila even if you like city life.
anyways not trying to talk shit on vietnam its now on the radar as a possible early retirement destination (currently still prefer the philippines cause of the people).
It seems a long time ago now when you were showing us around Bohol!
yah, time flies!
Saigon is sooo different from Hanoi. Film your first day trying to cross the street in Hanoi!!! Been to Hanoi a few times and always get a kick out of watching Americans trying to cross the street!
Comparison Saigon vs Cebu are like comparison apple vs oranges Reekay. Cebu vs Vung Tau or Saigon vs Manila is more like it. Cheer!
i have no problem comparing the two. people compare calif to new york all the time. not because they are the same, but specifically because they are so different. :)
How is the Visa process there, I looked online and think you have to leave every 3 or 4 months. I think Vietnam would be a great place to live, but I'm not sure about a visa run 4 times a year. Unless a neighboring country was close to access. Always love your videos, I'm in the Philippines but Vietnam sounds great.
i went into some of the visa options for VN here.. ua-cam.com/video/I5PDOjBfC3A/v-deo.html
Great review. If you need a run down on Thailand let me know. I do 4 to 6 months in Thailand and USA.
stop by Nha-Trang my home town on your way to Da Nang, more lay back & beaches.
Hello Henry, do you know anything about the new thing they're doing in the Philippines of not stamping passports anymore and now stapling a paper to your passport?
HCMC is definitely better than Metro Manila. Vietnamese are more disciplined than Filipinos. Good observation Mr Reekay
good info... could you go and show us all these nice sounding places ?
great video just wondering how is,the smoking situation is there any areas of smoking ban ?
No smoking bans that I have seen anywhere.
Interesting video!
A follow up video on tipping in Vietnam would be in order. Vietnamese definitely have better work ethics than Filipinos. Although despite the language issue, Filipinos are still friendlier by nature. I noticed also that in most of S.E. Asia, the waitresses or waiters are quite attentive to the customers' drink. They'll come and refill the glasses once they're half-empty. That never happened to me once in the Philippines...they are perpetually glued to their cell-phones and oblivious to their surroundings.
In Viet Nam they will often refuse a tip
Always good info from ya Henry! Seams like the standard of living in Vietnam is better then Philippines. I like that kinda style, with all do respect it's like ya cant get a philipno out of there cell phones.
there's a definite difference in the personalities of VN and PH women. each with their own distinct, sweet qualities.
Nice video, I was there in 1966-67, if you know what I mean. I liked the people and the country, doesn't sound like normal basic people have changed. I will be returning this year. I got a place online for a short or long time stay in Da Nang while I go apartment hunting.
Wondering if your going to do something about medical insurance in the near future?
I'm reading comments on Philippines Vietnam Cambodia Thailand Malaysia etc. I am living in Thailand but .....
Unfortunately I'm not American and I'm not a native English speaker either,
but if I could I would live in my favorite place near Houston TX I can't compare it with any city in Southeast Asia.
Hyunh Hoa makes the best Banh mi I've ever had.
Have you visited BGC by any chance Reekay?
Great Video! Good info on the service. Thailand is the exact opposite of good service. I think I will head over to Vietnam in a few months.
Although many eateries Philippines at offer a 'bottomless drinks' option............You'll be hard pressed to even get a single refill. Also, the Philippines love serving customers cold or just slightly warm food for some odd reason. And if it is somewhat hot when it arrives at your table, it will surely be cold before you can start to eat it because not everybody at the table has their food yet.
Good video
Plus in Vietnam they do not have a former mayor president that's murderous.
loloy baloloy buahahaha give you a big like
Thanks
Good comparison
Looks like the quality of living is better there. The only thing that PI has is they know how to speak English. You got me thinking now about retiring there. Thanks for the great info. God bless 😊
please don't get so caught up in the name ho chi minh city most people still know it's Saigon.
Saigon would later become the capital of South Vietnam from 1955 until its fall in 1975. On 2 July 1976, Saigon merged with the surrounding Gia Định Province and was officially renamed Ho Chi Minh City after revolutionary leader Hồ Chí Minh (although the name Sài Gòn is still widely used).
Cool i choose province . got it Rick ! 👍
I enjoy the Philippines because there are do many beautiful islands to visit but, service? Very poor. Top-down. If your requesting information/service from a business (store, restaurant, bank, etc) or government establishment, I may be the only one behind the counter and there would be multiple employees sitting, standing looking on their phones and totally ignoring you. And if you call them, the wait is much longer. It really makes you feel really small. The funny thing, l seen when a celebrity walks in, they all drop their phones and rush to that person. Another crazy thing they do in the Philippines, if your standing in line to pay for your groceries, or at the mall or to order food at a fast food joint, they will cut in front of you! That's why it's common to stand ONE INCH from the person in front of you. Try doing that in the U.S. You'd get the shit knocked out of you. BTW, good luck trying to call a business, it will ring forever. BTW, I'm a Filipino born in the U.S. Who visits the Philippines every year.
so true. many filipinos work like people in Haiti when I visited it. people always smiling and nice but when you ask for service you have to wait because they like talking with each other a lot
How about the beaches Reekay? How about interacting with the locals?
Wait till you stay in Malaysia or Singapore.....
If language wasn't such a big problem, I'd pick Vietnam over the Philippines every time. But the feeling of isolation in Thailand, Vietnam or any other non English-speaking country is too much for me.
Yes, it is completely true that when you break the ice they're the friendliest people I've ever met. Also honest and hard-working. But... Vietnamese is hard as hell with its six tones. :-P
@Q M V Oh, but I already know three languages! Spanish (my mother tongue), English... and also C# :-D
Jokes aside, yeah, I guess that making a big effort I would be able to communicate at a basic level in some months, but I want to try with the Philippines. I've been in Da Nang and it was a nice small city, but the feeling of being a tourist is so omnipresent over there... Saigon is probably a better bet for being an urbanite expat.
If you see any great gyms let us know the cost and location.
About your statement about them not smiling. I did notice this at the airport with the people wearing the military uniforms going through passport,customs and visa. Not one smile the people came off as miserable to me.
What is the dynamic between older men and younger ladies?
I don't believe from what I've seen in videos and online that you could get a studio like you got in the Philippines all inclusive for that price that was that clean. Maybe you can get an apartment for that price maybe even a one bedroom but not with brand new appliances. That's also why I think you'll be happier there even if you don't find a woman LOL
Philippines sounds just like Thailand with the restaurant service, Main course arrives and 10 minutes later your starter will arrive, 3 or more people out for a nice evening meal then forget it!
More bang for your buck in Vietnam and the food is delicious.
Heheh how did you enjoy crossing the street :D Aren't those motorbikes crazy? Me and my GF walked all over that city.
2 words you can never ever used in the same sentence as a Philippines our logic and customer service I guess that's 3 words lol
cool
Philippines is not connected to mainland Asia. 15 million tourists visit Veitnam compared to Philippines 6 million. 32 million visit Thailand. Tourists visiting Philippines is comparable with Cambodia.. Philippines is viewed as dangerous with Muslims and viewed as under American/Spanish Catholic umbrella. Chinese are number one tourist in South East Asia with the exception of Philippines.. Times are changing though.. Chinese tourists to Philippines has doubled to 1 million as Philippines tries to form independent foreign policy. Veitnam is basically southern China. 5 to 6 million Chinese visit and invest in Veitnam each year. Philippines and Veitnam are among the fastest growing countries in the world. All the Philippine bashing on this thread is dumb.. unsubbed..
nice
I got an impression that you have only tried in Visayas generally speaking.
I love how you have such a fair, analytical mind. From seeing your Vietnam vids so far, I thought Vietnam actually sounds much better than Philippines in most ways. The city seems much more advanced. Do you have any theories why Vietnam seems much more advanced in general? Labor is so cheap in Philippines. Do you know if they generally pay the workers more there?
Looks like you might be able to see President Trump and Chairman Kim, they're having there summit at the end of the month there.
food is OK, but English is English. Philippines yes, VietNam no thanks.
Want English go to England or something , anywhere else learn that language just like foreigners learn English to visit the u.s,
@@phillipborbon6598 I personally know several Mexicans who have lived in the U.S. for several years and they can just barely put together a sentence in English. They work with other Hispanics who can understand English and they communicate thru them. So there are many immigrants (legal??) who can't speak a lick of English here in the U.S.
......i guess socialism worked well for them.......i still love our democracy......just sayin........
that's it, ill c u in may,lol
👍🏽💜🌼
Good info Reekay. It seems Saigon has really modernized as a major world city. Apparently Vietnamese culture has a better understanding of customer service than Philippines. I am always saddened when I perceive that common attitude in Philippines of trying to scam or shortchange the customer, especially when I am prepared to give extra tip for extra service.
Sad to see that you have attracted some of Greg Benders trolls. I seriously suggest you delete and block them as soon as possible
Thanks for this really eloquent comparison. I experienced the same. Overall, unfortunately the Philippines are very low level compared to Vietnam and Thailand and even Laos. Cambodia is Wild West and more comparable to Philippines.
Good info