My bias is Hanoi. I visited Saigon Hanoi and DaLat for 1.5 weeks each in 2019. Fell in love with Hanoi. In January I could see my breath in the mornings which was a nice surprise. 4 seasons is a bonus for me. Beautiful Lakes, and a blend of ancient and new culture. Walked everywhere. The food tasted very Fresh. DaLat was nice but didn't feel right for me. Don't know how to explain it except 'tourist destination'. Nice to visit but not to live. Saigon was hot and muggy and I sweat a lot. Food was not as fresh as Hanoi or DaLat. One way I would describe it is Saigon is like 10 cities stitched together, and Hanoi is like 1000 towns stitched together. - WW
I agree with you on a lot of your points. Obviously our preference was also for Hanoi. Being from the UK, we also appreciated the cold weather sometimes. I much prefer the HN old-style architecture and vibe, except when it comes to driving! We liked Dalat too but we wouldn't want to live there... Hanoi's small city vibe definitely won us over. Do you still live in Hanoi/Vietnam now?
@@LewisJJC Nope I'm back in the states. I hope to be back in VN again early next year. stayed in the old quarter last time so will look closer to west lake next time. - WW
@@Lilhajxjk274 they call it Saigon. I would say from my experience of living there 70% of the locals refer to it as Saigon. Not Ho Chi Minh City. Maybe do some research before calling people disrespectful David. ;)
that was fun to watch 😀 I have only lived in HCMC but travelled to HN for work a lot and would stay there for months... So I had a lot of time exploring HN as well. I still prefer HCMC over HN though. I guess a big factor for me is the community which I find is stronger in HCMC. Maybe if I would have more friends and connections in HN it would be different.
Yes I think wherever you’ve lived the longest definitely affects your opinion! Cheers for watching again Nhi! Hope you’re enjoying our new found freedom in Saigon 😆👍
Glad to hear it Nhi :) as we said, the pandemic circumstances definitely affected our feelings. I'm sure the community can be amazing in both cities, I like Saigon's diversity but I still think it's easier to meet new people in Hanoi (Tay Ho) as it's so much smaller with limited options. Cheers for watching 👍🏼
Thanks. That was fun. Of course, a lot is personal, subjective. Hanoi was my first destination, a few years ago, in VN, and I loved it there, having a great time. However, especially because I’m English, I couldn’t live permanently in that cold, grey, muggy weather 😂 Also, as Hanoi is in a natural bowl surrounded mostly by highlands, it traps the pollution. Saigon feels more open and is warmer, year round. There’s also the beautiful, temperate highlands of Dalat not too far away
Hi Emma. Have to get back to the north to finish Sapa - only did part of it. Just out of isolation today, thanks! Looking for a more permanent accommodation in D3
In Hanoi at least you have better weather than the UK for half the year, but I personally prefer SG weather. We could have made an hour long documentary if we were comparing all the cities in Vietnam, there's just so much variety. Best wishes, Conv, enjoy Saigon freedom! 👍🏼
It's so fun and entertaining to watch :D. HCM is known as a "young" city in VN which is full of energy, and nightlife. If u're a night owl and jog on the street in the center of the city, u'll see a lot of people still work. And Hanoi is the city of tradition, excitement, peacefulness and ancient beauty. Each has its own individual beauty. Love watching it so much ^^
Hi guys! It’s so nice to meet you ☺️ I also live in Saigon and recently I started making some videos on RUclips about our expat life 🙂 Very nice to see likeminded neighbors 🥰 Would be great to meet some day! It’s also interesting to learn more about Hanoi I only hear people talking about it but never been there:)
Hi Ana, nice to virtually meet you! Nice to see other creators in Saigon, it's great that you can speak so many languages! Hopefully when cafes are open again we can get a coffee :) We lived in HN for a long while and loved it, definitely worth a visit!
I came upon this by random youtube recommendation and find it a fun video. I am from NYC but living in Saigon where I have been most of the last 30+ years with my wife. Now retired I had offices in both cities for 15 years. I love Hanoi but the weather in Saigon overall is hands down better even though the autumn in Hanoi is perfect. Aside from weather preference I would be perfectly happy in either city. Good luck with your channel.
Thanks for checking out the video, nice to see that someone gets recommended it 😜I agree the peak HN weather is best but overall SG weather is better. Our hearts are in Hanoi but most probably the pandemic affected our impression of SG a lot... depends on personal preferences I guess. Best wishes 👍🏼
Loved watching your video and choices. I have just literally returned from Vietnam a day ago and asking myself the question could I go and live there 5/6 mths a year . I visited both places and Saigon more built up and happening and much bigger but I actually liked the vibe in Hanoi more. So with only a week in each Hanoi got my vite too
Have not explored Vietnam yet but I would likely be more interested in the far north. As with Thailand and Laos the northern areas seem more laid back and peaceful.
Completely different for me. I'm 37 I don't want to be having a revolving door of temporary roommates coming and going with no privacy lol I left that behind me a decade ago when I was 24 or 25 .. I want the apartment on the 27th floor with a gym and aircon .. Saigon number 1
I see where you're coming from, and maybe I enjoyed that more when I first went traveling too. I think I'd lean more towards that now too. Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd arrived when I was older too
@@ransch123 awesome! Hope you guys like it too. Unfortunately I started this channel after we moved to Saigon but if you have any questions or want some recs then just let me know 👍🏼
A question I'd like an opinion on is which city is best for an over 60 retired expat. But, I did enjoy the questions and answers. It was very informative.
Hanoi-love both but Hanoi is a level above on pretty much everything. It may be easier, for regular citizens to get around HCMC than Hanoi but for the tourist significant sections of Hanoi are VERY walkable. The first time my brother and I were in Hanoi and we stayed at the Hilton-and we never required, even, a taxi. That said, HCMC has large walkable areas too-just not as nice as Hanoi.
To each region their own, but I think HCMC has a western look due to the investment and affection from US/FR period. Hanoi looks the most nature to me and it was consider the place with most historical value as well.
HCMC definitely has the more modern look and vibe, both places are great so I guess it depends on personal preference. thanks for your comment, chuc mung nam moi ⭐️
Sao phải khổ thể bạn, mỗi ng có 1 cách nhận xét riêng thôi và đó là ý kiến chủ quan của họ 😕 Đều là ng VN vào, đọc những bình luận của người ngoại quốc đánh giá tốt về cả 2 thành phố thì mọi người đều vui mà
Good suggestion, John! Maybe we can do a part 2 🤔 😅 safety is a great topic, personally I found both cities are safe and relatively welcoming, but perhaps Hanoi is safer than hcmc as it is a smaller city! Vietnam overall is a lot safer than some places in the west, IMO!
Good question. As Emma said, both cities are very safe both politically and socially, but I think Saigon is slightly less safe due to larger population, higher density and more inequality
@@LewisJJC I understand there is not an easy answer for this question as we know no place in this world is safe. But I think the bigger the city the less safe as Lewis says about SG. I live in NYC and I remember one time when my friend was visiting NYC, she asked me why the Superman movies always filming in NYC..is it because a big city? I told her 50%right ..Big city and lot of crimes!
I agree with you, that's a trade off with increasing size. Overall I find both cities very safe, even compared with other SEA cities. thanks for watching
@@johnrle8418 NYC is a great city! But agreed, it’s not the safest. Definitely true, bigger the city, higher likelihood of crime etc. Still, have to be vigilant anywhere you go! Cheers, John
I am not supprised that you prefer Hanoi food. As other northern foods, Hanoi cruisine has more authentic disks and there are many rules for cooking northern foods, such as balance rule, natural favor, healthy match, etc. You may find interesting information and culture from the food
Yes I can totally believe that. I understand Saigon is more a melting pot of different cultures but you can find international foods in Hanoi easily too, and the VN food is more authentic. Thanks for sharing!
How about education? I'm interesting in both Vietnam national university Hanoi and ho chi min related in business major. Does anyone have ideas about that?
Because when it rains in June to August, you can swim like a fish in HCM City! By the way Rain Reservoir City translated back in Vietnamese is Thành Phố Hồ Chứa Mưa also abbreviated as HCM City!
@@LewisJJC hanoi has the best winter in the world ,winter in hanoi even warmer than summer in canada and the temperatures very steady just between +16c and 21c awesome
Compared to the UK it's still barmy! But compared to its summer at 35C, plus wind chill when driving then it feels freezing. Hanoi is the only city here I've worn a coat in haha
@@LewisJJC I love hanoi and the north for its beautiful winter weather when I go back vietnam I always go in winter that way I can enjoy beautiful and warm winter there and at the same time and can escape a terrible freezing cold winter in Quebec canada
@@quangtoo4743 funnily enough, after living in Asia for a while I would like to go back to Canada for a winter of snow - a ski season would be awesome!
@@LewisJJC It's not the matter of the experience. It's just the social prejudice of SG people that they unreasonably hate the northern. As I am Saigonese (but my Father is Hanoian) I just don't know why. They always claim Hanoi is more expensive but all the people that have a chance to visit 2 cities know the truth. Hanoi wins hands down. The only thing that Saigon wins over Hanoi is the air quality.
There's been a global pandemic for almost 2 years and both cities have been in strict lockdown for the past 3 months, so I hope you can understand why we aren't just walking around both cities at this time.
Maybe we can make a walking tour video of both cities in the future (if you’re interested). Right now, staying at home is the safest option! Hope you found it interesting either way. Cheers.
My bias is Hanoi. I visited Saigon Hanoi and DaLat for 1.5 weeks each in 2019. Fell in love with Hanoi. In January I could see my breath in the mornings which was a nice surprise. 4 seasons is a bonus for me. Beautiful Lakes, and a blend of ancient and new culture. Walked everywhere. The food tasted very Fresh. DaLat was nice but didn't feel right for me. Don't know how to explain it except 'tourist destination'. Nice to visit but not to live. Saigon was hot and muggy and I sweat a lot. Food was not as fresh as Hanoi or DaLat. One way I would describe it is Saigon is like 10 cities stitched together, and Hanoi is like 1000 towns stitched together. - WW
I agree with you on a lot of your points. Obviously our preference was also for Hanoi. Being from the UK, we also appreciated the cold weather sometimes. I much prefer the HN old-style architecture and vibe, except when it comes to driving! We liked Dalat too but we wouldn't want to live there... Hanoi's small city vibe definitely won us over. Do you still live in Hanoi/Vietnam now?
@@LewisJJC Nope I'm back in the states. I hope to be back in VN again early next year. stayed in the old quarter last time so will look closer to west lake next time. - WW
Respect the Vietnamese people it's called Ho chi minh city
@@Lilhajxjk274 they call it Saigon. I would say from my experience of living there 70% of the locals refer to it as Saigon. Not Ho Chi Minh City.
Maybe do some research before calling people disrespectful David. ;)
@@mauriceluciano5211 Do research on the history of Vietnam. Their hard work to defeat imperialism is what changed the city name
This video deserves more views and engagement :)... Having lived in HCMC and visited Hanoi, it was good to hear your perspectives.
Awesome vid, thanks!
that was fun to watch 😀
I have only lived in HCMC but travelled to HN for work a lot and would stay there for months... So I had a lot of time exploring HN as well. I still prefer HCMC over HN though. I guess a big factor for me is the community which I find is stronger in HCMC. Maybe if I would have more friends and connections in HN it would be different.
Yes I think wherever you’ve lived the longest definitely affects your opinion! Cheers for watching again Nhi! Hope you’re enjoying our new found freedom in Saigon 😆👍
@@emmas6640 i do!! Feels so good haha
Glad to hear it Nhi :) as we said, the pandemic circumstances definitely affected our feelings. I'm sure the community can be amazing in both cities, I like Saigon's diversity but I still think it's easier to meet new people in Hanoi (Tay Ho) as it's so much smaller with limited options. Cheers for watching 👍🏼
Such a fun format! Love it. Lewis definitely drew the short straw with the props budget 😂 #sponsoredbyA4paper
Glad to hear that! "Props budget"? What props budget 😂
Thanks. That was fun. Of course, a lot is personal, subjective. Hanoi was my first destination, a few years ago, in VN, and I loved it there, having a great time. However, especially because I’m English, I couldn’t live permanently in that cold, grey, muggy weather 😂
Also, as Hanoi is in a natural bowl surrounded mostly by highlands, it traps the pollution. Saigon feels more open and is warmer, year round. There’s also the beautiful, temperate highlands of Dalat not too far away
Agreed! Weather is bad in Hanoi and dalat is stunning! Cheers for watching again 🤗 hope you’re out of quarantine/self isolation!
Hi Emma. Have to get back to the north to finish Sapa - only did part of it.
Just out of isolation today, thanks! Looking for a more permanent accommodation in D3
@@MrSummerblade Hope travel is possible, soon! 🤞🏼👍🏼 good luck finding a place! Great food spots in d3 and around 💪
In Hanoi at least you have better weather than the UK for half the year, but I personally prefer SG weather. We could have made an hour long documentary if we were comparing all the cities in Vietnam, there's just so much variety. Best wishes, Conv, enjoy Saigon freedom! 👍🏼
It's so fun and entertaining to watch :D.
HCM is known as a "young" city in VN which is full of energy, and nightlife. If u're a night owl and jog on the street in the center of the city, u'll see a lot of people still work. And Hanoi is the city of tradition, excitement, peacefulness and ancient beauty. Each has its own individual beauty.
Love watching it so much ^^
Thanks a lot, it was a fun one to make. We feel very lucky to have experienced both 🙌🏼
Thanks guys for this vids. Indeed informative & helpful for me - who live here in HCM for 14yrs & will be allocated soon in Hanoi :)
That clip you played with the motorbike lane was literally my fave drive to work in the mornings :)...
Hi guys! It’s so nice to meet you ☺️ I also live in Saigon and recently I started making some videos on RUclips about our expat life 🙂 Very nice to see likeminded neighbors 🥰 Would be great to meet some day! It’s also interesting to learn more about Hanoi I only hear people talking about it but never been there:)
Hi Ana, nice to virtually meet you! Nice to see other creators in Saigon, it's great that you can speak so many languages! Hopefully when cafes are open again we can get a coffee :) We lived in HN for a long while and loved it, definitely worth a visit!
@@LewisJJC ☺️Yeah!
I came upon this by random youtube recommendation and find it a fun video. I am from NYC but living in Saigon where I have been most of the last 30+ years with my wife. Now retired I had offices in both cities for 15 years. I love Hanoi but the weather in Saigon overall is hands down better even though the autumn in Hanoi is perfect. Aside from weather preference I would be perfectly happy in either city. Good luck with your channel.
Thanks for checking out the video, nice to see that someone gets recommended it 😜I agree the peak HN weather is best but overall SG weather is better. Our hearts are in Hanoi but most probably the pandemic affected our impression of SG a lot... depends on personal preferences I guess. Best wishes 👍🏼
Loved watching your video and choices. I have just literally returned from Vietnam a day ago and asking myself the question could I go and live there 5/6 mths a year . I visited both places and Saigon more built up and happening and much bigger but I actually liked the vibe in Hanoi more. So with only a week in each Hanoi got my vite too
nice takes and nice format. as someone who hasnt been to hanoi this was helpful
Glad to hear it! It's our personal experience and opinion, you'll have to check it out for yourself and let us know if you agree!
Have not explored Vietnam yet but I would likely be more interested in the far north. As with Thailand and Laos the northern areas seem more laid back and peaceful.
I think that is true here in VN too. The most beautiful landscapes are in the north near Chinese and Laos borders
Completely different for me. I'm 37 I don't want to be having a revolving door of temporary roommates coming and going with no privacy lol I left that behind me a decade ago when I was 24 or 25 ..
I want the apartment on the 27th floor with a gym and aircon .. Saigon number 1
I see where you're coming from, and maybe I enjoyed that more when I first went traveling too. I think I'd lean more towards that now too. Maybe I'd feel differently if I'd arrived when I was older too
Great video, very helpful, thank you.
Glad to help, cheers!
Very informative...thanks.
Thank you for this very detailed breakdown. I am currently in HCMC and I wasn’t sure if I should move out of HCMC.
You’re welcome! Those were our personal feelings after experiencing both but everyone is different. What are you thinking then?!
Great Video! 👌
Cheers! Hope it was helpful 👍🏼
@@LewisJJC We changed our plans because of you guys. We're going to Hanoi instead of Saigon this year! 🙂
@@ransch123 awesome! Hope you guys like it too. Unfortunately I started this channel after we moved to Saigon but if you have any questions or want some recs then just let me know 👍🏼
@@LewisJJC Aaaww thank you so much!💚💙💜
very informative. thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
A question I'd like an opinion on is which city is best for an over 60 retired expat. But, I did enjoy the questions and answers. It was very informative.
We’re not the best people to answer that question but my gut instinct would be Saigon… glad to hear that! Cheers
Very helpful video
Hanoi-love both but Hanoi is a level above on pretty much everything. It may be easier, for regular citizens to get around HCMC than Hanoi but for the tourist significant sections of Hanoi are VERY walkable. The first time my brother and I were in Hanoi and we stayed at the Hilton-and we never required, even, a taxi. That said, HCMC has large walkable areas too-just not as nice as Hanoi.
Oh puzzle bar has my heart for sure
I miss it. Do you know if it's even still open??
@@LewisJJC yes as far as I know different owners but will check it out for sure
Good to know, I hope to go back sometime soon, cheers
Very helpful, thank you :)
Glad it was helpful!
Cool video
To each region their own, but I think HCMC has a western look due to the investment and affection from US/FR period. Hanoi looks the most nature to me and it was consider the place with most historical value as well.
HCMC definitely has the more modern look and vibe, both places are great so I guess it depends on personal preference. thanks for your comment, chuc mung nam moi ⭐️
It has the Western look because Northern people built Landmark 81, Bitexco and Ba Son Bridge for them 😁
Hanoi definitely won that one! 😂🤗 love this!!
Well it wouldn't have been much of a competition with only you voting 😂
🥴😆
@@LewisJJC 😂
@@emmas6640 because you are from the north, đúng k m?
Sao phải khổ thể bạn, mỗi ng có 1 cách nhận xét riêng thôi và đó là ý kiến chủ quan của họ 😕 Đều là ng VN vào, đọc những bình luận của người ngoại quốc đánh giá tốt về cả 2 thành phố thì mọi người đều vui mà
I agreed (although I've never been in Hanoi :))...There is one I would like to hear but not covered - safety ?!:)
Good suggestion, John! Maybe we can do a part 2 🤔 😅 safety is a great topic, personally I found both cities are safe and relatively welcoming, but perhaps Hanoi is safer than hcmc as it is a smaller city! Vietnam overall is a lot safer than some places in the west, IMO!
Good question. As Emma said, both cities are very safe both politically and socially, but I think Saigon is slightly less safe due to larger population, higher density and more inequality
@@LewisJJC I understand there is not an easy answer for this question as we know no place in this world is safe. But I think the bigger the city the less safe as Lewis says about SG. I live in NYC and I remember one time when my friend was visiting NYC, she asked me why the Superman movies always filming in NYC..is it because a big city? I told her 50%right ..Big city and lot of crimes!
I agree with you, that's a trade off with increasing size. Overall I find both cities very safe, even compared with other SEA cities. thanks for watching
@@johnrle8418 NYC is a great city! But agreed, it’s not the safest. Definitely true, bigger the city, higher likelihood of crime etc. Still, have to be vigilant anywhere you go! Cheers, John
Good category...best city for weekend getaways👍🏽
We thought so! Obviously both have their unique advantages 😆
Love ❤️ From Nepal 🇳🇵
Cheers 🍻
I am not supprised that you prefer Hanoi food. As other northern foods, Hanoi cruisine has more authentic disks and there are many rules for cooking northern foods, such as balance rule, natural favor, healthy match, etc. You may find interesting information and culture from the food
Yes I can totally believe that. I understand Saigon is more a melting pot of different cultures but you can find international foods in Hanoi easily too, and the VN food is more authentic. Thanks for sharing!
wov, it was actually useful
Glad to hear it! Just our thoughts... are you living in either city now?
Saigon was the place I spent most time ! So I prefer Hanoi , my wife South Vietnamese so she not feel the North so comfortable......
Sometimes we prefer something new and sometimes something familiar! thanks for watching
making local friends ? Hanoi or Saigon?
Saigon is okay to live if you have a good income.. but find the pace of life and the wealth inequality a bit too much.
I don't care which city. I will visit both. LOL
That's the best way to do it! Everybody's different and both are worth it. best wishes Kone 👍🏼
Thao Dien is arguably one of the most expensive area of Saigon. It's a little unfair to compare the entire city to one single (most expensive) area.
Agree with you the Nightlife in HCMC is way better than HN. Others HN are so much better....
Yeah, right. It's hard to say an outright winner, there are pros and cons to both. Where do you live?
@@LewisJJC i am now living in HN. Before HN, I spent 4 yrs in HCMC.
How about education?
I'm interesting in both Vietnam national university Hanoi and ho chi min related in business major. Does anyone have ideas about that?
I don't have any info on that I'm afraid. Try joining the expat facebook groups to search for answers. Good luck!
Saigon is #1.Just stay out of places that cater to foreigners. Saigon is so friendly.
Definitely pros and cons to both of them. I agree that Saigonese are more friendly though, especially at first
HCM City is also called Rain Reservoir City! Do you know why?
No I haven’t heard that before. Why is that?
Because when it rains in June to August, you can swim like a fish in HCM City! By the way Rain Reservoir City translated back in Vietnamese is Thành Phố Hồ Chứa Mưa also abbreviated as HCM City!
@@thaido3220 that seems very appropriate! Where I lived in Thao Dien it was constantly flooded
Hanoi has the best and coolest winter in the world no where in the world has it
I found it legitimately cold in Hanoi winter, pretty crazy difference from the summer
@@LewisJJC hanoi has the best winter in the world ,winter in hanoi even warmer than summer in canada and the temperatures very steady just between +16c and 21c awesome
HCMC is too hot 🔥 for me
Definitely. But Hanoi in winter is like the Artic... you can't win!
The coldest month is January at 20 degree Celsius for a daily high. Bro that's not cold, it's Wonderful. In my opinion
Compared to the UK it's still barmy! But compared to its summer at 35C, plus wind chill when driving then it feels freezing. Hanoi is the only city here I've worn a coat in haha
Are they nice to black men in Hanoi?
Can't comment from experience but I think attitudes are improving with increasing tourism
Gotta say I love Hanoi. But not it's weather or pollution. Just curt but am wondering if you are a marry couple.
We both love Hanoi but I prefer SG weather too! And no we aren't married 😇 thanks for your support on my channel
where r you now?
We are living in HCM now. What about you?
@@LewisJJC I'm in North . tanviet le is my Skype , just wanna talk to you to practice English , thanks
@@LewisJJC I love hanoi and the north for its beautiful winter weather when I go back vietnam I always go in winter that way I can enjoy beautiful and warm winter there and at the same time and can escape a terrible freezing cold winter in Quebec canada
@@quangtoo4743 funnily enough, after living in Asia for a while I would like to go back to Canada for a winter of snow - a ski season would be awesome!
@@LewisJJC terrible weather all year round here in canada nothing but windy and cold but life is good here
My opinion Saigon > Hanoi
I think a lot of people feel the same too, just a matter of opinion and experience I think 🤔
@@LewisJJC It's not the matter of the experience. It's just the social prejudice of SG people that they unreasonably hate the northern. As I am Saigonese (but my Father is Hanoian) I just don't know why. They always claim Hanoi is more expensive but all the people that have a chance to visit 2 cities know the truth. Hanoi wins hands down. The only thing that Saigon wins over Hanoi is the air quality.
@@QuangTruongHuyNguyen Maybe that's from my foreigner perspective then. I do agree about air quality though and that's a big one
@@LewisJJC Love your couple. 2 foreigners actually gave a very accurate insights! Impressive.
@@QuangTruongHuyNguyen that’s lovely to hear, it’s an amazing country and we were very lucky to see so much of it. Thanks for watching 👍🏼
Danang
I love it there too but we haven't lived there so couldn't really include it
Just say saigon
In every other video I say Saigon but "HN vs HCM" had a better ring to it imho
Both great cities, a lot to see. Unfortunately here - don´t get me wrong - boring, just tourists talking. Why?
There's been a global pandemic for almost 2 years and both cities have been in strict lockdown for the past 3 months, so I hope you can understand why we aren't just walking around both cities at this time.
Maybe we can make a walking tour video of both cities in the future (if you’re interested). Right now, staying at home is the safest option! Hope you found it interesting either way. Cheers.
The air automatically makes Hanoi unattractive.
It's definitely a big con for the north... such a shame
Saigon not HCM City!!!
I agree but ‘H or H’ had a better ring to it
This made me decide not to go Hanoi. Thanks.