Business or Pleasure: Make Yourself at Home During Your Stay in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
The city of Ho Chi Minh is considered the largest economic metropolis in Vietnam. It’s found at the banks of River Saigon, 60 km from South China Ocean and 1,760 km towards the south of capital Hanoi. Ho Chi’s vibrant cultural and historical heritage has attracted many visitors over the years. Some people come to work as professionals while others arrive as college students. It also has a vibrant central business district surrounded by small towns with a combined population of 9 million citizens.
If you want to feel immediately at home during your stay, it is important to find the right location and environment. Staying in hotels will definitely not lead to this creation of your own “comfort zone” where you can choose to cook or not and invite over whomever you wish. Most expats and mid/long term business travelers prefer renting spaces for accommodation during their stay. It is standard practice, when signing a lease agreement with a landlord, that one will need to make a full 3 months deposit. In some cases the tenant may require a 6 month payment in advance. Moreover, in some cases, extra utilities such as garbage collection, internet access and cable TV will need to be paid separately by the occupant. Furnished homes are readily available across the city though most of them are designed according to the owner’s personal taste and preferences in regards to furniture. If you are in for the long term, it’s possible to negotiate with landlords of unfurnished houses to purchase private furniture and property that suits your individual tastes, however this decision depends on the overall length of your stay. Moving on, tap water isn’t suitable for drinking but is safe for cleaning dishes and brushing teeth. Bottled water can either be delivered to your doorstep or bought from local stores.
Facilities
Apartments for rent in Ho Chi Minh have modern facilities such as internet access, satellite television, private balcony, hot shower and terrace. Some homes for rent are luxuriously designed and offer great comfort to renters. Other facilities that tenants can enjoy include a fitness center, business center and swimming pool. Some accommodations have special living rooms fitted with DVD players, plasma TVs and leather sofa sets. The kitchen area also boasts of gas stoves that can be used to cook your own food. En suite bath quarters are fitted with exquisite tubs which are also suitable for lounging. In serviced apartments, at your request, the management can arrange for daily breakfast service.
There are good rental apartments a short distance from the airport, they are suitable for those who have to travel frequently across the country or the South-East Asian region but don’t want to spend too much money or time commuting to the airport. If you’re traveling with the kids then consider accommodations that are pet friendly and have play facilities that they can enjoy.
Before entering the country, visitors are supposed to acquire a legitimate Visa. This visa (3 months maximum) can be acquired upon landing at an international airport in Vietnam. Foreigners can get these travel documents from their sponsoring organization in case they are coming to work. Furthermore, for a 3-6 month vocational visa, one would be required to produce an assignment letter and passport as well. Visitors should register their names with the Local Consulate immediately after arriving into the city for identification purposes.
When choosing appropriate houses for rent in Ho Chi Minh security and proximity to social amenities should be your major concerns. Most expats prefer living in close-knit communities where they find safety in numbers, two typical neighborhoods which are predominantly occupied by expats are Thao Dien (District 2) and Phu My Hung (District 7). There are also spacious and elaborate villas around the city’s outskirts, in the aforementioned districts, these homes are quite affordable in 2013 (real estate prices have crashed) and have private swimming pools. You can always conduct an online search for quality homes before visiting the city.
