Submitted by an expat woman living in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam

A large sprawling city in the south of Vietnam. It is called both Ho Chi Minh City and Saigon interchangeably. There are 2 seasons here, rainy and dry. Although rainy season isn't as bad as it sounds, it usually rains just a couple of hours every afternoon. It is very warm and humid most of the time.  

There are a lot of housing options for foreigners. It is quite difficult for foreigners to buy property in Vietnam, although the laws are relaxing, and foreign companies can buy property. Trying to buy a home is not recommended. For more wealthy foreigners there are several communities where villas are available to rent, at up to $10,000USD a month, but as low as $3000. An Phu is a very popular ex-pat community. There are quite a few apartment complexes in both An Phu and the newest community in HCMC, Phu My Hung. Both areas have a lot of stores that cater to ex-pats and foreigners, but are also more expensive.

There are apartment buildings scattered throughout the city. Rent is anywhere from $500-$3000 USD per month.

Many ex-pats rent smaller houses. Rent is usually $400-$700 per month for a 3 story house. They are tall and skinny houses with only one room per floor. For singles or couples there are a lot of Guest Houses throughout the city, and rent can be anywhere from $150 USD to $350 USD per month, often including breakfast. However, guesthouses can be restrictive on when you can come and go, and do not have kitchen facilities available. All but guest houses expect a minimum of 3 months rent as a deposit. Rent is paid in cash, usually monthly. Depending on your landlord and your rental agreement or lease you may be paying in US dollars or the local currency of Vietnam Dong (VND).

There is a lot of accommodation available furnished, and usually it isn't much more expensive than unfurnished. If you are opting for cheaper accommodation, or renting in a predominantly Vietnamese neighborhood make sure to ask for a water heater in all the showers! Hot water is rare in anything but the shower (like sinks) and ask about air conditioning in each room. Central air-con does not exist in Vietnam. There are quite a few housing agents in HCMC, especially in An Phu, Phu My Hung, and Pham Ngu Lao (which is the back packers area) as these are the most desirable places for ex-pats to live. Other nice areas include District 1(downtown),3,4 & 5.

It is very common to have a maid in HCMC. They can be everything from a once or week cleaner to a live in maid and cook. Typical salaries are something like $3-7USD per day for non live-in and more for live-in. Many families with younger children also have nannies with similar or slightly higher salaries, depending on how long you need them each day. If you do not drive a motorbike and want to have a car, most ex-pats rent the car and employ their driver from a transportation company called Mai Linh (they do taxi's and buses and all kinds of transportation). Car and driver start at $1300 USD per month.

Skype is the best way to try and call home. Local telephone service does not support long distance phone calls (expect with business accounts). There are several local mobile phone companies, including Mobifone, Viettel and Beeline. SIM cards are readily available and cost about $5USD. Almost all phone time is pre-paid, and prepaid cards are available for purchase all over the place. Usually in 50,000-100,000 Dong. Texts cost about 500 dong each and calls are about 1000 dong per minute. Calls to the US are about 10,000 dong per minute. The internet company is determined by your area or the building you live in. It is technically a 'high speed service', but it isn't super-fast. The land lord or rental agent can help you set up the service. Basic cost starts at 200,000VND per month (around $10) and is billed from there up for how much you use it. Although there are packages available for large usage. There is Wi-fi available all over the city in coffee shops and cafes, usually for free.

Internet bills can be paid at the local post office. Cable TV can also be set up through your land lord or rental agent. It again depends on your area or building for what channels are available. There are generally around 10 English channels including, HBO, StarMovies, AXN, Cinimax, Discovery, National Geographic, StarSports, Disney Channel, and a few others.

There is a local English language newspaper, but it is quite small. Most large international publication are available but they can be up to a week delayed, as well as English magazines. And the price is double. They are available for purchase from individual paper sellers, most easily found in District 1. There is a local ex-pat magazine called 'The Word' – it is free and is very useful for new comers to find restaurants and other services, plus it has articles on what to do, where to go and such.

There is a large post office in District 1 that handles foreign packages. When receiving packages from a foreign country you will receive a notice in the mail that you have a package and then you must pick it up. You usually have about 2 weeks to pick up the package before it is returned. ALL packages are opened and the contents surveyed. The contents may be taxed and some even confiscated. DVDs and CDs and electronics are the items with the highest taxes. Postal service isn't entirely reliable. Things are often delayed by months if they arrive at all, and things are often missing with no explanation. DHL and FedEx are better options if you REALLY, REALLY need something sent from home.

The local language is of course, Vietnamese. It is a tonal language, which means the same word may mean up to six different things depending on what tone you use, up, down, flat, and three others that are hard to explain. It isn't a complex language though, the grammar is quite simple, and the vocabulary isn't as diverse as English. You can learn a lot of the language and border on fluency within a year with study. However you don't NEED to speak Vietnamese to get around in HCMC. A lot of people speak some English, and are often excited to get to practice it on you. There are lots of tutors available, often teachers or teaching assistants or university students at local schools are a good option to find a tutor.

There are a few places that have languages classes, but they are more rare. Beware trying to learn the language from a tape or CD. Most are written for the Northern dialect (Hanoi). A lot of the language is the same, but a few words and one tone is different.

Water and electricity are arranged through your landlord or leasing agent. There is only the government company. They are usually quite cheap, unless you run your air conditioner all the time (try using the fan for a while instead) for a small house, all utilities including internet, water, electricity, garbage is around $60 per month. They meter readers stop by around the same time every month to read the electricity and water. If you aren't going to be home you can leave a note on the door saying how much it is. They will also collect the payments, or you can pay at the post office. The only gas that is used is for cooking. Most homes do not have an oven, only a gas cooker, with two gas burners. 

There are quite a few international companies in town including oil, real estate, shipping, media/advertising, education and other industries. It is recommended to try and find a job before arriving. However one of the easiest jobs in town to get is English teaching. It is a huge industry in HCMC, and there are always schools hiring everyone from the back packer to the Education professional. The local magazine, The Word, is a good place to look for employment information.

Banking in Vietnam is tricky. You must be able to show where all funds are coming from to be able to make a deposit, ie direct deposit from your employer. Some employers have agreements with local banks to have bank accounts for all of their employees. Accounts are either in VND or USD. If your employer can not help you to set up your local banking, right now the only alternative is HSBC. They have an international account. You will still have to have proof of where your funds are coming from, but you should be able to set up an account with just a copy of your employment contract and your passport.

There is a wide range of medical care available. It isn't as up to date as the care in the west, but it isn't too far behind it. It is also generally inexpensive. Many expats wait and get their dental care done here in HCMC, as it is cheap and done fairly well. Most medicines are readily available, and mostly without a prescription. Almost everything is available over the counter at the local pharmacist, from panadol to valium. If your prescription is not available, the next closest place is Singapore. It is usually an inexpensive 2 hour flight away and has all the western modern medical wonders you may need. It is also where you would be evacuated if your medical condition is too severe for Vietnam to handle. We do have a large Franco-Viet hospital that can take care of most of what ails you, as well as some smaller clinics in town for things like colds and flu.

Don't bother getting Malaria vaccinations, you don't need it, and it will make you sicker than if you got malaria. We do get Dengue Fever (also from mosquitos) but there isn't a thing you can do about that but try to stay away from the mosquitos.

There are plenty of International schools in town that have all sorts of international curriculums from American, British and Australian. There are not as many pre-schools. There is very little provision for special needs children. However the British international school in An Phu is fairly progressive and can accommodate most special needs, however you should contact them ahead of time to discuss your children specifically. Children either walk or are dropped off by a parent/caretaker for school.

Most people in HCMC ride a motorbike. It is very easy to rent one, and many of the rental companies are happy to give you a driving lesson. International drivers licenses are not recognized, you must get a Vietnamese license. If you have a license in your current country you can have it transferred to a Vietnamese license. It is a 5 or more day process that includes getting your license translated and possibly a driving test.

There is a bit of paperwork involved too. If you have a work permit your company can stamp the paperwork and provide the information needed, if you do not have a work permit your embassy or consulate will have to stamp it for you (usually at a small cost - $30 at the US consulate). You cannot drive a car. If you do not want to ride a motorbike the other option is to rent or buy a car and hire a driver. A company called Mai Linh rents to a lot of the ex-pats in town and provides drivers with prices starting around $1300 USD per month. It is difficult to buy a car and there is 100% tax on cars, so renting is probably a better option.

There is little in the way of public transportation. There is a fairly comprehensive bus system, which is cheap (5000VND/25 cents per ride) but it isn't very easy to figure it out. There don't seem to be bus schedules, although they do have routes, posted in the windows. HCMC is currently working on the first stages of and underground subway system, they say will open in 2014.

Taxis are readily available, but you must insist on the meter and make sure you do so ahead of time. Reputable companies that always use the meter are Mai Linh and Vinasun. Xe Oms or motobike taxis are everywhere and often the cheapest way if you negotiate ahead of time, which you should always do. They are trying very hard to make a buck, so will often quote you a price at least twice what you should pay. Make sure they offer you a helmet as it is a law in Vietnam now, and you will be the one to pay the fine if he gets pulled over by the police.

HCMC is a Beauty care mecca! Everywhere you go you will be offered a manicure and pedicure or massage. There are hundreds of inexpensive salons in the city. However, rarely does the staff speak very much English, so if you are particular about your hair, find a French or other Western stylist. They will be more expensive, but you're more likely to get exactly what you want.

More and more western brands are making their way into the city, but you will spend time looking for some of those must haves. There are a few local import shops that can get lots of your food and beverage wants. Veggies and An Nam Gourmet are your best bets, or try Ham Ngi street. There is a big department store chain called Parkson. They have lots of clothes and things you want, but at prices you don't. The best place to get clothes is to have them tailored! Be prepared to have several fittings, but most tailors will spend as much time as you need to get your order right.

There aren't a lot of recreational team sports. There are some for the kids, usually organized through their schools. There are quite a few swimming pools in town, and a couple of water parks. There are quite a few bars and restaurants that cater to ex-pats. Everything from sports bars like Phatties to Le Gardin - a really nice outdoor French Bistro. There is dancing, but beware of the prostitutes. There are a few movie theaters in town, check out megastarmedia.net to see what's playing. When you get tired of the city, like we all do, the closest beaches are Vung Tau, about an hour and a half away by boat or bus, and Mui Ne, 4 hours by bus. Go even farther up the beach to Nha Trang where you can go to VinPearl Land. A local amusement park and aquarium. Has great local beaches, with all the water sports except surfing and even the local mineral mud baths.

Not sure what documents you need to bring your pet, but the Vietnamese love their own pets. You'll see lots of dog and cat owners. Beware of purchasing your pet on the street though; they are often not healthy and illegal. Never, never buy an endangered species! (yes they are for sale) There are plenty of vets in town too.

A great resource for newcomers is a local magazine called The Word. They have a website with lots of useful information like restaurants, hotels, travel, hospitals, schools, entertainment and the like. Also check out ILAV - International Ladies of Vietnam. They have weekly tea at a local hotel for $5. It is a great place to meet other local women, find friends and information about what to do and where to go. http://www.ilvietnam.com Get a taste of Vietnam and Asia by watching The Quiet American or read the book by Graham Greene. It's written about Saigon in the 50s. For more local try 'The House on Dream Street' by Dana Sachs. It was written about 10 years ago, and she was in Hanoi, but it is still a good portrait of an ex-pat trying out the culture of Vietnam

The city is a bit polluted. Vietnam hasn't made any advanced in environmental concerns. People throw their trash on the street, air pollution is rampant, and men and children pee in the street. Beware of smelly walls! It is a great place to get involved in charitable acts. There is a lot of need in the city. ILAV usually has volunteer opportunities or ILA (a local English school) has a community network that sponsors several charities in town (http://www.ilavietnam.com). Don't sign up for one of organizations that you have to pay to volunteer through. There are plenty of places that could use your help for free. There are several orphanages in town that always need help, schools that need volunteer teachers, or you can help clean up the streets with a local clean up committee.

It really gives you a good feeling not only for what the country is really like, but gives you a good feeling in your heart to volunteer in this almost, but not quite 3rd world country.