Five things to note before coming to Vietnam

Food

Vietnamese cuisine is famous for the combination of five fundamental tastes and the use of sauces. It is far distinct from Western food and beverages. Some dishes, such as balut, are a crisis of faith to expats in the first days, a common cause of indigestion. There is only one way to solve the first shock, which is to stick to “safe” dishes first, like pho, bun, and mi (different kinds of noodles), and so on. After getting used to the Vietnamese way, expats will be locals.

Motorcycles

Expats are always shocked or even scared at the first sight of Vietnamese traffic because of the myriad motorcycles zooming about. Vietnamese people mostly drive motorbikes and most often it seems like a country-wide free-for-all in the eyes of a foreigner.

Foreigners stuck at intersections not finding a way to cross is a common occurrence. The situation is more serious when during rush hours, with loads of bikers taking to the pavements or carousing in the lanes of cars and heavy vehicles, even in bus lanes. If you are not good at driving motorbike, "xe om" or other smart transportation apps are our recommendation for your time in Vietnam.

It is not easy to cross the road during rush hours

Noise

Mainly because of the motorbikes, the noise is another issue expats must face. Vietnamese people are in a habit of laying on the horn, which works most of the time. If you pay close attention, someday you will hear the meaning behind every honk. In major cities like Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, expats might be surprised at first when they hear how loudly people talk in public. Maybe since locals are so hospitable, they always welcome others with too much excitement.

Being on time

There is a marked difference in the meaning of “being on time” in the Vietnamese dictionary. Arriving ten minutes later than scheduled is common and is well within the common understanding of “on time.” Therefore, there is no need to be angry when someone comes late without apology. They do not mean to be impolite, it is just a part of the culture.

Healthcare

Finally, it is important to mention healthcare services. Hospitals are always overloaded. The costs are rising dramatically. The services are not a comfortable first experience. Michael Baker is a typical example of a confused expat experiencing first time the Vietnamese healthcare system. At the end of 2016, he arrived from Wales to work in Vietnam. He came down with an allergy to the weather (more like air pollution…), which made him sneeze all the time. He had to choose an international hospital instead. The process run smoothly, but the costs were too high for his tastes.

After recovering from the allergy, Baker chose to purchase a health insurance policy from Liberty, where the staff could provide timely, profession assistance at every single step of later treatments.

He shared: “You should not be too confident in your health because the weather in Vietnam is unpredictable. Choosing a reputable health insurance is one of the first things you should do when living in Vietnam for a long time.”

Liberty staff give wholehearted support to customers on the journey to fight off sickness

Providing comprehensive coverage, including illnesses and accidents, even cancer treatment, Liberty HealthCare holds strong reputation not only in Vietnam but also in the US. Due to the company’s international network setting it apart from other insurance providers, Liberty does not request foreign customers to send their bills to an overseas insurer for reimbursement after accessing healthcare services in Vietnam.

Understanding the worries of expats living in Vietnam, Liberty has designed a special package for them

To provide strong support to expats living in Vietnam as well as the burgeoning local middle class, Liberty has just launched a number of uniquely-designed healthcare insurance packages. It covers medical examinations in Vietnam and abroad, medical checks, vaccinations, and treatment up to VND22 billion.

More importantly, the insurance fully covers surgical expenses, oncology treatment, local ambulance services, organ transplant, and home nursing. This helps to prevent illnesses and expats to get regular health checks, enabling early detection, reducing treatment time and fees, and increasing treatment effectiveness.

Expats are now able to take reach qualified and experienced doctors as well as excellent medical facilities at Liberty’s partner network of excellent hospitals. The 24-hour free medical consultation service provided by International SOS is also a great addition to the package.

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