4 months in asia - where should we go?

Posted by Sad-Anteater-7182@reddit | Shoestring | View on Reddit | 8 comments

Hey everyone,

My wife and I are planning to spend 4 months in Asia next year and are currently considering Da Nang (Vietnam) and Chiang Mai (Thailand) but prices seem a bit high lately?

We’re looking for:

Spacious apartment (I’ll be working remotely and need a separate workspace just for me)
Walkable area with nice bars & restaurants (a short taxi ride is fine too)
Relatively quiet surroundings
Pool / gym access
Budget: around €1,000/month, up to €1,500 if it includes something like a private pool area

Decent apartments often start around €1,000+ for having 2 seperate rooms... is this normal nowadays in e.g. vietnam?

Any suggestions for cities or countries that fit these needs better?

Thanks in advance!

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Cupcake179@reddit

uh no? that's not at all normal. Maybe you're looking at fancy places? Plus Da Nang is one of the place filled with many expats so they charge you more. less supplies more demands. People find rentals on facebook a lot. There are also many coastal cities along vietnam you can check out. Nha Trang is one of the expat place. Smaller than Da Nang however. You can also just come, rent an airbnb and then look at potential places to rent or move.

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Sad-Anteater-7182@reddit (OP)

Thanks for you quick response! Which sites do you recommend to search on mainly? I read that facebook can be scammy and therefore i mainly had a look at airbnb, booking & agoda.

And you're right, we want some fancy place), but somehow those airbnb's we see for such prices seem overpriced... doesn't matter if we have a look at da nang or nha trang.

We would like to start in the beginning of march for two months in vietnam and then go ahead for 2 months in thailand.

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Cupcake179@reddit

well i was downvoted before for this but i recommend Mvillage. It's a vietnamese branded apartment-hotel type. They recently opened a new place in Da Nang with beach view. I don't know about pricing for monthly, could be expensive since it leans on hotel more than regular apartments. But since you want fancy that's an option.

Airbnb wise, you have the options to filter don't you? Just filter it out. Or come and stay for 2 - 3 nights at the places you like. Then decide. The thing about airbnb that can get scammy is the host can use stock images from the apartment building years ago, and the real images aren't there. You have to read recent reviews to make sure it's what you get.

Agoda: only recommended for hotels. No apartments. I have read too many reviews about the apartment side. It's not well managed

Booking: many european use this and tbh it's a hit and miss. I don't recommend booking in SEA. i've personally experienced bad hotels on this site in SEA. i think it's better in europe/canada/usa

If you want the local price but hidden gems and nice looking buildings, use facebook. Join the expat facebook group in da nang. There are lots of support there as well as real estate agents looking for renters like you. It can only be a scam if you give people your private info or pay before you see the place. Filter the scam by talking to the agent online, go to the place to see, check their house registration to make sure they do own the place or they're working for the owners, make sure there's a lease contract and make sure they officially register your stay at the police station. If they refuse to do so, then they're scammy. Lots of expats like you have found rentals via Facebook... it's the vietnamese way basically. Don't expect the same standards as europe and just allow yourself to experience new living conditions just sayin.

With nha trang, i see scenia bay is alright, HUD building in Nha trang center is alright, gold coast apartment, panorama, etc. They're all "all right". Are they the best and fanciest?? NOPE. but are they alright? yep.

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dixbietuckins@reddit

I don't know if working there would impact this, but last time I went to Thailand, you wouldn't be able stay in country that long. I think you basically only have to hop out of the country, and could come right back, but it were me it half and half it between there and viet Nam.

Oh my bad, I didnt even get to your last paragraph.