How is Quy Nhon as a place to live as a retiree

My wife and I visited the area together with a friend who came from Phương Phi in Cát Tiến.  (I am not sure about the governmental units but it is just north of Qui Nhơn.)   I would recommend this area for a day visit if you are in Qui Nhơn.  The reason that I say a day visit is that, at that time at least, there were from what I could see no hotels or beach resorts at all in the village.  The beach we went to is here:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cat+T … 5993?hl=en  It may no longer be true but at that time the beach had absolutely no commercial entities as far as the eye could see.  The only people using the beach were the children of the local village and nearby farms and then mostly mornings and evenings.  The drawback would be that without a commercial establishment near the beach, you would lack a place to take a fresh water shower after swimming.  Maybe things have changed and there is a minimal facility there but hopefully not a major resort.  The culinary specialty of the area seems to be a smaller version of Bánh xèo without the yellow coloring in the dough.  You may find them in many stalls in the village market.

As previously mentioned the area was the center of the Tây Sơn Rebellion.  I would highly recommend another day trip to the Quang Trung Museum that is located to the NW of the city.  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Quang … 8767?hl=en
This is a 50 km ride out but is well worth the day if you rent a motorbike from your hotel.  It is one of the best maintained and most attractive museums that I have been to in Vietnam.  Study up a little on the Tây Sơn before you go and you can get a little more out of the visit.  I had previously done a little reading because I taught for a while at a school named for Quang Trung.

I'm extending my time here.

Two weeks exploring and meeting locals & expats has given me reasons to do a monthly rental in a seaview balcony room at a two-star hotel within easy walking distance of all the beautiful public beachfront landscaping at the southern end of the beach.

I'll post more about what areas I've come to prefer here.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I'm extending my time here.

Two weeks exploring and meeting locals & expats has given me reasons to do a monthly rental in a seaview balcony room at a two-star hotel within easy walking distance of all the beautiful public beachfront landscaping at the southern end of the beach.

I'll post more about what areas I've come to prefer here.

What’s the cost for the monthly rental? If it’s ok to ask.

Wadey

Wadey wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

I'm extending my time here.

Two weeks exploring and meeting locals & expats has given me reasons to do a monthly rental in a seaview balcony room at a two-star hotel within easy walking distance of all the beautiful public beachfront landscaping at the southern end of the beach.

I'll post more about what areas I've come to prefer here.

What’s the cost for the monthly rental? If it’s ok to ask.

Wadey

At this particular hotel, this room is in the ₫12,000,000 VND a month range (high season now).

Other rooms without balconies or great views are less, of course.

There are many other opportunities around for ₫6,000,000 VND and less, especially if you are willing to live a few blocks away from the beach.

I'm willing to pay more because of the 7th floor balcony view of the entire beachfront and beyond, plus the proximity to the southern beach front, which I consider to be far superior to the central and northern sections.

There is an expensive resort across the street (on the beach) and I'd guess they (The Royal) have had influence over where the most public landscaping dollars are spent.

THIGV wrote:

My wife and I visited the area together with a friend who came from Phương Phi in Cát Tiến.  (I am not sure about the governmental units but it is just north of Qui Nhơn.)   I would recommend this area for a day visit if you are in Qui Nhơn.  The reason that I say a day visit is that, at that time at least, there were from what I could see no hotels or beach resorts at all in the village.  The beach we went to is here:  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cat+T … 5993?hl=en  It may no longer be true but at that time the beach had absolutely no commercial entities as far as the eye could see.  The only people using the beach were the children of the local village and nearby farms and then mostly mornings and evenings.  The drawback would be that without a commercial establishment near the beach, you would lack a place to take a fresh water shower after swimming.  Maybe things have changed and there is a minimal facility there but hopefully not a major resort.  The culinary specialty of the area seems to be a smaller version of Bánh xèo without the yellow coloring in the dough.  You may find them in many stalls in the village market.

As previously mentioned the area was the center of the Tây Sơn Rebellion.  I would highly recommend another day trip to the Quang Trung Museum that is located to the NW of the city.  https://www.google.com/maps/place/Quang … 8767?hl=en
This is a 50 km ride out but is well worth the day if you rent a motorbike from your hotel.  It is one of the best maintained and most attractive museums that I have been to in Vietnam.  Study up a little on the Tây Sơn before you go and you can get a little more out of the visit.  I had previously done a little reading because I taught for a while at a school named for Quang Trung.

Nice tips, thanks!

I haven't visited that beach area yet, but I'll be doing a day trip there soon.

You are right about accommodations: I can't even find a Nhà Nghỉ/motel listed on Google in that area.

It does look very beautiful though.

Some great photos of the area are posted in this Google Maps listing for a nearby pagoda:

Gautama Buddha Statue - Linh Phong Pagoda
Tỉnh Lộ 640, Thôn Phương Phi, Xã Cát Tiến, Huyện Phù Cát, Cát Tiến, Phù Cát, Bình Định
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DvpUr

The Quang Trung Museum was very impressive.

There are what my guide called "Kung Fu Dance Exhibitions" inside an air-conditioned theater.

We caught the last half of a show.

Not sure if the driver got in free, but I paid ₫400,000 VND and the three of us enjoyed the show.

I had seen some information about this time period in the Hanoi history museum, but this was very enlightening.

The ocean water at the south end of the main beach is definitely cleaner: I swam in it and it seemed just as good as most California beaches I know.

I especially like the landscaping of the oceanfront there.

This is a new daytime video I took of that area, just north of the Royal Resort:

https://youtu.be/HGdu4Pl6V2A

Other reasons to live in the southern main beach area: it's closer to Mega Market and Big C, which are very close to each other:

MM MEGA MARKET Quy Nhơn
Đường 1D P, Ghềnh Ráng, Thành phố Qui Nhơn, Bình Định
(phone number listed on Google Maps)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/raHGd

The more vibrant night life in the city is near the central beach, which is frankly a fairly barren area along the walkway there, yet full of street vendors at night.

I'm talking about the area near the Night Market:

Quy Nhon Night market
Lê Duẩn, Lý Thường Kiệt, Thành phố Qui Nhơn, Bình Định
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gqKtn

Nearby you'll find the Co-Op market, the statues of Ho Chi Minh and his father, Highlands Coffee, Jollibee and (best of all) the wide boulevard parkway Nguyễn Tất Thành, which has gorgeous landscaping to view during the daytime and a kaleidoscope of lights at night; an ideal place for city walkers.

A new video I just posted on YouTube, viewing the bay and the beach from an elevated position just south of the beach, above the Royal Resort:

https://youtu.be/NeIwK2j8OI4

I "lived" in QN for 6 months a few years ago.
the town shuts down at 10pm
the town has no great excitement ...
if you like the beach after "work"  ....  great..
if you want a very very relaxed life .... great..
if you want a restricted palate,  grooming, fashion, culture...  then great
as long as you like long walks in the rain ,,, maybe with Pina Coladas.. great...
not much else to offer except a coffee shop every 20 metres.
But all in all , a great place just to exist and just live.

I would say the same as redbeard, it's a nice place to visit, but to live there full time? Far too quiet for me. But very beautiful place. Nha trang is a Russian mafia town now, I left promptly.

Canman63 wrote:

Nha trang is a Russian mafia town now, I left promptly.

More like a Chinese city. 

According to the most recent statistics (the second half of 2018), the largest group of tourists continued to be Chinese as it has been for 5 consecutive years, followed by Russian, then Korean.  Since 2015, the number of Chinese tourists in Nha Trang has doubled every year while Russian tourists grew at a modest 9% increase.

When we were there last year, the presence of Chinese tourists was overwhelming.  On the streets, in the shops, on the boats, on the sand, the only language we heard was Chinese.  Even the piped-in music at several beaches and on the islands was Chinese.

Yes, can agree with u on that one.

It should be obvious by now that whether one likes and considers residing/retiring in Quy Nhon depends on "what'cha like and what'cha used to."  If you desire nightclubs, multiple movie theaters with the latest western movies, and a variety of restaurants serving international menus, then Quy Nhon is not the place for you.  If you are looking for an attractive relatively unspoiled beach city that can be friendly to western residents who are adaptable, that is large enough to have adequate telecommunications but is still small enough to have unspoiled countryside within an easy ride nearby, then you might want to check it out.

Canman63 wrote:

I would say the same as redbeard, it's a nice place to visit, but to live there full time? Far too quiet for me. But very beautiful place. Nha trang is a Russian mafia town now, I left promptly.

Nha Trang......I wouldn’t recommend it

It’s now become the “Socialist Swill Riviera”       They’ve rolled out the RED carpet to all the Low end , poor as piss Russians , Chinese & former Soviet Bloc & Eastern Bloc desparates that come here on Zero dong tours.   

They didn’t do their homework on who they targeted in their tourism marketing.    The median wage in China is $260 a month,  regional Russia ( where most of them come from) its @ $500  month and those Eastern European countries like Ukraine & Belarus it’s about $350.     

They don’t spend...how could they.   They crowd into the new Air Con shopping centres that have “sprung up” purely for respite from the heat.  It’s AC for the poor.

They didn’t get the Top end of the market.    The problem is , the rich Chinese & Russians now know that  Nha Trang is the destination of choice for  the bottom feeders & rabble .   They built a 5 star 950 room hotel near the beach on the north side where I stay.   It’s around 5% occupancy.  😆

Once a place gets a “cheap smell” about it.....the big spending tourists will avoid it due to “travel snobbery”.   

There’s a cheap apartment complex of 4000 units nearby....Most are on Air BnB....the chows rent them for $30 a night and cram 10/12 people in.  It’s a debacle.

The long term tenants have had a gut full , myself included.  Some of these poor bastards have bought a place , only to find the other units are rented out on Air bnb to mobs of chows and groups of young idiots coming up from Saigon & pack about 12 party animals into a place and just drink , screw & smoke ice.   Yogis got about 8 imbeciles camped next door .   They’re tattooed top to toe,,and sit around a bucket sucking on a piece of plumbing pipe all day.   Lovely...just f#+kin lovely,🤓

The Russians have also developed a cost effective attitude to dining cuisine.
They bring their own cheap booze ( $4 Hanoi vodka & local rum)  into restaurants and eat fried rice , boiled veges and a plate of chips.  The other night,,one of them walked across the road to Vin Mart to get a 2 litre bottle of coke to mix the rum with....and expect the restaurant guy to supply the ice and glasses.   

The place has turned to crap......that’s why Yogi  is doing regular vanishing acts.
Nha Trang has gone overboard on development ,  but it’s all a cheap facade. 

You can’t put lipstick on a pig.

Yogi007 wrote:

The place has turned to crap......that’s why Yogi  is doing regular vanishing acts.
Nha Trang has gone overboard on development ,  but it’s all a cheap facade. 

You can’t put lipstick on a pig.

I was thinking the same about Mũi Né last time I went. I'm supposed to spend a few days there next month, I'll be hiding in my 5 stars resort where parasites won't thrive. Hell yeah! (but ouch the wallet).

Reece (manager of the Sports Bar) has asked me to play/sing for a few hours tomorrow (Sunday, April 28th) about 6:30 PM, so perhaps I'll have the chance to meet a few more of you guys there.

I rented my motto bike of Reese, and spent time there eating and drinking.
Great guy and good food too.nice little pub.

Canman63 wrote:

I rented my motto bike of Reese,......

Just curious but is this use of "of" a prepositonal use that I am not familiar with or is it an auto-spell error.   

THIGV wrote:

Canman63 wrote:

I rented my motto bike of Reese,......

Just curious but is this use of "of" a prepositonal use that I am not familiar with or is it an auto-spell error.   

Yes... 😁

Yes

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Reece (manager of the Sports Bar) has asked me to play/sing for a few hours tomorrow (Sunday, April 28th) about 6:30 PM, so perhaps I'll have the chance to meet a few more of you guys there.

Re: the OP's purpose in posting this thread, I thought it worth mentioning that the crowd last night was at least 50% Vietnamese.

Many locals are interested in anything having to do with English, so events such as an "Americana Music" night are likely to draw a nice mix of foreigners and locals.

Tell us about the American music night. It sounds like it was a good time.

Canman63 wrote:

Tell us about the American music night. It sounds like it was a good time.

"Americana" music is a relatively new classification of a collection of styles: Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock and Folk.

I sang a mix of my original songs and some classic songs from all of those genres.

The Vietnamese audience members seemed most interested in 50's Rock (Buddy Holly, Elvis) and simple Country music beats, but they were a considerate audience no matter what I sang.

That street corner is perfect for a show with sidewalk table seating.

Reece hired a great sound engineer who brought in a vintage P.A. system, and I couldn't have asked for a better sound setup.

As good as any I've worked with in Nashville or L.A.

The engineer tended the sound board for the entire three hours of the show, which was especially helpful during periodic karaoke outbursts from the Royal Cafe across the street.

A Vietnamese couple from across the street who had never been in the sports bar before came and sat at a table.

The husband said they had to come after hearing "the amazing sound" coming from the bar over at their house.

Bob and Danny (a couple of our forum members) were there, and perhaps they will tell you about their experiences.

They had three gorgeous Vietnamese ladies sharing their table...

Sounds great, yes it's a good location for that. I may have met the 2 other gentleman you are speaking of. Both were teachers living there. Had a few beers one night.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Canman63 wrote:

Tell us about the American music night. It sounds like it was a good time.

"Americana" music is a relatively new classification of a collection of styles: Blues, Jazz, Country, Rock and Folk.

I sang a mix of my original songs and some classic songs from all of those genres.

The Vietnamese audience members seemed most interested in 50's Rock (Buddy Holly, Elvis) and simple Country music beats, but they were a considerate audience no matter what I sang.

That street corner is perfect for a show with sidewalk table seating.

Reece hired a great sound engineer who brought in a vintage P.A. system, and I couldn't have asked for a better sound setup.

As good as any I've worked with in Nashville or L.A.

The engineer tended the sound board for the entire three hours of the show, which was especially helpful during periodic karaoke outbursts from the Royal Cafe across the street.

A Vietnamese couple from across the street who had never been in the sports bar before came and sat at a table.

The husband said they had to come after hearing "the amazing sound" coming from the bar over at their house.

Bob and Danny (a couple of our forum members) were there, and perhaps they will tell you about their experiences.

They had three gorgeous Vietnamese ladies sharing their table...

Spot-on debrief of a wonderful Sunday night of cross-generational and "trans-genre" entertainment provided by our one-and-only, highly talented Ocean_Beach (AKA, Gordy)  at the Quy Nhon Sports Bar (a special thanks to the owners Reese and Docker). Having little idea in advance of Gordy's enormous musical talents this evening was a special cross-cultural event enjoyed by many Vietnamese as well as expats from many different countries. Gordy, who generously shared his knowledge of music and music history definitely enriched the quality of this expats life in the friendly and beautiful Quy Nhon city  .  My hope is that Gordy and the QN community will find an accomplished piano player to support another performance focused on his love of jazz and blues. Gratitude for sharing your gift of musical talent with us on this memorable night .

Canman63 wrote:

Sounds great, yes it's a good location for that. I may have met the 2 other gentleman you are speaking of. Both were teachers living there. Had a few beers one night.

These two guys are relatively new to town and not teachers, but your post points out how easy it is for expats to connect with each other there.

Here is a public Facebook post that the bar shared after the show...

I have been to a few Vietnamese towns and the construction is like WW3. It the construction every where like you claim to where it is in Unbearable to enjoy yourself and your always looking up. What about the construction is it all day and loud?

Appreciate any insight.

Hey traveler,

There is a fair amount of construction going on, but I wouldn't say it's everywhere in the city and surrounding areas. It really depends on the area. Is there a particular area you are interested in?

Hi Thanks for your quick response.

I live part year in Thailand in a very small beach town. From the US.  I am looking for an apartment with an Ocean or River view for my wife and I.

I was in DaNang and it was crazy with construction. I was in Hoi An crazy with tour buses and construction.

So, anywhere close to the beach or river with a view and close to the grocery store, if possible.

I am also going to check out Dong Hoi. This looks like a nice place as well.

There are many places that fit your description. I can set you up with a friend of mine that has a service to help expats with just about anything you need. Her name is Khanh and her website is AtYourService dot VN.

Travelerusa wrote:

Hi Thanks for your quick response.

I live part year in Thailand in a very small beach town. From the US.  I am looking for an apartment with an Ocean or River view for my wife and I.

I was in DaNang and it was crazy with construction. I was in Hoi An crazy with tour buses and construction.

So, anywhere close to the beach or river with a view and close to the grocery store, if possible.

Does it matter if the water is clean?

Quy Nhơn is beautiful but most of the water at the main beach is "cloudy" at the shoreline (a local asked me not to call it "dirty", even though my eyes AND my nose would say it is).

There is a saltwater marsh at the north end of the bay that continually deposits silt (and other stuff) along most of the shoreline.

Did you ever cross the river and go south of Hội An to Tam Ky?

I especially like the shoreline there; an area called Tam Thanh, where the ocean and the river are very close neighbors:

Tam Thanh
Tam Kỳ, Quang Nam Province
Google Maps link

Thanks

Many areas you have spoken of are busy with construction. But in these cities many areas are quiet. I spend my time in the quieter areas and have no problem. No need to stay in a busy area if you don't like noise.
U can't expect things in developing countries to remain stagnant.
Many many quiet places in any country in Asia.
I rent in the an thuong area of Danang, very very quiet. Lots of construction going on down the beach, but certainly doesn't bother me. Travelling around Asia for 9 years and yes, construction is rampant, and it's not going to stop.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Does it matter if the water is clean?

Quy Nhơn is beautiful but most of the water at the main beach is "cloudy" at the shoreline (a local asked me not to call it "dirty", even though my eyes AND my nose would say it is).

There is a saltwater marsh at the north end of the bay that continually deposits silt (and other stuff) along most of the shoreline.

My link in my post #43 got messed up but if you search Google Maps for Cat Tien Beach you will find clean water and a beautiful stretch of beach just a short way out of town.  (I need to learn how to create those shortened links.  )   There may be some development now but 5 years ago it was totally undeveloped without even as much as a cabana in sight.  Sadly, one day when we were there, there was a small ceremony going on for a local teenager who had drowned.  Most of the locals at the beach were apparently farm raised children who did not really know how to swim but mostly played in the shallows.

As you indicate above, the prevailing current  in Vietnam seems to be North to South so North of even the smaller coastal cities should mean cleaner.   This may be why the beach at Tan Khe in Danang seems nice, again if you prefer a beach without amenities or even other expats.

Thanks for your Perspective

WillyBaldy wrote:

Yogi007 wrote:

The place has turned to crap......that’s why Yogi  is doing regular vanishing acts.
Nha Trang has gone overboard on development ,  but it’s all a cheap facade. 

You can’t put lipstick on a pig.

I was thinking the same about Mũi Né last time I went. I'm supposed to spend a few days there next month, I'll be hiding in my 5 stars resort where parasites won't thrive. Hell yeah! (but ouch the wallet).

I was just in Mui Ne (and Phan Thiet) for about 10 days.  It isn't as bad as all that...not there.  I mean, yes, it is spoiled and the beaches are eroding, people are overcharging you left and right, there are some Russian tourists around (quiet, shy ones, thankfully), there are some pesky motorbike drivers selling shitty (very shitty) weed and "boom-boom" (LOL)...but there is also a lot of people from other countries like Europe, etc. around, and it is still beautiful there with a lot of good points.  I kinda liked it...there are enough beaches that you can find a quiet spot to swim, walk up to various resort bars right off the beach for a drink or lunch, and the city there is kind of quaint too (dirty and noisy but quaint in its own way).  Mui Ne is no Nha Trang, come on!!

You can't really compare Mui Ne to Nha Trang because Nha Trang has a real touristy infrastructure with concerts, cable cars, and so on. Also, beaches in Mui Ne are so great compared to Nha Trang and Phu Quoc island, for example. I've had bad experiences with Russian tourists in Mui Ne so I kind of blacklisted that place, but I'd go back to Phan Thiet if I had to and it's really a nice train ride from Saigon.

WillyBaldy wrote:

You can't really compare Mui Ne to Nha Trang because Nha Trang has a real touristy infrastructure with concerts, cable cars, and so on. Also, beaches in Mui Ne are so great compared to Nha Trang and Phu Quoc island, for example. I've had bad experiences with Russian tourists in Mui Ne so I kind of blacklisted that place, but I'd go back to Phan Thiet if I had to and it's really a nice train ride from Saigon.

I think Wadey said they are headed to Phan Thiet for a bit.

My middle-aged nephew, a SoCal surfer, also had bad experiences with Russians in Mui Ne.