Living in Ben Tre

Hey we just had a Ben Tre thread, did you search?
I have only passed through. It's nice being on the river but I didn't see enough to say it is beautiful.
Close to everything? I guess depending on your definition of 'close' and 'everything'! Seems a bit quiet to me down there in the provinces.

gobot wrote:

Hey we just had a Ben Tre thread, did you search?
I have only passed through. It's nice being on the river but I didn't see enough to say it is beautiful.
Close to everything? I guess depending on your definition of 'close' and 'everything'! Seems a bit quiet to me down there in the provinces.

Yep... You haven't seen all of Ben Tre yet... They are slowing up in building the city... Matter of time it will turn into a tourist attraction that is why we are moving here now before it getting pricey.... it's 1 1/2 from Saigon and 3hrs from Vung tau.

Rahj_Devon wrote:

Matter of time it will turn into a tourist attraction that is why we are moving here now before it getting pricey.... it's 1 1/2 from Saigon and 3hrs from Vung tau.

I am not sure about that.  My wife is from Ben Tre and in fact she is there right now and calling me to complain that she is bored.  If someone with a whole extended family is bored there, imagine a stranger.  It is a lovely city and definitely peaceful.  Prices of lots are rising but I don't see it becoming a tourist attraction soon.

It really is not a good place to live if you are a beach lover.  The closest thing to a nearby beach is at the outlet of the river about 60 km away and it is basically silt from the Mekong.  My wife tells me that she learned to swim in the river, but from the looks of it I don't think that would be a good idea today.  It's not as bad as the rivers in HCM but I never saw any children swimming in Ben Tre.  If you are gainfully employed either at the one language school in Ben Tre or even in My Tho, it might be better than being unemployed, as your school work will keep you busy.  Also building a home, as you Mr. Devon may be, and maybe a small farm could keep someone busy.  That is the trick to living there.  I do anticipate being there next June or July so perhaps we can rendezvous then.

THIGV wrote:

Rahj_Devon wrote:

Matter of time it will turn into a tourist attraction that is why we are moving here now before it getting pricey.... it's 1 1/2 from Saigon and 3hrs from Vung tau.

I am not sure about that.  My wife is from Ben Tre and in fact she is there right now and calling me to complain that she is bored.  If someone with a whole extended family is bored there, imagine a stranger.  It is a lovely city and definitely peaceful.  Prices of lots are rising but I don't see it becoming a tourist attraction soon.

It really is not a good place to live if you are a beach lover.  The closest thing to a nearby beach is at the outlet of the river about 60 km away and it is basically silt from the Mekong.  My wife tells me that she learned to swim in the river, but from the looks of it I don't think that would be a good idea today.  It's not as bad as the rivers in HCM but I never saw any children swimming in Ben Tre.  If you are gainfully employed either at the one language school in Ben Tre or even in My Tho, it might be better than being unemployed, as your school work will keep you busy.  Also building a home, as you Mr. Devon may be, and maybe a small farm could keep someone busy.  That is the trick to living there.  I do anticipate being there next June or July so perhaps we can rendezvous then.

LOL.... THIGV... You are right!!! It's not as busy as Saigon or other beach city but it is a peaceful place to lives tho if you are about to retire or want to be in a calmer place.   I like Ben Tre because it is a peaceful city and it is still cheaper than most of the city in Vietnam.  I guess I am just tire of living in a road race life style here in the U.S and now I just want to slow down and enjoy the nature.  I can always get in a car and travel to the beach or any city close by though if I really want to be in the mix...

THIGV... Do your guy lives in  khu phố 2, phường phú Khương @ Ben Tre?

Rahj_Devon wrote:

THIGV... Do your guy lives in  khu phố 2, phường phú Khương @ Ben Tre?

They live in K.P. 4, phuong 5.  They are between the two bridges and between Hung Vuong, the street which goes along the river, and Nguyen Van Tu which is a block back and runs into the center of town.  The house is down a lane which is only accessible by motorbike or on foot.  It looks like you are a lot more "inland" from the river.  I don't know how long they will live right there as there is discussion of a government buy out to work on the stream which goes behind the house.

THIGV wrote:

Rahj_Devon wrote:

THIGV... Do your guy lives in  khu phố 2, phường phú Khương @ Ben Tre?

They live in K.P. 4, phuong 5.  They are between the two bridges and between Hung Vuong, the street which goes along the river, and Nguyen Van Tu which is a block back and runs into the center of town.  The house is down a lane which is only accessible by motorbike or on foot.  It looks like you are a lot more "inland" from the river.  I don't know how long they will live right there as there is discussion of a government buy out to work on the stream which goes behind the house.

Oh o.k.... Yes, You are corrected! I lives  in khu phố 2, phường phú Khương which is more in land.  My wife said there were couple foreigner just recently moved into the neighborhood which I have not met them yet since I haven't been there for almost 8 months.  Planning to go there in Nov.  Hopefully we will meet in the future.

HI!

I have been living in Ben Tre for 1.5 years. I'm new to this forum, looks your question was from 2019. Ben Tre is a beautiful place to live, In the city center there is a small mall with a large western supermarket (Co Opmart) with other little retail shops, although the Baskin Robin store was closed down a few months ago. The cost of living is much lower compared to Saigon (HCM). There is currently much construction going on over here, a new supermarket (Big C) , condominiums and Medical offices are being build. 

At the riverside there is a market, and a big flower market before/during the Lunar New Year. Most people do not speak English over here, so learning Vietnamese is quite important, although can take some time. Living here without speaking Vietnamese or having a Vietnamese partner/friend can be quite challenging, unlike Saigon (HCM) and other large metropolitan cities; where more foreigners reside.

There is not much local public transportation over here, although it's easy to take a taxi or a grab, or take a motorbike.  It's easy to get to Saigon, several bus companies offer daily service between Ben-Tre and Saigon.  Ben Tre is also famous for Coconut trees!