Anyone in Vung Tau?

rentonglenn wrote:

Anyone in Vung Tau?

I currently live in Washington State US

When Visa's start been issued I plan to go there.

A lot of people had to leave during the pandemic, and I left there a few months before I ultimately needed to leave Vietnam.

When you get there, search Google Maps for
"Belly's Watering Hole":

53D Phan Chu Trinh
Phường 2
Vũng Tầu
Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu

Lots of English speaking folks there, and you'll find it easy to join in for coffee in the morning or beer anytime.

I might be back there sometime after June 1st.

Maybe tell us a bit more about yourself before people commit to meeting up with you?

Welcome to the Vietnam forum.

Howdy -

I'm still in Vung Tau.

Why Vung Tau?  To visit?  Live?  Retire?  Girlfriend?  Family?
It's a nice little city. Underrated I think.
Easy access to Saigon and has lots that Saigon doesn't: sea air, beaches, hills and hiking, slower pace, less traffic (more on weekends), less poverty (judging by the new motorbikes), less trash, walkable, foreign food options.

With the Covid concerns and Visa's questionable I'm thinking early May is the target date. I have an acquaintance there but living arrangement's are still unknown.

I'm recently retired  in the Seattle area and planning to live there with a Girlfriend she works for a platform supply co. and lives by the Lapen center.

rentonglenn wrote:

I'm recently retired  in the Seattle area and planning to live there with a Girlfriend she works for a platform supply co. and lives by the Lapen center.

The Lapen Center Mall is in district 11.

But you aren't certain if you will live with her there or elsewhere?

Have you met her in person, or only through the internet?

What's important to you when choosing where to live?

If you prefer to live near expat-frequented areas or near the sea, district 11 is not near Front Beach or Back Beach, but you can get there fairly quickly via motorbike or Grab taxi (Grab is a rideshare outfit, similar to Uber--they actually bought out Uber in Southeast Asia--but they were only allowing taxi rides as of this time last year).

If the beaches and fellow expats are not that important to you, we have at least one long-term forum member who has found nearby Bà Rịa to be a good place to live.

rentonglenn wrote:

With the Covid concerns and Visa's questionable I'm thinking early May is the target date. I have an acquaintance there but living arrangement's are still unknown.

In my opinion, that's probably good thinking.

I'm personally not going to attempt to get back any earlier than July 1st, hoping that by then most or all Covid restrictions might be lifted (my guess only).

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

rentonglenn wrote:

I'm recently retired  in the Seattle area and planning to live there with a Girlfriend she works for a platform supply co. and lives by the Lapen center.

The Lapen Center Mall is in district 11.

But you aren't certain if you will live with her there or elsewhere?

Have you met her in person, or only through the internet?

What's important to you when choosing where to live?

If you prefer to live near expat-frequented areas or near the sea, district 11 is not near Front Beach or Back Beach, but you can get there fairly quickly via motorbike or Grab taxi (Grab is a rideshare outfit, similar to Uber--they actually bought out Uber in Southeast Asia--but they were only allowing taxi rides as of this time last year).

If the beaches and fellow expats are not that important to you, we have at least one long-term forum member who has found nearby Bà Rịa to be a good place to live.

Actually,Lapen Center is in ward 9 and not ward 11. Ward 11 is much further out about another  6 klms. In Vung Tau they dont call it district, either phuong or ward.

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

rentonglenn wrote:

I'm recently retired  in the Seattle area and planning to live there with a Girlfriend she works for a platform supply co. and lives by the Lapen center.

The Lapen Center Mall is in district 11.

But you aren't certain if you will live with her there or elsewhere?

Have you met her in person, or only through the internet?

What's important to you when choosing where to live?

If you prefer to live near expat-frequented areas or near the sea, district 11 is not near Front Beach or Back Beach, but you can get there fairly quickly via motorbike or Grab taxi (Grab is a rideshare outfit, similar to Uber--they actually bought out Uber in Southeast Asia--but they were only allowing taxi rides as of this time last year).

If the beaches and fellow expats are not that important to you, we have at least one long-term forum member who has found nearby Bà Rịa to be a good place to live.

Actually,Lapen Center is in ward 9 and not ward 11. Ward 11 is much further out about another  6 klms. In Vung Tau they dont call it district, either phuong or ward.

Thanks.

I was taught by ignorant foreigners who said "district".

I sent a correction to Google Maps.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

The Lapen Center Mall is in district 11.

But you aren't certain if you will live with her there or elsewhere?

Have you met her in person, or only through the internet?

What's important to you when choosing where to live?

If you prefer to live near expat-frequented areas or near the sea, district 11 is not near Front Beach or Back Beach, but you can get there fairly quickly via motorbike or Grab taxi (Grab is a rideshare outfit, similar to Uber--they actually bought out Uber in Southeast Asia--but they were only allowing taxi rides as of this time last year).

If the beaches and fellow expats are not that important to you, we have at least one long-term forum member who has found nearby Bà Rịa to be a good place to live.

Actually,Lapen Center is in ward 9 and not ward 11. Ward 11 is much further out about another  6 klms. In Vung Tau they dont call it district, either phuong or ward.

Thanks.

I was taught by ignorant foreigners who said "district".

I sent a correction to Google Maps.

District is used in Saigon, not VT.

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Actually,Lapen Center is in ward 9 and not ward 11. Ward 11 is much further out about another  6 klms. In Vung Tau they dont call it district, either phuong or ward.

Thanks.

I was taught by ignorant foreigners who said "district".

I sent a correction to Google Maps.

District is used in Saigon, not VT.

Also used by some drunks in VT

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Thanks.

I was taught by ignorant foreigners who said "district".

I sent a correction to Google Maps.

District is used in Saigon, not VT.

Also used by some drunks in VT

Most of the Phan Chu Trinh crowd are lucky to know their own names.

Can someone please confirm that the 9-seater minibusses are still running from across the road from the HCMC International airport to Vung Tau, or what is the best way to travel from the airport to VT?

I'll be coming back after 2.5 years stuck in Australia.

- @Safepeter

Can someone please confirm that the 9-seater minibusses are still running from across the road from the HCMC International airport to Vung Tau, or what is the best way to travel from the airport to VT?

I'll be coming back after 2.5 years stuck in Australia.

- @Safepeter

@Andybris2020 Thanks mate. I'm finally getting back on the 26th of May and looking forward to great food and cold tiger or bia hoi.

@Andybris2020 Thanks mate. I'm finally getting back on the 26th of May and looking forward to great food and cold tiger or bia hoi.

- @Safepeter

@Andybris2020 Purrfect

@OceanBeach92107  so bellys has survived lock down arriving in august , how is the vung tau ,shops open , sasavuta hotel  seems closed

@OceanBeach92107  so bellys has survived lock down arriving in august , how is the vung tau ,shops open , sasavuta hotel  seems closed

- @seventh7th

@OceanBeach92107  so bellys has survived lock down arriving in august , how is the vung tau ,shops open , sasavuta hotel  seems closed

- @seventh7th

@OceanBeach92107

OB I did go in 23 for 1 Month and will be back Mid January 2026    is Belly's still the same I'm 67 but felt a little too young😀

Sasavuta is no longer a hotel, Lucy's is a restaurant only (Japanese I believe), Ganh Hao 1 & 2 still going strong. Matilda's Bar in now The T Restaurant & bar 6 Nguyen Du (Western/Vietnamese) great chef.

A new popular bar is Boosters Sport Bar & Grill, B18 Thai Van Long St., Ned Kelly 1 Nguyen Trai, going strong. A few more opening on Front Beach.

As OB says, there are still plenty of bars up and down Geezer Lane (Phan Chu Trinh) although openings, closings and name changes go on all the time as before.

@OceanBeach92107
OB I did go in 23 for 1 Month and will be back Mid January 2026  is Belly's still the same I'm 67 but felt a little too young😀 - @rentonglenn

I haven't lived there since 2022.

@OceanBeach92107

Probably not a lot has changed, except more high rise apartment blocks up to 50 floors on back beach. A few more starting on front beach, and the new bars (same place revamped and renames;) )

I did go in '23 for 1 month and will be back mid January 2026. Is Belly's still the same? I'm 67 but felt a little too young😀 - @rentonglenn

I was back in Vũng Tàu from May until about a week ago. The main change with Belly's is that apparently Belly is no longer involved with the business operations of the bar/restaurant. I was told that he gave away his shares in the place to the VN co-owners, as well as those related to Q-Mart and two other bars. He's still around though.

As mentioned, the most significant changes are at Back Beach/Thuy Van Street where there has been an attempt to make it more photogenic. The restaurants on that side of the street have been removed and pedestrian underpasses are being built. Also, near Front Beach, the Hilton DoubleTree and some type of aquarium are being constructed.

In other news, the owner of David Pizza passed away. His wife and eldest daughter have kept it open. Some other places that are still around are Bistro 9, Luca Italian, Don Quixote, Emily's Kitchen, Taj Grill, the Red Parrot, and Good Morning Vietnam. However, upon returning from Kampot, Cambodia, I was somewhat overall disappointed with the Western and Indian food available in Vũng Tàu, and found it better to eat Japanese and Vietnamese. One exception, was the new Offshore Restaurant, which doesn't seem to be in any way related to the old Offshore Hotel and Bar. I regularly had their Sunday Roast.

Another change is getting to HCMC from VT. There are a lot of roadworks and the level of traffic in Phu My has increased so it takes a bit more more time. However, Vũng Tàu is now part of HCMC, so technically the travel time is zero minutes.

Anyone wanting to know what life in Vũng Tàu was like about a decade ago, check out the YouTube channel of a guy known as "Vung Tau Rider" (link)

He fell off the radar after COVID.

A good guy, he took the time to meet me for coffee when I first visited there in 2019.

He's also a long inactive member of this forum.

https://www.expat.com/en/profile/1904469-calbear-activity.html

@OceanBeach92107

Thanks Guys see ya next year

Is Grab best option in VT?