From a Vietnamese source, only around 5–6% of foreigners and travellers return to Vietnam. There can be a plethora of reasons why people don’t return, and to each his own. Would I personally be coming back after staying for 3 months? Yes and No. It would heavily depend on my state of life. The country offers a specific time in life when it would be an ideal place to visit.
Do I want to slow down my burn rate while I figure things out? Then it would be the perfect time to go if I wanted time to go at almost a standstill to slow burning my resources while I think about my next five moves. Staying in Vietnam would be the perfect place to do that. Some might argue Thailand or Bali would be ideal for that too, but in my view, those places have been transformed too much by tourists to a degree that fosters escapism rather than self-discovery. There is just too much distraction and things to do.
The problem with that is there are always two sides of the coin. Does it mean that there is not much to do as a tourist for a longer stay? Well, kinda. The first time you stay for a week or two, you will probably have enough time to savour what the place has to offer; Da Nang, Ha Noi, Halong Bay. Aside from the food, which of course will be a daily occurrence, there is not much going on.
Again, depending on how you look at it, it could be a good or bad thing. As an aspiring entrepreneur, I think this place is the ideal setting to build something that can scale in the future. In fact, I wrote my book in Vietnam, Golden Visa, because with so much free time I had, I was able to put together my thoughts and really be able to do deep work for longer periods of time.
Not to take anything away from Vietnam of course, I made good friends there too while I stayed for quite some time. Food and coffee were my favourites. So, my reason to come back would be of more substance, for example to revisit old friends and take time to pause. It won’t be because the place had a lot to offer because, frankly, it didn’t have much. But maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what you need.
Golden Visa Book
Golden Visa, is a book I wrote that explores the intersection of entrepreneurship, global citizenship, and the nomadic lifestyle. This book provides invaluable insights and practical advice for individuals looking to embrace a new way of living and doing business in today’s rapidly changing world.