Newbies Q&A 2026/27 by Katie Shea

Online Shopping -- Shoppee

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

As above, Shoppee has loads of choice, and you can often find "expat favorites". Be mindful that "overseas" items have unpredictable shipping times and may incur expensive customs fees.

"How long does it typically take for people to find a place to live and then actually move in? "

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

It depends. Some folks find a place more quickly, whereas for others the home hunt takes longer with a lot of deliberation.

Often, people who move quickly move again during the year as they become more familiar with the area.

If your shipment arrives and you're still looking for housing, Asian Tigers can store your shipment, or deliver to the temporary location and then they or another shipper can move you to your long-term housing (for a fee).

Friends of Vietnam Heritage

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

This group organizes walking tours, cultural evenings, and a monthly book club focused on Vietnamese authors.

Dance

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Latin social dances (salsa/bachata/etc): Beso Latino is near Truch Bach, or Spring Salsa is nearer to Ba Dinh. Both places offer a variety of group classes at all levels, and dance parties. A couple of night clubs in Quang An host Latin nights as well.

Ballroom dance: Harmony Dance has group and private instruction in all of the international Standard and Latin styles and have well-qualified english-speaking instructors

Pole & Aerial dance: PD Premium

Dance fitness classes are sometimes offered on campus through Community programs.

What are the pet import requirements for Vietnam, and can I get help importing my pet?

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Vietnam requires Rabies vaccines and health certificate from the originating country, and recommends microchip.

Asvelis Vet can give detailed advice or even (for a fee) handle the import on your behalf

Vietnamese Names

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Vietnamese names are written as last name - middle name - first name. So, our HR head Do Hong Chi is Chi.

Vinmec

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Vinmec is further away than FMC or Raffles, but is a new modern hospital.

Trail Running

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Every Saturday morning (EARLY) a bus leaves from UNIS and heads to Soc Son for trail running. Good crew. Good vibe. All levels of runners are welcome. Just be sure to pack water and a change of clothing. Cost-200,000/person for the bus.

Vietnamese Schools / Instruction

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

There are a few decent schools and teachers around. Tieng Viet Oi and Vietnamese with Annie have gotten positive reviews. I'd also really recommend Lingodeer - it's a very good app with a well-laid out sequence of instruction.

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Bumrungrad in Bangkok, Thailand.

Many teachers hop over for a weekend or during the holiday to get physicals or exams / treatment. You can book ahead on the Bumrungrad website and share your insurance card before going. This is also a commonly used location for specialist and surgical care.

Raffles Medical

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Raffles is located in the heart of Quang An, so it's one of the closest western options for routine health care. They don't have as many specialists as FMP and aren't as well equipped for acute care, but many UNIS staff use them for general practice.

Bicycle Trips

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

There are some good companies that cater to long distance bike trips. These trips are usually all inclusive (including bikes and support vehicle)

Hanoi/North: Tony Nguyen- tonybikingguidevn@gmail.com (Tony is the best...the most expensive, but also the best. Excellent bikes, very professional, problem solver, wide range of bike trips)

South Central Viet Nam- Da Lat area: Vietaction Tours- Mr. Jackie Trang. vietactiontour@gmail. www.vietaction.com. (Nice guys, cheaper tour- "local style" hotels and dining. Bikes are OK. They do a lot of other outdoor activities in Da Lat.)

Pilates/Yoga

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

There are a few pilates and yoga studios to choose from in the Tay Ho area.

Zenith Yoga and Paragate Pilates are located in the Quang An area

AMZ Fitness and Pilates is located in Ciputra

Family Medical Practice

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

is a 20-30 minute grab from campusTayHo, has English-speaking doctors and a number of specialists. They also have their own ambulance service and pharmacy service. Many UNIS staff use them for routine care and non-surgical specialist care.

Bicycle Riding

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Many UNIS teachers ride on the weekends. There are different groups depending on your ability and fitness level. Contact: Tracy Ramberg or Rebecca Bechard. There are more than these 2, but this is a starting place.

Online shopping -- Lazada

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Lazada has loads of choice, and you can often find "expat favorites". I suggest you restrict your search to "Local" to find products located within Vietnam as "overseas" items have unpredictable shipping times and may incur expensive customs fees.

Fitness at UNIS

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

There are a variety of fitness classes offered on campus through UNIS Community Programs.

In addition, staff have the option to use the sports/fitness facilities during select non-student hours

Lotte Mall West Lake

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

This is a large mall with a very good supermarket in the lower level, a number of decent home stores and restaurants, along with a movie theater and everything else you'd expect in a mall. There is also a branch of Shinhan Bank outside the north end of the mall.

Resource Map

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Interactive Google Map full of staff recommendations for housing, shops, restaurants, and more! Be aware that major construction in Quang An means that some shops and restaurants may be relocating in the coming months.

New Teachers Hub

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

https://sites.google.com/unishanoi.org/new-teachers-hub?pli=1

Is there child care available during scheduled house hunting times? Kids might be jet-lagged and tired/cranky.

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

Mon-Fri childcare will be offered until 4:30 pm, so you should be able to look at housing on your own while kids are in child care. If you need a babysitter outside those hours, put the word out on wantads – you can likely find an older staff kid to help

I am looking at a real estate agency (Nest Living), would it be okay to also go visit apartments with their agents?

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

It is strongly recommended that you send the listings you're interested in to the UNIS approved agents first (regardless of who is listing them). Make sure to use the UNIS housing contract as it has clauses that will protect you if construction pops up next door.

My shipment has gone but there are a few more things I wanted to send over. Can I have a friend send a box via post?

kshea38 — 2026-05-20 07:02:02 UTC

You will likely have to pay duty/import fees for anything that does not come on the plane with you or in your Asian Tigers shipment. It will also be bound by all import regulations as it will fall outside your one-time exemption.

Hanoi French Hospital (HFH) is a leading, Western-standard international hospital in Hanoi, located in the Dong Da district.

dpmai1 — 2026-06-01 09:30:12 UTC

Established in 1997, it offers multilingual care, 170 inpatient beds, and over 60 internationally trained specialists. This hospital is about 13 km from Ciputra.

Vietnamese is a tonal language – the same word can have different meanings depending on the tone used. Pronunciation matters a lot.

dpmai1 — 2026-06-01 09:34:38 UTC

What Are The Six Vietnamese Tones?

Tonal languages vary in the number of tones they use. For instance, Thai has five tones, and Vietnamese, on the other hand, has six distinct tones that are essential to learn and master when studying the language.
A very common real-world example is how tone changes what you are about to drink:

Dừa = Coconut
Dứa = Pineapple
Dưa = Watermelon

North and South accents differ – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City speakers may pronounce some words differently, but they can understand each other.

dpmai1 — 2026-06-01 09:37:53 UTC

A few basic phrases go a long way

dpmai1 — 2026-06-01 09:40:36 UTC

Xin chào = Hello

Cảm ơn = Thank you

Xin lỗi = Sorry / Excuse me

Bao nhiêu tiền? = How much?

Vâng / Dạ = Yes (polite)

Vietnamese people appreciate any effort to speak the language, even if your pronunciation isn't perfect.

dpmai1 — 2026-06-01 09:50:35 UTC

So don't be shy to try speaking Vietnamese, even if you only know a few words.

A simple tip: learn how to say numbers and greetings first—they are useful every day.

Unis website

dpmai1 — 2026-06-01 09:52:45 UTC

Faculty and staff portal

dpmai1 — 2026-06-01 09:54:27 UTC

15 Must-Try Vietnamese Dishes

dpmai1 — 2026-06-03 03:50:56 UTC

UNIS Housing & Resource Map

dpmai1 — 2026-06-03 03:57:18 UTC

top 50 must-visit restaurants in Hanoi

dpmai1 — 2026-06-03 04:00:42 UTC

Hanoi’s Old Quarter - Eating and Drinking Like a Local

dpmai1 — 2026-06-03 04:02:37 UTC

Must-try Hanoi street food

dpmai1 — 2026-06-03 04:04:50 UTC

Finding a house

2026-06-07 03:57:45 UTC

In the event when someone finds a house within the first week, should they stay for a full month at Somerset since it's paid? or move out whenever and be deducted up to the number of days stayed at Somerset?