Moving Abroad in 8 weeks OMG!

[ilsonchick]

I am moving to Vietnam with my partner in 8weeks time. We have been planning to move abroad for a few months now to escape england but weve now decided to go now instead of later.... We are going to live in vietnam for 6 months because my partner is a scuba diving instructor for PADI and needs to go and work there for this period of time before we move onto the next place. I want to know has anyone been to Vietnam? What is it like? i have never been but my partner has and he called it the "chinese carribean" Also what jabs will we need? Any tips on how to sell all our possessions in 8 weeks!!? would ebay be a good idea or my free papers or a front of house sale? Do you need a visa? And lastly any suggestions on the best place to live abroad... i.e cheap rental of property, jobs available, etc.. Sorry for all the questions just totally in a blind panic of whats needed to be done and what to expect in 8 weeks!!!! xxx

[Cakeboy]

Congratulations on taking the plunge and leaving for sunnier shores.

eBay is probably the best way to get rid of small stuff that you don't want to take - games consoles, computer, kitchen stuff etc. You can list furniture as well, but make sure you put it for pick-up only. Combine that with a load of stuff in Loot and the Free-ads for your area, notices in local shops and giving some stuff to charity shops, and you should be rid of most of it.

I'd rent somewhere if you're not sure how long you're going to be there, a cheap hotel will do you for starters whilst you finalise something. Start looking now and you should be all set.

As for jabs, I went to Vietnam 10 years ago and can't remember what I had and didn't. Google it and check with your doctor and you'll be fine

[ilsonchick]

Hi Cake Boy,

Thanks for the responce did you like Vietnam? i mean all i think of is "war" is it cheap beautiful hot sunny dangerous? etc...

Thanks
Sarahx

[chizz]

I just went to Vietnam (and Cambodia) about a month ago and it was one of the best holidays I've had! It is so different to Europe and you will see so many nice places and meet many nice people. The food is great (and I'm a fussy eater sometimes!) and things are cheap to buy. I suppose the usual vaccinations are required such as Hepatitis A, tyhoid, tetanus etc, and there are mosquitos in some areas. I would check with your practice nurse at your local health centre and he/she will tell you what you need for what area in Vietnam as things vary from region to region. A visa is needed from the embassy but mine only lasted for 30 days so you need to seek advice from the Vietnamese Embassy for a longer stay. EBay is a good place to sell your stuff as well as ads in the local paper, etc. I'm sure you'll have a great time as Vietnam is fantastic and you'll only be there for 6 months if you are not so keen!! Obviously there is a difference between holidaying there and actually living there but I wouldn't mind staying for 6 months!! I would probably visit most places in the country while my husband worked!! - (as I had no worries about safety whilst I was there). Have a great time - I'm sure many people would like to be in your shoes!

[chizz]

It's hard to suggest places to live abroad as they vary according to personal tastes and while things may be cheap in some countries, you may not be able to tolerate such a different environment to live in yourself. Australia is great - we lived in Sydney for a year and travelled all around the country. To us it was cheaper than the UK and we had a higher standard of living but you still pay lots of tax like back home. We lived in Kuwait which was cheaper for us but there was not much of a social life. We now live in Dubai which is tax free but expensive for accommodation and general living - so swings and roundabouts! I like really culturally different places so would like to live in India, Thailand, and S.E. Asia to name a few. It would be cheaper to live there generally but wages could also be lower in my husband's case and the way of life might not be to everyone's taste. It's best to do a bit of research, try and get a job offer before you go if possible and then just try it out!

[ilsonchick]

Thanks for all your answers. I spoke to my friend who went and he said it was the "chinese carribean" and that for �120 you can live for amonth! so i cant wait now anyone want to buy a speed boat? haha xxx