Living in: Hồ Chí Minh City

Though many travellers might be shocked when they visit Vietnam’s chaotic biggest city for the first time, Hồ Chí Minh City (formerly known as Saigon) is beloved by its residents as a place of surprising calm and order.

“The traffic looks crazy, yet once you are in it the cars move at a slow and steady pace, and you rarely see road rage,” said James Clark, an Australian who has lived in the city since 2012 and writes about his travels at Nomadic Notes.

Kelsey Cheng from Chicago, who lived in HCMC while volunteering, agrees. “Saigon is a very calming place, despite all the chaos. The lifestyle is relaxed and everyone seems to always make it to places (almost) on time.”