Vietnam is recognized worldwide as a top destination for all kinds of travel — a collage of rivers and seas, deep valleys and mountains, white sand beaches and red dunes, religious sites and historical monuments, modern and colonial architecture, and national parks. Whether you’re looking for an adventure or just wanting to enjoy your time, there’s always a place for you in Vietnam. And a couple of other options, too.
Besides tourism visitors, Vietnam is also the home to over 90,000 expats, from English teachers to engineers as well as investors and consultants. In fact, Vietnam was the 10th best destination for expats in 2021, according to InterNations’ annual Expat Insider survey. It was the seventh consecutive appearance of Vietnam on the chart, and the second in the top 10 rankings.
However, because of the impact of COVID-19 on jobs and as a result of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs’ tougher regulations to tighten the rules and enforcement of expats working in Vietnam, many of them who have stayed in the country for years left permanently. Despite everything, there are still those who remain in the country and some of them are making online videos about their lives in Vietnam.
If you’re a tourist eager to see Halong Bay and eat traditional pho or an expat eyeing Ho Chi Minh City as your next work address, while you may not be able to visit yet, we listed the most-followed expat YouTubers who will bring you a little closer to Vietnam — to its rich history and culture, tourist destinations, irresistible street foods and, of course, its people.
CEE JAY OFFICIAL
Igbokoyi Jesuloluwa, or Cee Jay, to his YouTube followers, is a Nigerian national living and working in Hanoi, Vietnam. “My goal is to make you laugh your butt off while watching my videos so feel free to do so,” his bio reads.
His hilarious vlogs sometimes feature his Vietnamese wife and friends. This explains why most of Cee Jay’s videos are in Vietnamese. How popular is he? His video Sự khác biệt khi yêu Gái Tây & Gái Việt (The difference when falling in love with Western Girls & Vietnamese Girls) published in 2018 now has over 5.5 million views and Những điều Cee Jay ghét nhất ở Việt Nam (Things Cee Jay hates most in Vietnam) reached over 5.2 million views. The CEE JAY OFFICIAL channel is closed to getting a million subscribers.
Vietnam Meets Dustin
Dustin Cheverier is an American vlogger currently living in Vietnam, and like Cee Jay, he also speaks Vietnamese in his vlogs. But what makes Dustin unique is his not based in Hanoi or HCMC, or any major cities; he lives in the countryside, as the locals do.
According to his YouTube About page, Dusting is “based in the countryside and wilderness of Vietnam through the eyes of a foreigner learning skills through the locals. I often partake in fishing, trapping, cooking, hunting and outdoor activities. I'm not the best outdoorsman, but I'm an open book and want to learn.” One of his most-viewed videos is when he cooked caramelized pork and egg, with over 3.8 million views. When Dustin got 100,000 subscribers, he swam and crossed the Saigon River. Presently, Dustin has 685,000 subscribers.
Ninja Teacher Official
A huge chunk of the expat population in Vietnam are teachers, and Alex Stevenson is one of them. In his channel Ninja Teacher Official, Alex provides educational content to help aspiring teachers understand what it’s like to teach in Vietnam and some tips and training.
His videos feature guides on how to get a teaching job in Vietnam, processing the work permits and necessary documents, apartment hunting, and travel videos. Alex also founded Ninja Teacher Academy providing in-person TEFL and TESOL certifications in Vietnam. Alex’s channel is still growing and already nearing 50,000 subscribers.
Phúc Mập Vlog
Phúc Mập, who goes by Hurley in real life, has lived in Vietnam for the past seven years and is known for his funny vlogs. This bearded YouTuber considers Vietnam his second home, “This channel is to express how much I love Vietnam, its people, food, and culture,” he said.
Phúc Mập also speaks Vietnamese but uses English in most of his videos. His channel with over 437,000 subscribers features fun episodes of his life in Vietnam — him meeting the locals, eating traditional food and going around the country.
AfroViet TV
AfroViet TV is all about fun, food, music and travel. In this channel, Nam Den takes his viewers on a journey with a promise to entertain “by exploring the beauty of African and Asian cultures,” his bio reads.
Nam Den’s channel has more than 43,000 subscribers and is getting a great amount of comments and feedback from its fans. In 2019, Nam Den did a collab vlog with Phúc Mập, where they tried some strange dishes in Vietnam.
Will in Vietnam
“A Frenchy in Vietnam” is Will’s banner on his YouTube channel where he talks about what is it about living in Vietnam for an expat. This Hanoi-based YouTuber has captured the hearts of 76,000 subscribers because of his fun takes on Vietnamese food. He speaks Vietnamese and English in his videos and features some of his French friends when trying out new food.
His video “Why you should live in Vietnam?” received a lot of comments from foreigners and locals agreeing with what he was saying in the video. Will also dabbles in TikTok and travel videos.
aNcari Room
Akari is originally from Japan and has been living in Vietnam since May of 2016. Her Vietnamese is flawless and it’s evident in the vlogs she uploads.
Akari’s aNcari Room channel now has 159,000 subscribers. Her vlogs feature the Vietnamese language, traveling around the country and eating street food. She also has videos where she sings in different languages and does cover collabs with other YouTubers. Akari also shares a bit of her hometown and introduces Japan to her Vietnamese viewers.