About this Video

• Video Title: Philippines Vs Vietnam? | Filipina Doesn't Like It?!
• Channel: It’s Me
• Speakers: Corey, Raquel
• Duration: 00:37:27

Introduction

This video compares the Philippines and Vietnam based on the experiences of a couple—Corey (originally from the US) and Raquel (a Filipina)—who recently returned from a trip to Vietnam. They discuss various aspects of both countries, including safety, weather, food, people, driving, things to do, and cost of living, offering their opinions on which country excels in each category.

Key Takeaways

• Safety: Both countries are considered safe, with potential exceptions in specific areas of major cities like Saigon and Manila. Safety depends largely on personal awareness and precautions.
• Weather: Vietnam experiences more distinct seasons than the area of the Philippines where the couple resides. Vietnam can be significantly colder than the Philippines, especially during certain months. The couple found the weather in Vietnam pleasant during their visit, but noted that summer months would be too hot.
• Food: Corey preferred Vietnamese food, finding it healthier and offering a wider variety. Raquel, however, preferred Filipino food, struggling to find familiar rice dishes and noting that Vietnamese food sometimes caused digestive upset. The availability of familiar Filipino food options was limited in Vietnam.
• People: Both Corey and Raquel found the people in both countries friendly, but noted that Filipinos generally seemed happier and more welcoming.
• Driving: Driving in Vietnam was considered significantly safer and more organized than in the Philippines.
• Things to do: The couple found comparable attractions in both countries but noted that Vietnam had better amusement parks, while the Philippines had a greater variety of beaches due to its numerous islands.
• Cost: Vietnam was significantly cheaper than the Philippines across the board, including hotels, food, transportation, and general merchandise.

Corey was very impressed with Vietnam's infrastructure and organization. He noted that stores were efficiently staffed, well-organized, and generally smooth-running. He also highlighted the positive aspects of intersections, crosswalks, and the overall cleanliness, contrasting this favorably with the less organized state of infrastructure in the Philippines. He specifically mentioned the absence of power outages, well-maintained power lines (either underground or aesthetically pleasing above-ground), clean-looking small stores (like Kmarts), and the lack of unpleasant smells like sewage.

Corey and Raquel found driving in Vietnam to be far less stressful than in the Philippines. Specifically, they noted that Vietnamese drivers generally obeyed traffic signals (red and green lights), stayed in their lanes, and were not aggressive or rude. Furthermore, all vehicles had license plates, and they observed no instances of underage drivers or those without helmets. In contrast, they described the driving in the Philippines as very bad, requiring constant vigilance to avoid accidents involving scooters and other vehicles often lacking safety features or proper licensing.

The couple had a negative experience with Jollibee restaurants in Vietnam. They found the chicken to be of a different (and inferior) taste and quality compared to Jollibee restaurants in the Philippines. They tried multiple locations and were consistently disappointed, a stark contrast to their positive experiences with Jollibee in the US and the Philippines. They also mentioned difficulty finding familiar rice dishes.