Apollo IH Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is a large group of language schools predominantly based in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. In each city there are a number of branches, each with 8 – 12 classrooms, well-resourced teachers rooms, and modern reception areas with grassy knolls and reading areas where parents can wait after dropping off their kids.

Most of the english language students at each branch are young learners, so there is a real buzz and excitement to the centres when they are coming and going from class. As a teacher, or as a trainee teacher, you can’t help to feel the excitment and energy!

The centre in District 3 is where teacher training happens. This is about equidistant between the airport and the city centre in a local, residential area. Should you have time at the weekend and be looking for more action, it’ll take you about 20-25 minutes to head south into the cosmopolitan District 1, home of HCMC’s famous restaurants and nightlife.

Those who love the big city life are sure to find their way here as Ho Chi Minh City hosts a population of over seven million people, making it the largest city in Vietnam. Whilst the history is long and eventful, the city continues to grow and change rapidly. The streets are a mosaic of stylish, high rise buildings, beautiful pagodas and magnificent colonial buildings.

Getaways are very easy to come by due to the city’s location in the region and easy access from the city center to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. If relaxation is what you’re after, then beaches such as Nha Trang, Mui Ne and Vung Tau are within reach for a weekend away and the beautiful islands of Phu Quoc and Con Dao are a short flight away. The fertile Mekong Delta is a popular trip for many as well to experience authentic Vietnamese countryside living.

Ho Chi Minh City has an international airport which is served by a variety of routes and carriers. Those coming from further afield may well have to stop off in larger hubs such as Dubai or Bangkok on their way here. The airports has shuttle buses into town, although taxis from the airport are affordable (between 10-20USD).

The school is situated in a local, residential area in HCMC with several good options for Vietnamese food within a minute’s walk from the school. If you don’t wish to venture out in the heat of the day, it’s easy and cheap to get a wide variety of cuisines delivered to the school.

If you eat like a local, you can have delicious food from local eateries for less than 2 USD per meal.  If you prefer home comforts, you could be spending 10 USD per meal excluding drinks.

Transport is relatively cheap, with improving bus services in the cities. The Grab app (like Uber) is the most common way to get a taxi or motorbike taxi. You can rent a motorbike for a round 40-50 USD for the month if you prefer!

Accommodation

We don’t provide any formal support but are happy to offer advice on this matter. It’s very easy to find cheap and comfortable short or long-term accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City. Visit Airbnb or Booking.com to get an idea of prices. There are plenty of very active housing groups on Facebook that you could join, especially if you wish to find a room in a shared house or flat, as people regularly post there. We recommend that you find somewhere close to the school during the course, as traffic can move slowly during rush hour. It’s perhaps better to find something temporary over the course and then find something for the longer-term once you know where in the city you will be working.

Cost of living is famously very reasonable in Vietnam, although it’s possible to also spend a lot depending how you choose to live. A room in a shared house will cost around 200-250 USD per month, a studio flat 300-450 USD.