Surfshark Vietnam: The VPN That Actually Work

Vietnam is a country that moves at its own rhythm. One minute you are crossing a street in Hanoi where a thousand scooters rush past you, and the next you are sitting by the beach in Da Nang watching the sunset while your laptop uploads photos at lightning speed.

I spent three weeks traveling across Vietnam while working remotely, and if there is one thing I learned, it is this: never trust free WiFi without Surfshark running quietly in the background.

What Internet Life Feels Like in Vietnam

Vietnam’s internet surprised me from day one. It is fast, widespread, and incredibly easy to access, yet completely unpredictable. You can sit in a small noodle shop with speeds faster than in some European cafés, then move to a hotel that claims to have “premium fiber” and find yourself staring at a loading bar for minutes.

There is free WiFi almost everywhere — cafés, restaurants, airports, even long-distance buses. A barista in Hanoi laughed when I asked for the password and said, “No password, friend, just connect.” That openness is convenient, but also dangerous.

I could literally see dozens of devices connected to the same network, and I knew every unprotected user could be watched by anyone else on that list.

Surfshark solved that fear completely. I kept it connected 24 hours a day. Whether I was booking flights, transferring money, or uploading travel videos, my data stayed private, and my speeds remained stable.

Who Runs the Internet in Vietnam

After a few days, you start recognizing the names that pop up on every Wi-Fi login page.

• Viettel – the most reliable, with the best mobile data coverage
• VNPT – strong in urban areas and used by most hotels
• FPT Telecom – the go-to provider for coworking spaces and cafés

I bought a Viettel Tourist SIM at Noi Bai Airport for about ten dollars. It came with 15 GB of data and worked well in cities. In the countryside around Hoi An and Hue, it slowed down, but I could still message and stream music easily. A local student told me:

Viettel is king here. Even our parents trust it more than the government internet.

Still, every provider filters content. Some news sites load slowly, and streaming apps occasionally get restricted. Once Surfshark was on, everything opened instantly, and I never hit a blocked page again.

Hanoi: Lively, Noisy, and Surprisingly Wired

The first week I stayed in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Every café had Wi-Fi, and most of it was decent. I spent mornings at Cong Caphe and afternoons at The Note Coffee near Hoan Kiem Lake, writing and joining calls. Average speeds were around 80 to 90 Mbps. When a connection dropped, Surfshark’s kill switch saved me from awkward mid-call freezes.

Hanoi’s internet is good, but the networks are public. At one point, a hostel manager told me, “We change the router password only if someone complains.” I smiled, turned on Surfshark, and kept working.

In the evenings, I streamed Netflix through Surfshark’s Japan server while sitting on the balcony, listening to the constant hum of scooters. It felt surreal to be halfway across the world and still watching my favorite shows without any regional limits.

Da Nang: The Digital Nomad Dream

If I had to pick one place in Vietnam to live long-term, it would be Da Nang. This coastal city has fiber connections faster than most of Asia and an endless line of coffee shops filled with laptops. My favorite spots were 43 Factory, The Hideout, and Wanderlust Café near My Khe Beach.

Speeds often hit 100 to 120 Mbps. Even large uploads finished quickly. A café owner once joked, “Our Wi-Fi is faster than our espresso machine.” He was right.

I worked here for several days using Surfshark connected to the Singapore server. It was flawless. I streamed Premier League matches in HD, joined video calls, and even played some online games just to test latency. No lag, no drops.

Da Nang is also the first place where I saw coworking spaces like Enouvo Hub offering private VPN-ready rooms. They clearly know what remote workers need.

Hoi An: Timeless Charm, Timeless Wi-Fi Problems

Hoi An looks like a painting. The lanterns, the calm river, the golden glow at night and the Wi-Fi that loves to reset every evening around 10 p.m.

Most hotels here run on VNPT or FPT connections. During the day, everything works fine, but after dinner the routers slow down or reboot. I once lost an upload halfway through a client delivery, and Surfshark’s automatic reconnection saved the file from corruption.

A tour guide I met laughed when I told him about it. “Even our routers go to sleep early here, he said.“

Despite that, I enjoyed Hoi An more than anywhere else. Sitting at Faifo Coffee overlooking the rooftops while Surfshark quietly protected my connection felt like a perfect balance of old and new.

Ho Chi Minh City: The City That Never Disconnects

Ho Chi Minh City is where Vietnam’s internet shines. In District 1 and Thao Dien, speeds easily reach 150 Mbps. Every coworking space, from Dreamplex to Toong, is filled with people on video calls, gaming, or streaming.

I spent a week here working from cafés and rooftop lounges, switching between Surfshark’s Singapore and Japan servers. Both were lightning fast. Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer — everything worked.

At one point, I asked a local IT guy if he ever uses a VPN. He said:

Yes, everyone who knows tech here does. You need one to keep your browsing private.

These are the speed averages I recorded with Surfshark connected:

The difference was minimal, which shows how well Surfshark routes traffic for Vietnamese users.

Phu Quoc: Paradise With Weak Wi-Fi

Phu Quoc might be the most beautiful island in Vietnam, but its WiFi belongs to another century. Most resorts rely on FPT networks that drop at random. I stayed at a beachfront hotel where the Wi-Fi worked best at 6 a.m. and died after sunset.

A fellow traveler from Germany told me, “I can swim faster than this Wi-Fi.” We both laughed, but he was not exaggerating. Surfshark’s automatic reconnect feature was my lifeline here.

Using the Singapore server, I streamed HBO Max while sitting by the pool. Without a VPN, the same site showed “Content not available in your region.” That alone made Surfshark worth every cent.

Streaming and Daily Use

Here is what I managed to access during those three weeks with Surfshark active:

I even rented movies on Amazon Prime using my home account without any region issues.

Public Wi-Fi often cuts access to streaming sites, so having Surfshark felt like traveling with a personal key to the entire internet.

Why Surfshark Works So Well in Vietnam

After testing several VPNs in different countries, Surfshark just fits Vietnam better than most.

• Servers in Singapore, Japan, and Thailand keep latency low.
• Camouflage Mode hides VPN use from local firewalls.
• NoBorders Mode activates automatically when censorship appears.
• CleanWeb removes malware and ads on sketchy networks.
• Unlimited devices mean one account for everything I own.

It also uses the Lightway protocol, which feels almost invisible. Speeds stayed between 85 and 95 percent of normal Wi-Fi rates, even on older routers.

What I Learned After 3 Weeks

Vietnam’s internet is like the traffic — fast, chaotic, and full of surprises. You can either fight it or learn how to move with it.

One evening in Hanoi, a man sitting next to me in a café asked what I was doing on my laptop. When I said I was testing VPNs, he smiled and said, “Ah, smart foreigner. Here, privacy is not broken, it just never existed.” That sentence stuck with me.

It made me realize that Surfshark was not only about streaming or speed. It was about control. In a place where networks are shared, monitored, and unpredictable, having a secure tunnel felt like breathing fresh air.

Even now, when I think about Vietnam, I remember that mix of chaos and calm horns, humidity, and the quiet reassurance of seeing that green Surfshark icon glowing on my screen.

Final Thoughts

If you plan to travel or work remotely in Vietnam, do yourself a favor and set up Surfshark before you land. It will protect your connection, unlock your favorite streaming platforms, and make daily browsing stress-free.

Vietnam’s energy is incredible, but its networks are not always friendly. Surfshark turned every unstable hotspot into a safe and steady connection.

After three weeks across Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City, and Phu Quoc, I can say confidently that this VPN belongs on every traveler’s packing list – right next to sunscreen and mosquito spray.

FAQ: What Travelers Always Ask About Surfshark in Vietnam

Petr

I'm Petr, and the online world has been my playground for over 25 years. I build websites, run my own businesses, test new tools, explore what works (and what doesn’t), and share tips that save people time, money, and stress. On this site, you'll find no-nonsense articles, honest insights, and a dash of humor or irony. When I’m not behind the keyboard, I’m out chasing bike trails or discovering new golf courses. The rest of the time, you’ll find me on adventures with my wife and our two sons.

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