Xmas and New Year at Continental Saigon and Tan Cang

Guests eat Russian food at Tan Cang Tourist Area in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District - Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

The Continental Saigon Hotel will start the Christmas celebrations at 10:30pm on December 24. Guests will be welcomed in the lobby with Xmas carols played on piano and violin and a selection of cocktails and champagne before enjoying the main party with many traditional Christmas dishes and fresh seafood.

The Jazz All Stars and singers Yoso, Khac Dung and Ngoc Lan will supply the live music performing Vietnamese and international Christmas songs. The entertainment also includes a Cinderella drama, saxophone solo show, comedy and dance shows with Santa Claus and the snow princesses.

Tickets are priced at VND890,000 per adult and VND490,000 per child, inclusive of wine, beer and soft drinks with a buy 10 tickets get one free special.

For New Year’s Eve, the hotel will host a gala dinner in the garden area with fireworks and balloons to welcome the New Year. Enjoy the delicious Western style food along with the music, a dance show, jugglers, comedy acts and lucky draw.

Tickets are priced at VND990,000 per adult and VND590,000 per child, inclusive of drinks. Guests who buy 10 tickets before December 15 will get one free.

At Tan Cang Tourist Area, the “Christmas party with Russian food” event will start from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on December 24, 25 and 26. Revelers can discover Russian culture through accordion performances and Russian music and dances. A flamenco band will also play.

It will be like a night in Moscow with the garden area decorated with Matroska dolls and Christmas trees and staff dressed in Russian costumes. Food will be prepared by Russian chefs along with many Vietnamese dishes.

Tickets are priced at VND450,000 per adult and VND200,000 per child, inclusive of draught beer Fifth Ocean.

The Continental Hotel Saigon is at 132-134 Dong Khoi Street in HCMC’s District 1, tel: 3829 9201.

Tan Cang Tourist Area is at A100 Ung Van Khiem Street, Binh Thanh District, HCMC, tel: 3512 8775.

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Where the Mekong meets the sea

Ba Dong Beach in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh

Duyen Hai is a coastal district in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, where the Mekong River meets the East Sea.

From Tra Vinh take National Road 53 east to get to Duyen Hai. The first place of interest there is Ba Dong Beach in Truong Long Hoa Commune. Ba Dong has giant sand dunes, formed by the action of the river and the ocean.

Lining the beach at the foot of the sand dunes are endless miles of casuarina forests.

Behind the sand dunes are potato farms where visitors can join in the harvest with local farmers to learn how to farm and about the local culture. As the soil is sandy and soft, it’s easy to dig the big sweet potatoes up. Along the beach there are farms that grow rau muong, a type of water spinach with purple flowers.

Farmers in their potato garden near Ba Dong Beach in Tra Vinh Province - Photos: Phuong Ha

Also in Truong Long Hoa Commune, about 55 kilometers from Tra Vinh Town, is the Nha Trang – Duyen Hai, also called Ba Dong tourist area where tourists can find accommodation, a swimming beach, volleyball court and places to relax.

The tourist area covers seven hectares. There is also a food area and bungalows to rent. The sunsets are spectacular.

The tourist area contains an old temple dedicated to worship Trieu Thi Trinh who led the revolution against the Chinese in 248AD. She failed and drowned herself in the river.

The temple attracts many visitors and pilgrims every year to the heroine’s commemoration ceremony.

About 200 meters from the temple is an old tomb built of stone under the shade. Locals say it is the tomb of a princess in Nguyen Dynasty who may have been the sister of Gia Long King. 

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Saigontourist Mid-Autumn dinner deals

A buffet program at Van Thanh Tourist Area in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District - Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

Saigontourist has dinner specials at the following venues for the Mid-Autumn festival.

Van Thanh Tourist Area (48/10 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 3025)

A buffet program for children will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on September 21 and 22. The buffet will feature over 35 dishes such as fried shrimp rolled in flour, grilled chicken wings and snail steamed with banana and beans. Kids can enjoy folk games, puppet shows and circus performances and walk in a lantern parade with Moon Fairy and Moon Boy.

Tickets are priced at VND190,000 per adult and VND120,000 per child.

Tan Cang Tourist Area (A100 Ung Van Khiem Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3512 8775)

A grilled hot pot buffet will open everyday from 5 p.m. in the garden area. The buffet has 80 grill, hot pot and seafood dishes with salads, fruit, cakes, ice-cream, fruit juices and drinks. Enjoy music by violin, guitar and flamenco players and games for children.

Tickets are priced at VND250,000 per adult and VND140,000 per child, and are discounted 30% for September 21. On the Monday night, the program is free for children accompanied by their parents. Each ticket includes one jug of Fifth Ocean Russian draught beer.

De Nhat Restaurant (18 Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District, tel: 3844 1199)

Children at the hotel’s First Grill Restaurant can join a lantern parade for kids, listen to legends, laugh at the water puppet shows and circus and join lucky draws. Children will receive photos, Givral moon cake, Monterosa ice-cream and many gifts from the Monterosa brand from Pham Nam Company and Sacombank.

Central Restaurant (177-179 Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1, tel: 6291 7977)

The restaurant will host a buffet accompanied with circus and juggling shows. Tickets are VND299,000 per adult and VND199,000 per child.

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