Packed schedule for biggest-ever Vietnam Hat

Players competing at 2008’s Vietnam Hat Tournament - Photo: The organizers

Organizers have arranged an action packed schedule for players at the seventh Vietnam Hat ultimate Frisbee tournament that starts on Saturday at RMIT International University Vietnam, 702 Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard, District 7, HCMC.

Ten teams will be made-up from nearly 200 Ultimate Frisbee players from more than 10 countries. Teams will play between six and nine matches each, depending on if they progress into the final rounds on Sunday.

The organizers, Saigon Ultimate Club and RMIT Ultimate Club, said the teams are larger this year so players will have plenty of time to rest and rehydrate. The registration party is on at Le Pub tonight, 175/22 Pham Ngu Lao, District 1. (see www.lepub.org for info and directions) from 7pm till late. The tournament party on Saturday night with a costume theme of Beauty and the Beast will be at Lush Bar, 2 Ly Tu Trong, District 1 from 9pm. If not in costume, dress code applies.

The Saigon Times Daily is the proud media sponsor of the Vietnam Hat.

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Drifting through the delta

Phu Tu Island in Phu Quoc offshore Kien Giang Province

If central Vietnam is my favorite place to travel and learn about history, the Mekong Delta region is where I am touched by the hardship that these people endure.

My journey starts from Dong Tam Snake Farm in Tien Giang Province. It is one of the country’s largest snake-farms where venom is produced for local use and export. The center also has other rare animals such as bears, monkeys and golden turtles.

Down the river to An Giang Province, I had time to visit many places such as Ba Chua Xu Temple, built in 1820 at the foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc District, where people pray to Ba Chua Xu for better crops and lives. From Sam Mountain visitors can see the Vietnam and Cambodia border and That Son Mountain Range where there are many old pagodas.

I also had a chance to see artisans weaving brocades in Cham Chau Giang craft village. And visited Dong Thap to see the tomb of Sinh Sac, the father of Uncle Ho.

A seller at Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City at dawn Photos: Dang Khoa

Then I left for Kien Giang Province, a must-see for all travelers to the delta. I went first to Ha Tien Town and looked around Mui Nai Beach, Thon Van Stone Cave, Chong Islet and many historical and cultural relics.

From the center of Ha Tien Township, I stopped at the royal tombs and temples of the Mac Cuu family at Binh San Mountain. They were the family who first settled the town 300 years ago. The mountain was nice to trek around then I cooled off at some of the temples and the ancient Phu Dung Pagoda

If you go to Kien Giang Province, you shouldn’t miss the boat ride to Phu Quoc Island, to see the peaceful tropical paradise and float in the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

I came back via Can Tho City, checked out Cai Rang Floating Market – listening to the cries of sellers drifting along the canals and rivers.

In Can Tho, I also watched a performance of don ca tai tu (southern opera singing).

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Drifting through the delta

Phu Tu Island in Phu Quoc offshore Kien Giang Province

If central Vietnam is my favorite place to travel and learn about history, the Mekong Delta region is where I am touched by the hardship that these people endure.

My journey starts from Dong Tam Snake Farm in Tien Giang Province. It is one of the country’s largest snake-farms where venom is produced for local use and export. The center also has other rare animals such as bears, monkeys and golden turtles.

Down the river to An Giang Province, I had time to visit many places such as Ba Chua Xu Temple, built in 1820 at the foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc District, where people pray to Ba Chua Xu for better crops and lives. From Sam Mountain visitors can see the Vietnam and Cambodia border and That Son Mountain Range where there are many old pagodas.

I also had a chance to see artisans weaving brocades in Cham Chau Giang craft village. And visited Dong Thap to see the tomb of Sinh Sac, the father of Uncle Ho.

A seller at Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City at dawn Photos: Dang Khoa

Then I left for Kien Giang Province, a must-see for all travelers to the delta. I went first to Ha Tien Town and looked around Mui Nai Beach, Thon Van Stone Cave, Chong Islet and many historical and cultural relics.

From the center of Ha Tien Township, I stopped at the royal tombs and temples of the Mac Cuu family at Binh San Mountain. They were the family who first settled the town 300 years ago. The mountain was nice to trek around then I cooled off at some of the temples and the ancient Phu Dung Pagoda

If you go to Kien Giang Province, you shouldn’t miss the boat ride to Phu Quoc Island, to see the peaceful tropical paradise and float in the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

I came back via Can Tho City, checked out Cai Rang Floating Market – listening to the cries of sellers drifting along the canals and rivers.

In Can Tho, I also watched a performance of don ca tai tu (southern opera singing).

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• Drifting through the delta
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Drifting through the delta

Phu Tu Island in Phu Quoc offshore Kien Giang Province

If central Vietnam is my favorite place to travel and learn about history, the Mekong Delta region is where I am touched by the hardship that these people endure.

My journey starts from Dong Tam Snake Farm in Tien Giang Province. It is one of the country’s largest snake-farms where venom is produced for local use and export. The center also has other rare animals such as bears, monkeys and golden turtles.

Down the river to An Giang Province, I had time to visit many places such as Ba Chua Xu Temple, built in 1820 at the foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc District, where people pray to Ba Chua Xu for better crops and lives. From Sam Mountain visitors can see the Vietnam and Cambodia border and That Son Mountain Range where there are many old pagodas.

I also had a chance to see artisans weaving brocades in Cham Chau Giang craft village. And visited Dong Thap to see the tomb of Sinh Sac, the father of Uncle Ho.

A seller at Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City at dawn Photos: Dang Khoa

Then I left for Kien Giang Province, a must-see for all travelers to the delta. I went first to Ha Tien Town and looked around Mui Nai Beach, Thon Van Stone Cave, Chong Islet and many historical and cultural relics.

From the center of Ha Tien Township, I stopped at the royal tombs and temples of the Mac Cuu family at Binh San Mountain. They were the family who first settled the town 300 years ago. The mountain was nice to trek around then I cooled off at some of the temples and the ancient Phu Dung Pagoda

If you go to Kien Giang Province, you shouldn’t miss the boat ride to Phu Quoc Island, to see the peaceful tropical paradise and float in the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

I came back via Can Tho City, checked out Cai Rang Floating Market – listening to the cries of sellers drifting along the canals and rivers.

In Can Tho, I also watched a performance of don ca tai tu (southern opera singing).

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Drifting through the delta

Phu Tu Island in Phu Quoc offshore Kien Giang Province

If central Vietnam is my favorite place to travel and learn about history, the Mekong Delta region is where I am touched by the hardship that these people endure.

My journey starts from Dong Tam Snake Farm in Tien Giang Province. It is one of the country’s largest snake-farms where venom is produced for local use and export. The center also has other rare animals such as bears, monkeys and golden turtles.

Down the river to An Giang Province, I had time to visit many places such as Ba Chua Xu Temple, built in 1820 at the foot of Sam Mountain, Chau Doc District, where people pray to Ba Chua Xu for better crops and lives. From Sam Mountain visitors can see the Vietnam and Cambodia border and That Son Mountain Range where there are many old pagodas.

I also had a chance to see artisans weaving brocades in Cham Chau Giang craft village. And visited Dong Thap to see the tomb of Sinh Sac, the father of Uncle Ho.

A seller at Cai Rang Floating Market in Can Tho City at dawn Photos: Dang Khoa

Then I left for Kien Giang Province, a must-see for all travelers to the delta. I went first to Ha Tien Town and looked around Mui Nai Beach, Thon Van Stone Cave, Chong Islet and many historical and cultural relics.

From the center of Ha Tien Township, I stopped at the royal tombs and temples of the Mac Cuu family at Binh San Mountain. They were the family who first settled the town 300 years ago. The mountain was nice to trek around then I cooled off at some of the temples and the ancient Phu Dung Pagoda

If you go to Kien Giang Province, you shouldn’t miss the boat ride to Phu Quoc Island, to see the peaceful tropical paradise and float in the warm turquoise waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

I came back via Can Tho City, checked out Cai Rang Floating Market – listening to the cries of sellers drifting along the canals and rivers.

In Can Tho, I also watched a performance of don ca tai tu (southern opera singing).

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Visitors flock toVietnam as tourism booms

Vietnam attributed part of its success in potentially attracting
over 5 million foreign arrivals this year -- against its original target
of 4.2 million -- to a destination image promotion.

Deputy Head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Hoang
Thi Diep told the opening session of a two-day Hanoi international
workshop on December 16 that the hospitality industry had intensified
investment in promoting iconic tourism images of national destinations
in foreign markets.

The industry has launched an
exclusive TV channel on tourism, contributing to increasing public
awareness about green tourism and tapping natural advantages as well as
cultural and historic interests and attracting investment in
hospitality.

The tourism TV channel has also
provided information on services and products for domestic holidaymakers
and foreign tourists, Diep reported.

The two-day
workshop attracted 150 participants, including representatives from the
UN World Tourism Organisation, international experts and travel agent
executives..,

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Biggest-ever Vietnam Hat ultimate frisbee tournament this weekend

Saigon Ultimate club is holding the seventh Vietnam Hat ultimate frisbee tournament at RMIT this Saturday and Sunday - Photo: The organizers

Nearly 200 ultimate frisbee players from more than 10 countries will play at Vietnam’s biggest ultimate tournament ever this weekend.

The Saigon Ultimate Club (SUC) that is organizing the two day Vietnam Hat tournament at the fields at RMIT University in HCMC’s District 7 has had record registrations from Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, China, the U.S. and Europe with nearly a third of the players Vietnamese.

“This is the largest ultimate tournament ever held in Vietnam. It’s half again as large as any previous tournament,” said one of the organizers, Aaron Toronto.

We’ll have 10 large teams this year and previously we’ve never had more than seven,” Toronto said. Last year the Vietnam Hat had 116 players, but this year the response has been huge especially from Singapore with 50 players and new Vietnamese players at universities in HCMC.

SUC has been busy this year promoting the sport with Vietnamese students and has generated a lot of new players from HCMC University  of Technology in District 10, Vu Anh Vu, another member of the organizing committee, said.

The RMIT Ultimate Club has also been a driving force in developing the sport and finding the next generation of players, Vu said.

In a bid to give the new players international tournament experience the organizers made the registration price for Vietnamese players cheaper than for expats or international visitors this year. “We want Vietnamese to participate to grow the sport here and give people a great ultimate experience. That will help us develop,” Toronto said.

“Many Vietnamese don’t have the opportunity to go to international tournaments, so this is their best chance,” he said.

The unprecedented response from Singapore was because SUC has sent a lot of players to the Singapore Ultimate Tournament over the past few years and built up a good relationship, players said.

This year marks the seventh Vietnam Hat tournament so the theme for the competition and the party at Lush night club on Saturday night is “The Mystery of Seven”.

Hat tournaments are less competitive than team tournaments, so people have fun, make friends, play frisbee and party at night, Vu said.

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