Big buffets for National Day

Guests select from the delicious buffet at Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area in HCMC’s Binh Thanh District - Photo: Courtesy of Saigontourist

Some hotels and restaurants under Saigontourist in HCMC are preparing special food programs for Vietnam National Day on September 2.

Fireworks night at Majestic Hotel Saigon (1 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: 3829 5517)

The program will feature seafood dishes at the Breeze Sky Bar on the hotel’s fifth floor from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

The bar is also ideal for guests to enjoy the National Day fireworks show with live music, juggling and bartender performances. Tickets are priced from VND918,000 per adult and VND458,000 per child, inclusive of wine, soft drinks and mineral water.

At the hotel’s Serenade Restaurant on the seventh floor, guests can enjoy buffets with European and Asian dishes, accompanied with a free drink and entertainment. Tickets are priced at VND728,000 per adult and VND368,000 a child.

The hotel’s M.Bar on the eighth floor is another good venue for tourists to join with family or friends to admire the fireworks and enjoy live music performed by the Coco band.

Gala buffet at Grand Hotel Saigon (8 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: 3829 4046)

The hotel will serve a buffet program with selected dishes such as seafood, mixed vegetables with Ha Tien seaweed, a delicious range of sushi, grilled clams with cheese, roast turkey American style and Russian style grilled pork.

Buffet lunch on September 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the hotel’s Chez-Nous Restaurant will cost about VND149,000 per adult and VND99,000 per child, inclusive of a bag of Russian beer or fruit juices.

Buffet dinner at the restaurant will be prepared from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on September 2, accompanied with ethnic music performed by Phu Sa band and singers Bich Phuong, Phuong Thuy and Anh Tho. Tickets are VND319,000 per adult and VND159,000 per child, inclusive of drinks such as Russian beer, cocktail and wine. After the buffet, stay to dance with the Philipin band and enjoy the fireworks from the hotel’s rooftop 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are priced at US$20.

People who purchase 10 tickets before August 31 will get one free.

Grilled seafood buffet at Gio Noi Restaurant (265 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, tel: 3836 5172)

Come to the party on the ninth floor and take in the panoramic view of Saigon by night while the chefs grill the fresh seafood. Tickets are priced at VND320,000 per adult and VND160,000 per child, inclusive of beer and soft drinks. Guests that purchase tickets before August 31will get 10% discount.

Binh Quoi 2 Tourist Area (At the end of Binh Quoi Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: 3556 5470)

The buffet will be served with more than 60 dishes from coastal regions and new grill dishes. Buffet lunch will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and buffet dinner will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the price of VND170,000 per adult and VND100,000 per child. There are a flamenco show with the Latin Eyes band plus circus and juggling performances by sorcerer Tran Long to entertain gourmets.

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

A buffet featuring more than 50 dishes will be served in the garden from 5 p.m. on September 2. Guests can also join folk games and children can have fun making sand paintings or coloring figurines. Tickets are priced at VND170,000 per adult and VND100,00 per child.

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Where to hang out on National Day

The bumper boats at Suoi Tien Park. HCMC’s tourist parks are putting on extra entertainment for the holiday - Photo: Tuong Vi

Local tourism parks will host heaps of activities to celebrate National Day next week.  Dam Sen Park in HCMC’s District 11 and Suoi Tien Park in District 9 will organize fireworks displays on Sep 2 from 8.30-9p.m.

Dam Sen Park will present two new comedy and puppet shows for kids by Idécaf called Son Tinh Thuy Tinh and Beauty and the Beast - two sessions everyday from Sep 2-5. HCMC circus troupe, local singers, hip hop and break dancers will also be performing.

Lotus is on the menu at Huong Sen restaurant at the park with a selection of dishes made from the Vietnamese vegetable priced around VND20,000. Visitors can also purchase souvenirs such as jewelry, paper products, bamboo, wood, stone or porcelain and calligraphy works.

Entrance for adults is VND45,000 and VND30,000 for children.

Suoi Tien is also welcoming tourists for the holiday. You can relax at Tien Dong beach, and play in the machine generated waves. The prices for an adults and children are VND55,000 and VND35,000 respectively. Dolphin and sea lion performances cost VND20,000-30,000.

Other activities include a laser gun battleground, treasure hunts and crocodile fishing with prices ranging from VND5,000 to VND15,000. You can also watch a 4D movie, Wild Africa, for VND40,000.

National Day tickets will be the same as every other day - VND25,000 per child and VND 45,000 per adult.

As well as the regular attractions, Dai Nam Tourism Park in Binh Duong Province will have shows with magicians, circus troupes and swimsuit fashion shows. The entrance tickets for kids and adults are VND25,000 to VND40,000.

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Minimalist air-and-hotel tours attract active travellers

by Thuy Hang

Crescent city: The central city of Da Nang is a favourite destination for both Vietnamese and foreign tourists. Vietnam Airlines is offering a Free&Easy tour of the city. — VNA/VNS Photo Huy Hung The wanderers: Located about 30km from Da Nang, the historic town of Hoi An is another tourist favourite. — VNS Photo Doan Tung

Travel addicts have more options after the recent launch of two new Free&Easy tourist packages by the national carrier Vietnam Airlines.

The new packages to Seoul and Pusan, South Korea include an economy-class return ticket, two-night hotel accommodation and round trip airport-hotel transfer.

The airline launched its first Free&Easy package at the end of 2005. It now offers packages to four domestic destinations and 10 locations in Southeast and Northeast Asia.

Domestic packages include tours to Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang and Da Lat from Ha Noi and HCM City, with prices ranging from VND2.6-5.2 million (US$135-270). The domestic packages are only available to Vietnamese citizens and foreigners living in Viet Nam.

International packages are available for Vietnamese citizens and all foreigners.

The reasonable prices for the Free&Easy packages have attracted many people, including Ngoc Diep, who has taken several trips, mainly to Thailand.

"I've travelled to Bangkok four times over the past two years for less than $200 each trip," she said.

However, due to the current chaotic security, Bangkok is no longer Diep's favourite option. She's considering Seoul or Pusan as her next travel destination.

"Although these packages are more expensive than the Bangkok package, I believe it will be worth it," she said.

University student Khanh Ly and her friends bought Free&Easy packages to Beijing for their summer holiday.

"We didn't worry about the hotel because it was included in the package, leaving us more time to discover Beijing," said the 22-year-old.

Ly said that after she returned from Beijing some of her classmates decided to choose similar vacation packages.

"My friends selected the package to Siem Riep because they longed to visit the World Heritage site Angkor Wat. The reasonable $179 price also influenced their decision," she said.

The package does not include entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

"Although we bought the Free&Easypackage, we still had to pay for the entrance tickets whenever we visited any sightseeing sites, while some tours designed by travel agents include these costs," Dao Mai Trang, a white-collar worker, said.

However, Trang and her friends still have reason to be Free&Easy customers.

"We don't want to wake up early to join pre-planned tour activities. We prefer our own flexible travelling schedule. That's why we have bought Free&Easy tours several times."

According to the Vietnam Airlines Passenger Marketing Department (PMD), 1,800 customers bought the Free&Easy packages from May to July, a 25 per cent increase over the same period last year, with Vietnamese customers making up 70 per cent of that figure.

"The tours to Singapore, Hong Kong and Siem Riep are our customers' favourites," said PMD staff Phi Thi Bich Ngoc.

Similar packages are also offered by tourist agencies, including the New Orient Tour, Viettran Tour and Hanoi Red Tours.

Vietnamtourism Hanoi Joint Stock Co deputy director Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh has offered a tip for those who are considering a Free&Easy package: "In order to get the best price, the traveller should book the tour as far in advance as possible."

Most people who have taken a Free&Easy tour agree with Thanh's advice, saying they had to plan for their trip a couple of months early.

"Although the Free&Easy tour includes many conditions, it was designed for flexibly and can be adjusted to meet the demands of all travellers, including those who wish to take business class on the plane or stay in a five-star hotel," Thanh said.

Vietnam Airlines plans to launch a Free&Easy package to Shanghai by the end of this year. — VNS

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Wealthy French grants scholarships for students

Professor Odon Vallet grants scholarships to students in HCMC - Photo: Tuong Vi

Over 400 Vietnamese high school and university students in southern Vietnam received scholarships on Saturday from a French philanthropist and scientific organization, Rencontres du Vietnam (Meetings of Vietnam).

French professor Odon Vallet granted the Vallet Scholarships worth VND7.5 million for university students and young researchers, and VND5 million for highschool students in HCMC on Saturday to students who came from as far as Binh Thuan Province north of HCMC and the southern most province Ca Mau.

This is the 10th year of the Vallet scholarship program for excellent students. It also assists students from poor families in Vietnam. So far this year 2,150 Vallet scholarships have been awarded here worth VND12 billion, compared to VND9 billion in 2009. There have been a total of 17,000 such grants since 2001.

Following HCMC, Vallet and Rencontres du Vietnam will go to Dalat, Danang, Hue, Dong Hoi, and Hanoi to grant the rest of scholarships until September 5.

In 1993, President of Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Nguyen Van Hieu had an idea to set up a scientific association. He told professor Tran Thanh Van, a Vietnamese physicist working in France, and Van set up  Rencontres du Vietnam there. Physicists, scholars and Nobel prize winners have traveled to Vietnam to attend scientific conferences held by the association.

Tran Thanh Van and Nguyen Van Hieu also opened the Vietnam School of Physics in Vietnam which holds two week summer and winter schools for masters, doctorate and post doctorate students in English.

Encouraged by the organization’s valuable work, Professor Odon Vallet, who represents the Vallet family, decided to contribute to the organization, the interest from a 100 million euro inheritance.

Every year, the French professor Odon Vallet and his friends, professor Tran Thanh Van and Van’s wife Le Kim Ngoc return to Vietnam to hand over scholarships in person.

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A change of pace in Buon Don

A bamboo bridge spans the Serepok River in Buon Don Town

On summer holidays, after a trip to the sea, you can travel to the highlands to discover nature and breathe the air of the forests. Buon Don Town in Buon Ma Thuot City in the highlands province of Daklak is a nice country retreat.

From HCMC, take National Road No. 14 about 500km to Binh Phuoc and Daklak Province. If you are coming from Nha Trang it’s 207 kilometers.

Tourists take an elephant ride around Buon Don Tourist Area - Photos: Mai Ly

Located nearly 50 kilometers northwest from Buon Ma Thuot City, Buon Don is home to the M’Nong, J’rai, Ede, Lao and Thai ethnic minority groups and for the last two centuries has been the center of all elephant hunting and taming in Vietnam.

Buon Don is a Lao name, meaning “island village” as it is near many islets in the swift flowing Serepok River.

About 15 kilometers from Buon Don is Ban Don Village and Bay Nhanh Waterfall. From the bamboo bridge you can see the waterfall and the stilt houses of the local tribe people.

Four kilometers from Ban Don is Buon Don Tourist Area. For about VND80,000 for three people, you can ride an elephant around for about fifteen minutes. If you have time and feel adventurous, you can hire an elephant to cross the Serepok River. Then walk across the100 meter long Buon Don Bamboo Bridge under the shade of banyan trees. It is veiled by vines and roots. The swinging bridge is not for the feint hearted.

Beyond the bridge is a swimming hole called Ea No oasis with many orchids. Beside the oasis, restaurants and hotels are tucked among the trees, one of which has a tree house in it with great views.

Next stop is an old stilt house built 120 years ago in Lao style with displays of utensils used by ethnic people and old weapons to hunt elephants. There are many stories about Buon Don’s history and customs of hunting and taming elephants. In March, tourists can join an elephant race festival.

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Century old cathedral in Phu Yen

The 120 year-old Mang Lang Church in Phu Yen province - Photo: Mong Binh

Amidst the greenery and serenity of a small quiet commune of An Thach in Phu Yen Province stands Mang Lang Church, a building that has weathered over a hundred years in the harsh central region.

The burning heat in the dry season, and downpours and storms in the rainy season have not ruined Mang Lang, but have left a grey-black layer on the façade of the oldest church left  in the province which is better known for its natural attractions such as Da Dia Cliffs.

Time has left its mark on the church’s two bell towers that attract many tourists, Catholic and non-Catholic.

The church is equally appealing behind its walls. It has stained glass windows with the Cross and other Christian images and yellow arches along the corridors that run down both sides of the building.

The silence inside Mang Lang is overwhelming when there aren’t any prayer sessions or services underway. The beautiful paintings and carvings about Christ and saints shed light over the quietude. The stained glass filtered sunlight bathes the inside of the church during the day while it is lit by lanterns at night.

The combination of Eastern and Western architecture makes Mang Lang worth a visit and Catholics may want to peruse the documents about the life of Saint Andrew Phu Yen. His statue stands solemnly on a small hill in the church yard.

Saint  Andrew Phu Yen was the first Vietnamese martyr who was canonized in March 2000. Documents say he was martyred in July 1644 at the age of 19, three years after he was baptized and 248 years before work began on the church.

French priest Joseph de la Cassagne started building Mang Lang Church in a paddy field in 1892. No doubt, the building has not experienced much change since that time, when there were many plants with purple pink blossoms called Mang Lang, from which the church takes its name.

Mang Lang is a famed destination for Catholic pilgrims but is still reasonably unknown compared to other Phu Yen attractions. But, it is easy to visit as it is situated on the way to Vietnam’s nearby national site Da Dia Cliffs.

Mang Lang is less than two kilometers from National Highway 1A and just over 10 kilometers from Da Dia Rock Cliffs. The church can be reached by car and the best time to go is from noon till early afternoon.

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Ly Dynasty and Buddhism examined in art show

Black and White exhibition shows Hanoi

An exhibition that examines the influence of Buddhism on the art that was made during the Ly Dynasty is open at Vietnam University of Fine Arts in Hanoi until September 5.

The Ly Dynasty was a critical art period in Vietnam’s unique cultural history and Buddhism, the dominant religion at the time, had a major impact on the type of art that was emerging.

The occasion of 1,000 years of Thang Long – Hanoi is a good time to look back at the ancient art of the country.

*An exhibition named “Hanoi – The country’s heart”, featuring more than 100 black and white photos, opened at the exhibition house at 29 Hang Bai Street in Hanoi on August 23, reports VietnamPlus.

The exhibition aims to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang  Long-Hanoi. The photos were selected from the photographic archives of Vietnam News Agency and from reporters of the agency. The pictures show the victorious history of Hanoi after years of building up the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

The exhibition has several sections: President Ho Chi Minh and the Party’s officers, Hanoi and days of revolution during the resistance wars against the French colonialists and American imperialists, and landscapes, architecture and daily life of Hanoi.

The exhibition includes images of street corners with bicycles and cyclos, golden leaves falling down on streets in autumn, bridges spanning the Red River, brave soldiers, children with their mother being evacuated during war and the city festooned in flags and flowers to welcome troops after the victory.

The exhibition runs till August 29.

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