HO CHI MINH CITY WEATHER

                                     

Ho Chi Minh City has a tropical monsoon climate - it's very much a typical steaming hot Southeast Asian metropolis where you can expect it to be either hot and dry or hot and wet.

Regardless of the time of year, you'll never need more than one layer of clothing in this southeastern Vietnam city.

Best Time to Come to Ho Chi Minh City

The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is during the drier months of December to March, when temperatures range between 21°C and 34°C. Many like to visit during the Tet Festival (Vietnamese New Year) in late January or early February. The whole country joins in the festivities and it's a colourful spectacle, but prices are higher and getting around may be difficult due to the large numbers of people travelling.

May to September sees frequent showers with monthly rainfall levels of 200 to 300mm during this period. The rains tend to come in short bursts, so it's possible to still enjoy sunny days during these wet summer months. Just be sure to bring an umbrella to avoid being caught out! The peak period for typhoons to hit Ho Chi Minh City is from July to November.

Seasons

Ho Chi Minh City has two distinct seasons, the northeast monsoon months from November to April and the rainy southwest monsoon months of May through October. Humidity levels average 75% throughout the year but are higher during the rainy season.

Ceiling Fan Lighting

                            

A decade ago when you looked up to the ceiling and saw a fan, chances are the fan would have been mostly black, white or a different shade of the two colors. Fans back then were only used for cooling purposes and nothing more than this. However, now a fan is lot more than a 'device' used to provide you with just relief from soaring temperatures. Fans are actually being used to make statements of class and style, just like you would your clothes! With the turn of century people began to get more conscious about their interiors of their houses and wanted it to match up to their social standing in society. To meet the uprising need for designer house appliances and house decorating items, necessities like fans, lights and other essential appliances now look a lot better than they used to. Read on for valuable information on state-of-the-art ceiling fans that come with lights.

• Today, fans come in trendy designs to match different kinds of decorative ideas used in houses. Hence you don't have to stick to one kind of fan for every house. You can choose the kind of fan for the right kind of decor.
• You can choose a fan that complements the color of your room.
• Ceiling fans are not just there for cooler temperatures. Now, ceiling fans are available with lights on them and look very fancy and trendy. Your guests will be highly impressed when they walk into the room and find a fan with a bright or slightly dim light, you would too.
• Ceiling fans with lights are often bought to replace light fixtures. If you have a ceiling fan with a light attached to it you will not need a night lamp. It is better to choose a fan with a dim light attached to it so that it can be used as a replacement for your night lamp.
• These fans are available in numerous designs and shape and sizes that can be used to match the decor of the room.
• The structure of the fan depends on the manufacturers. Some of them are intricately carved blades that look exquisite, some finished in a way that makes them look more colonial than modern.
• India's colonial past can never be forgotten, in fact, the most desired and popular fan designs are the ones that revolve around Victorian themes.
• When you go to buy a ceiling fan with lights you will have an array of extensiveshades of colors to choose from. They come in conventional browns and blacks and also in bold and bright colors. Be careful while choosing the color, because the same will have to go with the rest of your room.
• You can choose the kind of lamp you want for your fan. You do not necessarily have to stick to conventional ones. Experiment with new designs and grace your house with a brand new look!
• While selecting lights for your fan ensure that the light is appropriate for the room. You require bright lighting in work areas like the kitchen and study. Dim lighting will do just fine in the bedroom and dining area.
• By installing a fan with lights, you can adjust the intensity of the light on the fan to suit your mood.

Some fans come with remotes, not only to operate the fan, but to also operate the lights as well.

A lamp lighting ceiling fan that is tastefully designed can be a decorative addition to the room. While buying ceiling fans remember to buy the best, but also look at your pocket before you go in for anything in particular, because ceiling fans with lights can be very expensive.

Vietsovpetro taps 200 millionth tonne of oil

                                 

The Vietnam-Russia oil and gas joint venture (Vietsovpetro) on Aug. 8 tapped the 200 millionth tonne of oil from two oil fields of Rong (Dragon) and Bach Ho (White Tiger) off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

The event reflects great effort of Vietsovpetro’s staff in ensuring the safe and effective exploitation since the pumping of the first tonne of oil on June 26, 1986, affirming the traditional friendship between Vietnam andRussia . 

Since the joint venture was established in 1981, it has earned more than 60 billion USD from selling oil. 

In the past 30 years, Vietsovpetro has drilled over 1.8 million metres in 440 exploratory and operational wells, built more than 40 marine works and laid 600 km of pipes.

From the beginning of this year, the joint venture has pumped 3.68 million tonnes of oil, accounting for 60 percent of the yearly plan. Its selling revenue achieved 80 percent of the yearly plan, with a total value of 3.32 billion USD.-VNA

Interior design of a coffee shop

Your coffee shop interior design will be a key element to bringing customers into your shop and keeping them there. The theme you choose will greatly affect the feel your shop has and the type of customers who will be drawn in. Subtle design decisions could play a vital role in how a customer perceives your shop, so consider every visual aspect of what will be going into your shop.

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                

                                 

                                

                                

                                

Visiting Tra Su Mountain in An Giang

Tra Su Mountain is a must-see destination in An Giang Province and it was a day we won’t forget.

                                 

To reach there you have to head from Nha Bang Township on the road to Tinh Bien Township for about 150 meters, then make a right turn along a rocky sloping path to a pharmacy named ‘Sau Xung va Nam My’, tourists will spot Tra Su Mountain.

Located in Nha Bang Township, Tinh Bien District, Tra Su Mountain belongs to Thuy Dai Son Mountain Range. The mountain is not impressive due to its height but it is an attractive peak for tourists to admire the splendid scenery and to find tranquility for their soul.

The mountain is famous due to a small temple which is dedicated to worship two huge rocks. Locals say that the stones, which are about one ton and 300 kilograms, rolled to the Cua Thien Huyen Nu from the mountain peak on July 25 1991.

People call the stones ‘Chu vi Son Than’ (Goddess of mountain) and worship them as they pray for good luck and health.

Trekking up about 100 steps, tourists will see Ong Ho Cave which has two stone grottoes, one is Ngu Ho temple and one is Cuu Pham temple lying deep in the cave. After another 25 meters, pilgrims will see Ba Chua Temple where many locals often come to pray for a happy life.

Progressing towards the peak, tourists will see a fairy yard where they can stand and appreciate a panoramic view of Nha Bang Township with its greenness of rice fields, plantation, winding roads, streams and nearby houses. The fresh air, the spacious atmosphere and tranquility of nature will help tourists to rejuvenate after stressful working days.

There will be some other stone caves for tourists to discover and old altars for pilgrims to burn incense to connect with the supernatural world.

Vietnamese traditional costumes

For formal ceremonies men would have two additional items, a long gown with slits on either side, and a turban, usually in black or brown made of cotton or silk. In feudal times, there were strict dress codes. Ordinary people were not allowed to wear clothes with dyes other than black, brown or white. Costumes in yellow were reserved for the King. Those in purple and red were reserved for high ranking court officials, while dresses in blue were exclusively worn by petty court officials. Men's dress has gradually changed along with social development.

The traditional set of a long gown and turban gave way to more modern looking suits, while business shirts and trousers have replaced traditional long sleeved shirts and wide trousers. Traditional costumes still exist and efforts are increasingly being made to restore traditional festivals and entertainment which incorporate traditional costumes.

Young women wear light brown-colored short shirts with long black skirts. Their headgear consists of a black turban with a peak at the front. To make their waist look smaller, they tightly fasten a long piece of pink or violet cloth.On formal occasions, they wear a special three layered dress called an "ao dai", a long gown with slits on either side.

The outer garment is a special silk gown called an "ao tu than" which is brown or light brown in colour with four slits divided equally on its lower section. The second layer is a gown in a light yellow colour and the third layer is a pink gown. When a woman wears her three gowns, she fastens the buttons on the side, and leave those on the chest unfastened so that it forms a shaped collar. This allows her to show the different colors on the upper part of the three gowns. Beneath the three gowns is a bright red brassiere which is left exposed to cover the woman's neck.

                                                       

Over time, the traditional "ao dai" has gone through certain changes. Long gowns are now carefully tailored to fit the body of a Vietnamese woman. The two long slits along the side allow the gown to have two free floating panels in the front and at the back of the dress. The floating panels expose a long pair of white silk trousers.

An elegant looking conical palm hat, which is traditionally known as a "non bai tho" (a hat with poetry written on it), is worn as part of a woman's formal dress. This traditional conical hat is particularly suitable for a tropical country such as Vietnam, where fierce sunshine and hard rain are commonplace.

                                                       

To make a conical hat, a hat maker chooses young palm leaves that have been been dried under continued sunshine. Attached beneath the almost transparent layers of dried palm leaves is a drawing of a small river wharf. Below the drawing, there is a piece of poetry to be recited by the hat wearer.

In recent years some foreign fashions have been introduced to Vietnam; however, the traditional "ao dai" remains preferable to women in both urban and rural settings.

                                                

In general, Vietnamese clothing is very diverse. Every ethnic group in Vietnam has its own style of clothing. Festivals are the occasion for all to wear their favorite clothes. Over thousands of years, the traditional clothing of all ethnic groups in Vietnam has changed, but each ethnic group has separately maintained their own characteristics.

In the mountain areas, people live in houses built on stilts, wear trousers or skirts and indigo vests with design motifs imitating wild flowers and beasts. In the northern uplands and the Central Highlands, the young women have made skirts and vests with beautiful and coulourful decoration in a style convenient for farm work in terraced fields and to travel on hilly slopes and mountain gorges.

Competitive market for power generators

                                    


The competitive power generating market was officially launched on July 1, coinciding with a five percent increase in electricity prices.


This new market is the first step in developing Vietnam ’s electricity market and will ensure the transparency of operations and pricing, as well as attract more investment to develop new sources of power.


According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, 29 power generating companies, with the total capacity to produce 9,000MW, have joined the competitive market by directly submitting their proposed prices to the Electric Power Trading Company (EPTC).


Of the power suppliers, 13 are hydro-electric, 11 are coal fired and five are powered by gas turbines.


There are currently 26 other power stations that take an indirect part in the market. Supplies from these plants are either controlled by the country’s Electricity Regulating Centre or their prices are set by the EPTC. Eighteen other plants will indirectly join the market for a set period of time.


In addition, 20 power plants (19 hydro-electric and one thermal) with a designed capacity of 4,567MW are scheduled to join the market as soon as they are on a commercial footing.


Currently, the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) supplies 55 percent of the country’s electricity, the Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) contributes 11 percent and the Vietnam Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) provides 5 percent.


Vietnam's electricity market is expected to develop in three stages – a competitive power generating market by 2014, a competitive wholesale market between 2015-22 and a competitive retail market after 2022.-VNA

How to Paint Chandelier Globes

Chandeliers give dining rooms and entryways a classical aesthetic. From opulent hanging chandeliers to more minimalistic fluted chandeliers, the decorative silhouette is part of this light fixture's bold statement. Aside from the overall shape of the chandelier, the colorization is also important. Chandeliers provide a focal point for the room, so they should complement wall and furniture colors. You can update the look of a mismatched chandelier with fresh paint on the glass globes that cover chandelier light bulbs.

Instructions

1. Place an A-frame ladder beneath the chandelier.

2. Climb the ladder and remove the chandelier globes. Most chandelier globes are fastened in place with three or four small screws.

3. Place the chandelier globes on several pages of scrap newspaper.

4. Clean the surface with water, soap and a sponge. Though chandelier globes do not come in contact with excessive dirt, thin layers of dust buildup are common.

5. Dry the chandelier globe surfaces with a paper towel

6. Apply painter's tape to any parts of the globe that you don't want painted. If you paint the entire globe, barely any light will shine through the surface, so consider just painting a small portion of the chandelier globe.

7. Prime the globes with bonding primer and a synthetic-bristle paintbrush. Bonding primer is designed to adhere to glass, ceramic, acrylic and other slick surfaces. Wait for the primer to dry.

8. Paint the chandelier globes with semi-gloss or high-gloss latex paint. Use a foam paintbrush to avoid unsightly brushstrokes.

9. Climb the ladder and reattach the globes after the paint has dried for a full 24 hours.

Vietnam Festivals and Events

Vietnam's festivals follow an age-old calendar based on Buddhist and ancient Confucian beliefs. The list below is a work in progress - a run-down of ten important Vietnamese holidays and festivals, although each province has its own series of festivals unique to the locals. Dates are subject to change without further notice.


PERFUME PAGODA ( HUONG TICH) FESTIVAL


Chua Huong - Viet NamThe Perfume Pagoda (Huong Tich), At My Duc, 69km south of Hanoi, without doubt, is the most famous Buddhist pilgrimage site in northern Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims travel to this sacred cave to pray for happiness and prosperity in the coming year. pilgrims board boats, usually rowed by young women, which carry them along the Yen Stream through a stunning landscape of blazing green rice paddles studded with jagged limestone mounts to the base of Huong Mountain.


                                  


From the riverbank, pilgrims proceed on foot, past various ancient pagodas, monasteries and shrines, up hundreds of stone steps and a switchback trail, all worn smooth by the passage of countless feet. The Perfume Pagoda consists of a group of caves and is an impressive architectural ensemble of both human and natural endeavor.


                                 




The Perfume Pagoda Festival lasts from the 6th day of the 1st month to the end of the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. Visitors can get tot the Perfume Pagoda either by the inland road or by water way. The Vietnamese believe that Huong Son is Buddha's Heaven. Huong Son is considered the place to worship Brodhisattva Kwan Yin. People conduct a dragon dance in the yard of Trinh Pagoda, and sail the royal barge on the 6th day of the 1st month. The festival is held in three places, Huong Tich, Tuyet Son, and Long Van. The festival is most crowded from the 15th - 20th day of the 2nd month of the lunar calendar as this period marks the main festival. The path leading from Ngoai Pagoda to Trong Pagoda is full of visitors coming up and down the mountain.


A pilgrimage to the Perfume Pagoda is not only for religious reasons, but also to see the numerous natural landscapes and the buildings that are valuable artifacts of the nation...


Starting Dates in Western Calendar 2011 Feb 08, 2012 Jan 28


COW RACING FESTIVAL


Cow racing Festival - Viet NamEach year on the last day of the Khmer calendar, the Khmer, an ethnic minority group living in the Mekong delta province of An n Giang, hold a festival to honor their ancestors. The festival begins with a visit to the pagoda, where Khmer families invite the souls of their ancestors to dine with the living. Should any visitors appear during the festival they will be warmly received since the Khmer believe that guests who arrive around New Year are messengers sent by their ancestors.


Following a visit to the pagoda people walk to the nearest stream or river where they tie the trunks of banana trees together to form rafts. Offerings are placed on these rafts, which are then pushed into the water to be swept away by the current.


                               




These quiet ceremonies are sharp contrast to the highlight of the festival, a cow race. The racetrack, set in a muddy and slippery paddy field, is 120m long, with both the start and finish lines marked with red and green flags. Each race involves two pairs of cow, controlled by two young men. To further complicate their task, the teams must run in a straight line and will be disqualified for veering off course.

The races are both exciting and hilarious. People travel from miles for the show, bringing food and pots and pans for a picnic. Part rodeo, part race and part comedy, a Khmer cow race is an unforgettable spectacle.


HUNG TEMPLE FESTIVAL


Hung Kinh Temple Festival - Viet Nam Hung temple is located on Nghia Linh Mountain, Hy Lang Commune, Phong Chau District, Phu Tho Province. Every year, this national festival is held to worship the Hung Kings, who were instrumental in founding the nation.


                                 




The festival lasts for 3 days from the 9th to the 11th of the 3rd lunar month. The worship service is held on the 10th day and commences with a flower ceremony with the participation of state representatives. Held in Thuong Temple, where the Hung Kings used to worship deities with full rituals, the ceremony consists of a lavish five-fruit feast. Cakes and glutinous rice dumpling are also served to remind people of the Lang Lieu Legend (the 18th Hung King who invented these cakes), and the merit of the Hung Kings who taught people to grow rice.


                                  




Next to the stage procession for deities, there are several marches in the procession, such as the elephant march followed by the procession chair. These procession marches are conducted in Tien Cuong, Hy Cuong, Phuong Giao, and Co Tich Villages. The procession marches are followed by a Xoan song performance (a classical type of song) in the Thuong Temple, "Ca Tru" (a kind of classical opera) in Ha temple, and other activities.


The Hung Temple Festival not only attracts visitors from all over and allows visitors to participate in special traditional cultural activities, but it is also a sacred trip back in time to the origins of the Vietnamese culture. People usually show their love and pride of their homeland and ancestral land. This religious belief is deeply imbedded in the minds of every Vietnamese citizen, regardless of where they originate.


Starting Dates in Western Calendar 2011 Apr 12, 2012 Mar 31.


CHU DONG TU FESTIVAL

Chu Dong Tu Festival - Viet NamThis festival occurs for three days from the 10th - 12th of the third lunar month in Chu Dong Tu Temple in Du Hoa Village, Chau Giang District, Hung Yen province, some 20 km from Hanoi.


                              




Saint Chu Dong Tu was one of the "four immortal heroes" at the centre of Vietnamese society. Chu Dong Tu was a cultural hero and the founder of agriculture because he conquered the marsh and developed agriculture and trade. After the opening ceremony, there is a procession to remind people of the legend, life, and work of Saint Chu Dong Tu and his two wives.


Starting Dates in Western Calendar 2011 Apr 12, 2012 Apr 31.


LE MAT SNAKE FESTIVAL


Le Mat Village Festival - Viet NamLe Mat Village belongs to the Viet Hung Commune, Gia Lam District, Hanoi. The Le Mat Village Festival is held annually on the 23rd of the 3rd lunar month. In the early morning on the 23rd day of the 3rd month, representatives of the 13 camps to the west of the Ancient Capital of Thang Long carry 13 trays of food over their heads from the capital to the Le Mat Village.
                              




                              




At the beginning of the festival, water and carp processions are staged and brought to the Thanh Communal House. This ritual reminds the present generation of the heroic accomplishments of exploiting and bringing about agriculture to the village. A snake act is then performed in the yard of the communal house. The snake (made of bamboo taped with cloth) symbolizes the water-monster species that has been bitten by the power and will of youth. The music of this act is an octet and the sound of the drummer's double rhythm is haunting. The Le Mat Village Festival provides an opportunity for children in the village, and those who have reclaimed this ancient wasteland in the city, to meet and retell the history of the establishment of the village. The challenge and difficulty that was encountered in the establishment of the village is expressed in the sincere homage of the ancestors of the village.


In addition to the ceremony, the Le Mat people have a special talent for catching snakes. While attending the Le Mat Village Festival, guests are offered a cup of snake wine made from three or five snakes.


Starting Dates in Western Calendar 2011 Apr 25, 2012 Apr 13.


WHALE FESTIVAL

Whale Festival Viet NamThe Whale Festival has been, for centuries, the biggest water festival of the fishermen in Quang Nam, Danang province. The worshipping of the whale is not only about paying respect to their God, but also about ensuring prosperity for the villagers. This festival last for two days in the middle of the 3rd lunar month. On this occasion, the whale temple, as well as all the houses and boats, are beautifully decorated. The peace offering is conducted in the first evening at the whale temple by village elders. Offerings, which do not contain seafoods, are given while the oration is read out. The ceremony is held to respect the Whale God and to pray for the safety and prosperity of the village.


                                   


At dawn the following day, there will be a procession of boats on the sea in a set formation. This procession displays the sincerity of fishermen to their Whale God. By midnight, the official ceremony is conducted as school children offer incense and the orchestra plays a classical opera. All the fishing boats and villagers, no matter where they are, will return to take part in the Whale Festival.
Starting Dates in Western Calendar 2011 Apr 12, 2012 Apr 31.


ELEPHANT RACE FESTIVAL


Elephant Race Festival Viet NamThis festival is held in the spring, around the 3rd month of the lunar calendar. It is usually held in Don Village or in forests near the Sevepoi River (Dac Lak). The race track is on even ground where there are only has a few big trees. The width of the track is large enough for 10 elephants to stand in a line at the same time and the length of the track runs 1-2 km.


                                   


With the signal of the horn (a wind instrument), the mahouts command their elephants to go to the starting line. When the command to start the race is released, all of the elephants rush ahead, excited by the sound of the drums, gongs, and cheering from the viewers. At the end of the race, the winning elephants lift their trunks above their heads to wave to the viewers. They walk deliberately flapping their ears gently, gazing through half-closed eyes to receive sugarcane from their viewers.


The elephant race is the biggest festival in the middle highland. It bears the martial spirit of the M'nong ethnic group, who are very famous for their bravery and skill in hunting wild elephants.


Starting Dates in Western Calendar 2011 Apr 12, 2012 Mar 31.

Vietnam remains world’s top pepper exporter

                                  

Vietnam exported 15,000 tonnes of pepper in May, earning over 102 million USD, bringing pepper exports in the first five months of this year to 62,000 tonnes, worth 424 million USD.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Import-Export Department says that Vietnam continues to be the world’s number one pepper exporter, making up almost half of the world’s pepper exports.

The US , Germany and the United Arab Emirates are Vietnam ’s three biggest pepper importers, with a combined export revenue of more than 30 million USD. They are followed by Egypt , India , the Netherlands , Singapore and Spain .

The department added that the United Arab Emirates is an export market with a huge potential for Vietnamese businesses as the country has no tariffs or trade barriers.

It also recommended that Vietnamese pepper businesses should seek out agents and distributors in the country to make Vietnamese pepper more widely available to consumers in the country.-VNA

Modern bedroom Lamps ideas

With this post we put an end to the series we have been devoting to the latest trends in decoration. In this latest installment will show two new trends and how to follow the upgrade just one of our bedroom accessories, or with different combinations in decoration and without the need for works.

Lamps with personality bring an element of visibility to the environment and give them a stamp of identity. A good example to keep in mind if we add a personal touch to our own bedrooms. Furthermore, the trend can be applied to all types of lamps, whether desktop or standing and even ceilings and fixtures. See these nice bedroom lamps designs.

                             

                                        

                                      


                                

                             

                             

Light House

92 NAM KY KHOI NGHIA, DIST.1.HCM CITY

+ T: (84-8) 22 103 460

+ E: lighthouse@kimsa.vn

+ W: www.kimsa.vn

Vietnam, Morocco inked investment protection deal

Vietnam and Morocco signed an agreement on investment encouragement and protection in the Moroccan capital city of Rabat on June 15. 

                                    

Speaking after the signing ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed the Vietnamese Government’s determination to strengthen cooperation with Morocco and join this country’s development efforts through boosting investment in the Moroccan market. 

Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Nizar Baraka stressed that the agreement will help increase the flow of trade and investment between the two countries. 

He said through this agreement, the Moroccan Government wants to lure more foreign investment from Vietnam , which enjoys stable economic growths. 

The agreement will also open up opportunities for the two countries’ businesses to penetrate deeper in each other’s market, thus promoting bilateral trade, he added. 

On the same day, Deputy Minister Son met with Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Saad Dine El Otmani to discuss measures to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, especially in economics

Ho Chi Minh Spas & Massage

Increasing numbers of high-end luxury spas are opening up in Ho Chi Minh City.

The therapists have good knowledge of massage and other treatments, mixing eastern philosophy, knowledge and techniques with some western practices.

                                         

YKC Spa

Exceptional service and customer satisfaction for over a decade has firmly established YKC as a premier pampering destination for Saigon’s expats and visitors. Complimentary beverages are offered in addition to a complete range of professional spa and hair services. Family owned from the very start, YKC operates with the utmost integrity and respect in regards to serving its clients.

Address: 219 Dien Bien Phu, District 3, Saigon. 

Tel: +848 3829 2791 / 3827 5194 

                                         

                                       

Glow Spa

This is a day spa where you receive massage therapy, facial care, hair spa, hand and foot care services while enjoying views of the lush, tropical garden. It is situated right in the city centre.

Location: 129A Nguyen Hue, District 1 

Tel: +848 3823 8368 

                                      

L'Apothiquaire Spa & Retreat

L' Apothiquaire is in a colonial mansion with beautiful surroundings dating back to 1959. Services include facials, body treatment and fitness programs such as yoga and T’ai chi. There are a few branches spread out over the city.

Address: 

63 Le Thanh Ton St, District 1, Tel: +848 3822 1218 

64A Truong Dinh, District 3, Tel: +848 3932 5181 

                                      

Jasmine Spa

A long-time favourite among Japanese and European expatriates, Jasmine is famous for its cellulite treament package using seaweed and its cavier facial treatment.

Location: 45 Ton That Thiep, District 1 

Tel: +848 3827 2737

QI Saigon Spa

QI Saigon Spa is a luxury day spa and salon using Qi beauty products, a brand of the Japanese cosmetics firm Shiseido. 

Address: 151 Nguyen Van Troi St, Phu Nhuan District. 

Tel: +848 844 0611 

                                   

SEN Spa

SEN Spa offers body massage, facial care, Jacuzzi and herbal steam room. It is on the 10th floor of Miss Aodai Building in District 1, just minutes from the Saigon River.

Location: 10th floor of Miss Aodai Building in District 1

Tel: +848 3910 2174 

Spa Authentic

Situated on the Saigon River in District 2, Spa Authentic offers massage and facial packages in a luxurious pool surroundings.

Location: 195 Nguyen Van Huong, District 2 

Tel: +848 3744 6452 

                                 

Thann Sanctuary Spa

A branch of a successful Thai company, Thann reaches out to HCMC with its range of therapies that include healing stone body and foot scrubs and massages using their aromatic products based on Southeast Asian flora.

Location: 

Nguyen Du Park Villas, 111 Nguen Du, District 1

Saigon Center Level 2, 65 Le Loi Street 

Tel: +848 3822 0788 and +84 983 624 497

Ho Chi Minh Cooking Classes

Vietnamese food was one of the first true ‘fusion’ cuisines in the world, thanks to the history of the area, with its Indian, Chinese, French, Russian, and American influences. It is also renowned as one of the healthiest foods in the world.

So, while visiting the country, why not learn how to cook your own authentic Vietnamese dishes? Many hotels in Ho Chi Minh City offer cooking classes or you can try the following: 

                                            

Bi Saigon Cooking Classes

Bi Saigon Cooking Classes are held in the Bi Saigon Hotel & Restaurant. Here they teach visitors how to cook a wide variety of traditional Vietnamese recipes. There are no set times for classes. Instead, lessons are organised for individuals and small groups on request. 

Address: 185/26 – 185/16 Pham Ngu Lao St, District 1

Tel: +848 836 0678 

                                          

Hoa Tuc Restaurant Cooking Class

Hands-on cooking classes are offered twice a day at this Vietnamese restaurant which used to be an opium refinery. Hoa Tuc is renowned for its authentic and fusion Vietnamese cuisine.

Location: 74/7 Hai Ba Trung, Dist. 1 

Tel: +848 3825 1676 

Saigon Culinary Arts Centre

One of the latest additions to the burgeoning cooking schools in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon Culinary Arts Centre is run by Vietnamese chef Mai, who take guests to the local markets, followed by a cooking demonstration at the well-equipped kitchen at Mai Home Restaurant.

Location: 42/3 Nguyen Van Troi Street - Phu Nhuan District 

Tel: +848 3997 9565 

Vietnam Cookery Center

Vietnam Cookery Center offers a morning course from 09:30 to 13:00, including lunch, or an afternoon course from 15:30 to 19:30, including dinner. There are also special courses for professional cooks and for children. Address: 177 Dien Bien Phu, District 1

Tel: +848 823 5872 

Sports, Fitness & Yoga in Ho Chi Minh

Saigon certainly has its share of activities that are not only fun but will also keep you fit and full of health. And yes, there's a chapter of Hash House Harrriers to have boozy fun and exercise with but there are also slightly more serious options such as yoga and fitness centres. 

Ho Chi Minh City may be compact but that's no reason not to go for the optimum in fitness while there.

                                      

Saigon Hash House Harriers

The world-wide runners club Hash House Harriers has a ‘down-down’ in Ho Chi Minh City, too. There are organised runs every Sunday and members meet at Caravelle Hotel at around 13:30 where they are taken by bus for a run outside the city. Return around 19:00 hrs.

Tel: +848 92 386 2453 

                                     

Saigon River Club

Saigon River Club features modern fitness facilities that include sauna, steam rooms, and pools with outdoor Jacuzzi.

Location: 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, District 1 

Tel: +848 3514 9009 

                                     

                                       

Sivananda Yoga Center

Offers yoga classes and Ayurvedic massages and vegetarian meals at its center in district 1, and occasionally organises longer retreats near Cu Chi, 1.5 hours drive from the city.

Location: 17 Tran Quy Khoach, District 1 

Tel: +848 6291 2663 

                                        

Soham Yoga Studio and Boutique

Located in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Soham Yoga Studio offers regular classes in Vinyasa Flow, Sivananda, Power yoga.

Location: 84T/4 Tran Dinh Xu, District 1 

Tel: +848 3920 5813