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* Grand Hotel, 8 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: (08) 3823 0163

From 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. this downtown hotel offers a seafood buffet at Chez nous Restaurant with roses, candles and live music at VND219,000 for adults and VND119,000 for children. Those with reservations get a 10% discount and a free beverage.

* First Hotel, 1 Hoang Viet Street, Tan Binh District, tel: (08) 3844 1199

“Sweet Valentine” begins at 6:00 p.m. at the hotel’s De Nhat Hot Pot Restaurant with beef steak in wine sauce, stewed mutton with mushrooms, baked oysters with yellow cheese and Tiramisu cake. Ladies get roses and a gift package from Korea’s The Faceshop Cosmetics. Tickets are VND440,000 per couple.

* Palace Saigon Hotel, 56 Nguyen Hue Street, District 1, tel: (08) 3829 2860

From 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. the Golden Palace Restaurant presents “Night of Love”, a 45 dish seafood buffet. The first 50 reservations get a rose and a chance at winning VND1 million. Tickets are VND570,000 per couple and include free flow of drink.

* Bong Sen Hotel Saigon, 117-123 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: (08) 3829 1516

The hotel’s Ganh Restaurant presents “Loving Day”, a lunch buffet including cocktails and dessert from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at VND300,000 per couple. A dinner buffet from 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. includes cocktails, appetizers and live music at VND440,000 per couple. The hotel’s Green Leaf Café will pour two complimentary drinks for couples.

* Bat Dat Hotel, 238 Tran Hung Dao B Street, District 5, tel: (08) 3857 8252

Bat Dat presents a dinner buffet from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on February 14 and 15 with 40 Chinese and Vietnamese dishes like roasted pork, squid steamed with wine and loach cooked in gourd. Tickets are VND300,000 per couple and VND100,000 per child. Customers who purchase 10 tickets will get one free.

* Liberty 1 Hotel, 49 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, District 1, tel: (08) 3829 4443

Buffets will feature romantic names for its dishes and gifts of chocolate. Lunch buffets are VND318,000 per couple and VND109,000 per child. Dinner buffets are VND558,000 per couple and VND159,000 per child.

* Dong Khanh Hotel, 2 Tran Hung Dao B Street, District 5, tel: (08) 3923 6404

The hotel presents “Sweet Honey”, a buffet from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with 40 dishes in Vietnamese, Chinese and European styles, live music and a free beverage. Those buying 10 tickets get one free.

Saigon Ship Restaurant, Bach Dang Wharf, District 1, tel: (08) 3823 0393

“Valentine Banquet 2009” kicks off at 6:00 p.m. with over 30 European and Asian dishes especially for couples, roses, candles, gifts, balloons and the Latin Eyes Band. The ship departs at 8:00 p.m. on the Ben Nghe-Bach Dang cruise and returns at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are VND800,000 for couples and VND200,000 for children. Those buying 15 tickets get a free ticket and two “Happy” cocktails.

* Tan Cang Tourist Area, A100 Ung Van Khiem Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: (08) 35 12 8775

From 6:00 p.m. the romantic riverside garden offers a five course meal, French wine, chocolate, cream cake and violin music at VND600,000 per couple.

* Van Thanh Tourist Area, 48/10 Dien Bien Phu Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: (08) 35 12 3026

From 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on February 14 and 15 this spacious garden presents a 40 dish buffet at VND300,000 for couples and VND100,000 for children.

* Binh Quoi 1 Tourist Area, 1147 Binh Quoi Street, Binh Thanh District, tel: (08) 3556 5891

“Night of Passion” is a buffet from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in a cozy atmosphere with classical music, dancing, circus performances, drinks and gifts at VND500,000 per couple.

* Saigon-Can Tho Hotel, 55 Phan Dinh Phung Street, Can Tho City, tel: (071) 0381 4691

The hotel’s Hoang Cung Restaurant presents a five dish à-la-carte menu and an organ and saxophone duet starting at 7:00 p.m. with two free cocktails, champagne, gifts and a lottery. Tickets are VND220,000 per couple.

People therefore wish “Happy Valentine’s Day” to parents, teachers, siblings, friends or any other person special to them. This year Valentine’s Day falls on Saturday, making this weekend the most romantic of the year.

HCMC-based tour operator Fiditour offers two and three day tours on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, including chocolate, a symbol of the special day.

The Cai Be-Vinh Long-Can Tho tour in the Mekong Delta offers a peaceful river excursion, while guests of the Phan Thiet-Hai Dang-Ke Ga-Mui Ne tour can swim, sunbathe and discover Ne Cape.

Fiditour also offers a tour to the central coastal city of Nha Trang for couples who want to pamper themselves with mud baths and hot-spring baths at US$195 a couple for two-day tours and US$315 a couple for three-day tours.

Tours depart on February 13 and 14.

Hanoi’s Evitco Travel Joint Stock Co. has announced a program named “Sweety Valentine 2009” with different kinds of tours around Vietnam. Sapa – Where Love Raises Its Voice (two days and three nights), Yachting on Red River – Romantic Valentine (one day) and Dalat – Dreamlike City (three days and two nights) are some of the highlights.

Vietnam Dive Center, Vinadive, under HCMC-based Vietravel, is organizing the third consecutive year of underwater wedding ceremonies for Valentine’s Day at Hon Mun Islet in Nha Trang. Couples equipped with diving gear and dressed in traditional Vietnamese wedding clothes will dive into the sea under the guidance of trained professionals. The exchange of rings and kisses takes place under water.

According to Vinadive, the event has attracted many foreign couples in the past two years. The special ceremony costs VND10 million a couple, including accommodation at a five-star hotel and trips around the island.

VietNamNet/SGT