A nice house for rent in Vinh Phuc!

Located in a very quiet area in Ba Dinh District, the 3-floor house is an ideal place to live in the center of Hanoi. It takes 10 minutes to drive to Ho Chi Minh Museum, 15 minutes walk to West Lake. The house is fully furnished with artistic furniture designed to be harmony with the whole house architecture. It is equipped with necessary facilities: A/C, cable TV and Internet at high speed. Rental: $700/month.

Built on the area of 80sq.m out of the total 90sq.m, the rooms in the house are comfortable and well designed. The first floor is used for a warm and cozy living room, and a modern kitchen. The 2 bedrooms are situated on the first floor, while the third floor is the open terrace. The architecture of the house is the excellent combination of traditional art and modern interior design. The house is built with many big window to provide the tenants with the touch of natural breeze and light.The house is located in Vinh Phuc near to Hoang Hoa Tham Street.

Apartment for rent at 671 Hoang Hoa Tham!

High-class apartment for rent at 671 Hoang Hoa Tham, Ba Dinh, Hanoi. Area 96 square meter. It is designed with 2 storeys, 2 doors, 2 bedrooms, large living room, kitchen, 2 WC. The apartment is furnished with air-conditioner in each bedroom, standing and lying bathtub, sofa, fridge, washing machine, microwave oven, dinner set and modern light system. The building is located in a area where is populated, safe, security 24/24, convenient traffic. The apartment is suitable for foreign family or two-three people living alone.

Price: 850$/month.

A nice apartment for rent in The Manor!

Nice apartment for rent in The Manor with full furniture, wooden floor, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, it is nearby banks, supermarket, hospital and businesses center, airy clean, easy traffic with a good living environment and security. You will be fill a comfortable living with all services in here. Price for rent: $1300/month.

Apartment for rent at 27 Huynh Thuc Khang building!

Apartment at 27 Huynh Thuc Khang Building facing to Thanh Cong Lake is leasing. Area: 120sq.m. The apartment is designed with 1 living room, 03 bedrooms, 02 toilets, kitchen and airy view.The apartment is equipped with full of furniture and facilities: wooden floor, TV, fridge, air-condition, washing machine, kitchen cupboard, sofa, bed, wardrobe, dinning table, water heater, internet, cable TV...This apartment is located 5 minutes far from the US Embassy with balconies facing to Thanh Cong Lake and it is easy to travel to the downtown. Price: 900$/month. The price is included Cable TV, Internet, water.

Apartment for rent at No 6 Doi Nhan - Ba Dinh!

Fully furnished apartment for rent at No 6 Doi Nhan, Ba Dinh. The 106 square meter apartment is designed with 1 living room, 2 bedrooms, 2 toilets. The apartment is full of brand-new furniture: sofa, TV, fridge, washing machine, air-condition, water heater, bath-tub, shoes cabinet, wooden floor.The apartment is situated in the quiet area, 24/24 security, and nearby banks, restaurants, park, business center, hospital. The price is 900$/month

Apartment for rent in The Garden!

Apartment for rent in The Garden with price is $1500/month, it has 2 bedrooms, a large living room, a nice kitchen, 2 bathrooms, full furniture with a good environment, good security, nice view with all others services make a perfect life for you when living here.

Apartment for rent at The Manor!

A luxury apartment at The Manor for rent, Hanoi. Area: 189 sq.m. Designed with 3 bedrooms, 2 toilets, 1 living room, 1 kitchen. The apartment is furnished senior conveniences: wardrobe, air-condition, high-class sanitary equipments, standard light system, bed, cushion, sofa, TV, fridge, cupboard, dining table... Living environment: located in a quite area, well - aired and safe environment, security 24/24. The area has swimming pool, precinct. Balcony view to the building's swimming and precinct.

Office for rent at 101 Lang Ha str!

Office for rent at 101 Lang Ha street with area floor is 170 sqm, style: office price: $1400/month. Parking, Internet as well, easy traffic, all service is available and good security.

Banks divert spare cash for Gov’t loans

HA NOI — Several banks have directed all idle capital toward the Government’s lending programme, causing an increase in short and mid-term deposit interest rates by 0.4 per cent.

Rates have gone as high as 9.99 per cent per annum for a 12-month term, despite the normal lending cap remaining at 10.5 per cent.

Short-term deposits have continued to account for a large portion of commercial banks’ deposit structure, with most deposits for terms of less than six months.

Interest offered on one to nine-month dong deposits at private banks such as SeABank, HDBank, SCB, Techcombank, ACB and Eximbank ranged from 9 to 9.99 per cent, up 2 percentage points against previous rates.

State-owned banks Agribank and Bank for Investment and Development of Viet Nam or partly equitised banks like Vietcombank or Vietinbank also joined the race by raising deposit rates for short term deposits by 0.2-0.4 per cent.

"The stimulus package is going to end and enterprises are trying to mobilise capital to pay loans, while the direction of idle capital towards banks becoming more limited. Banks have to do something to attract depositors and keep them," said Nguyen Thanh Toai, ACB’s deputy general director, adding that even though banks try hard, deposits were still small and slow.

Chairman of Vietcombank Nguyen Hoa Binh added that: "Capital borrowing often surges strongly by the end of the year, so banks have to prepare to catch that trend, especially since corporate deposits this year are low."

Questioned about the low profit margins, one Ha Noi bank spokesman said: "To boost the economy and curb inflation, the central bank should keep the lending rate low. Low interest actually affects our deposits but we dare not overlook the challenge."

On the another hand, short deposits at banks were also blamed on the noise in other markets.

"In recent times, the rebound of property and securities markets and gold price fluctuation have been attracting a large amount of capital. Of course deposits at banks will decrease," market watcher Hoai Nam said.

Some bankers believed deposit interest rates could increase again soon. However, the State Bank of Viet Nam stated that if deposit interest rates for individuals at banks passed 10 per cent, it could intervene. — VNS

Explore Ha Noi by tramcar

Explore Ha Noi by tramcar

Hoan Kiem District has asked permission from the Ha Noi municipal authority to provide tours of Ha Noi’s old quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake by tramcar. The project by the Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company would put 12 tramcars into operation later this year. The battery-powered cars will have from 5-12 seats priced VND10,000 to 30,000 each, depending on the tour.

Dong Xuan will supply two tours by tramcar. The first tour will include historic commercial streets in the Old Quarter and the old Dong Xuan market. The tour will start from Dinh Tien Hoang Street and travel down Hang Dao, Hang Ngang and Hang Khoai streets toward Dong Xuan market.

The second tour will bring visitors to other old streets like Ma May, Hang Bac, Hang Bo, Hang Hom, Hang Trong, and to historic structures like the Ngoc Son Temple, Kim Ngan communal house and the Temple of Le Kings. If everything goes smoothly, the company will put 20 more tramcars into use in 2010.

Peace Boat visits Da Nang

The Peace Boat brought 770 crew members and passengers from 16 countries, including 462 from Japan, to Tien Sa Port for a one-day visit to Da Nang on Tuesday, marking its 67th trip around the world. In Da Nang, the tourists took part in a cultural exchange programme organised by the city’s Youth Union. They were introduced to Vietnamese cuisine and traditional dress-making, and visited Ha Market, Champa Museum, My Son Cham Tower Complex and Hoi An.

Locals to enjoy cheap luxury stays

Six of HCM City’s 12 five-star hotels will for the first time offer a discount of 50 per cent for local guests between September 1 to October 31, under the promotion "One Day to Stay in 5-Star Hotels".

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: "The travel demand of Vietnamese people is increasing. We want to make the people familiar with luxury facilities and woo them to stay there."

Motorbike convoy heads to Thailand

The HCM City-based Viking Travel and Media Company on Wednesday kicked off a motorcycle tour of 17 Harley motorbikes for local and foreign tourists from HCM City to Thailand. A group of 21 Vietnamese in HCM City and five foreigners living and working in Thailand joined the six-day tour. The travellers are scheduled to go to Bangkok and Pattaya and meet with representatives of the Harley Club there. Their itinerary will also take in destinations in Thailand.

The travellers are also surveying destinations in Viet Nam to prepare for another motorcycle tour which is expected to take travellers to Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Thailand in October this year. The company will also receive another group of riders from Cambodia to Viet Nam in December.

Cruise ship visits southern region

Saigontourist Travel service welcomed on September 2 around 1,250 tourists on board the cruise ship Costa Allegra. The cruise tourists then took a city tour of HCM City and visited the Mekong Delta city of My Tho. Costa Allegra, which made port calls to the northern province of Quang Ninh and the Central coastal city of Da Nang on August 30, left HCM City on Wednesday afternoon. Saigontourist said Costa Allegra was scheduled to visit Viet Nam again next Monday and on September 21, bringing some 3,000 passengers to HCM City and Da Nang. — VNS

Festivities for Ha Noi’s 1,000th year set to begin

Festivities for Ha Noi’s 1,000th year set to begin

Fireworks, martial arts, and traditional music performances will be the highlights of a three-day festival to be held at Ha Noi’s Ly Thai To Garden and around Hoan Kiem Lake from October 9 to 11.

The festival, which will kick off a slew of events to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Ha Noi’s liberation from the French, October 10, 1954, and the capital’s 1,000th birthday next year, will also feature traditional cuisine and garments, craft festivals, city tours by electric car, and tours to famous centres of Buddhism and ancient capitals like Phu Tho, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Thua Thien-Hue provinces.

HCM City ends nominations for top 100 attractions

The Sai Gon 100E organisation committee has closed nominations for the 100 interesting activities and specialties.

The 100 have been placed in 10 categories: hotels, Vietnamese restaurants, transport services, Vietnamese cuisine, Vietnamese specialty foods, destinations, shopping sites, tours, entertainment venues, and outstanding events.

After choosing the top 100, the city will showcase them on 40 large TV screens placed at Tan Son Nhat Airport and tourist destinations around the city and through posters, pamphlets, websites, books, DVDs, and computer memory sticks.

The city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said around 2000 4GB USBs containing information about HCM City and its tourist attractios will be sent to 1,000 foreign travel agencies around the world.

The voting began yesterday and information about it will be available at www.hcmc100e.info and through flyers to be distributed at the airport, hotels, and shopping malls.

Each group will have 15 nominations. The results will be announced at the end of this year. — VNS

Travellers Notes

New tours tout Ha Noi’s old streets

The Ha Noi-based Eveil Centre has introduced three outdoor activities called My Ha Noi for people to discover the special features of Ha Noi’s old quarter.

The first tour, called The Ancient Traits of Ha Noi, takes place from 2-6.30pm on Sunday. The second tour, The Noble Traits of Ha Noi, is from 2-6.30pm on November 8. The third tour, Thang Long-Ancient Citadel will be held from 2-6.30pm on November 22.

A single tour costs VND225,000 (US$12) per person, and all three tours VND625,000 ($34) per person, including transportation by car, tickets for sightseeing, a meal for each tour, insurance and other fees. Contact 04 3640 6059.

Asian Trails promotes new route

The HCM City-based Asian Trails Co Ltd is promoting a new tourist route via the Na Meo Border Gate in the central province of Thanh Hoa that links tourist attractions in Laos and Viet Nam.

According to the company’s director Bui Viet Thuy Tien, backpackers have been travelling on the route since the Na Meo bordergate was opened to international tourists in 2004, but this is the first package tour launched for European travellers. She said tourists from northern provinces can now travel directly to the Laos heritage route instead of returning to Ha Noi and going to Laos via the Cau Treo Bordergate in Ha Tinh Province.

Airlines encourage holiday bookings

Viet Nam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific have called for passengers to quickly book seats on flights during the upcoming Lunar New Year Holidays, or Tet, so that they will be able to secure a return to their families on the occasion.

The call was made because certain flights from HCM City to central and northern provinces just before and after Tet, which falls on February 14, are filling up. Viet Nam Airlines said it was difficult for passengers to secure a seat on flights from HCM City to Quy Nhon within a few days of the Tet. Jetstar Pacific confirmed that certain flights between HCM City, Vinh, Hue and Hai Phong were fully booked in the days just before and after Tet.

Jetstar offers low fares to Singapore

Jetstar is celebrating its fifth birthday by offering bargain travellers low fares to Singapore, plus some free treats.

The low-cost carrier is offering one-way all-inclusive JetSaver Light fares for travel from HCM City to Singapore, starting from US$29. The special offer coincides with Jetstar’s celebrations to commemorate five years of operation from its Singapore hub. Thousands of travellers booked the package in August as part of Jetstar’s collaboration with Singapore Changi Airport, Changi Airport Group and the Singapore Tourism Board.

New tours of Da Lat Flower Festival

The HCM City-based Ben Thanh Tourist has launched four-day tours to Da Lat which will offer travellers an opportunity to experience the Da Lat Flower Festival 2010, one of the biggest festivals in the country to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi.

The tours will begin in HCM City on December 31 and January 1. On the way to Da Lat, tourists will stop for sightseeing at Damb’ri Waterfall in Bao Loc District. After arriving in the city tourists will be invited to join a party with flowers and red wine to celebrate New Year 2010.

On the second day, tourists will visit Lat Village at the foot of Langbiang Mountain and climb to the peak and take a panoramic view of Da Lat in the mist. In the afternoon, tourists will join the Flower Festival 2010 at Xuan Huong Lake.

The organisers have invited florists from China, Japan, the Netherlands and the US to the festival which will last from January 1 to 4.

Suoi Tien builds 2nd amusement park

The HCM City-based entertainment park developer Suoi Tien Group broke ground for its second amusement project called Son Tien Eco-tourism Town along National Road 51 in Dong Nai Province’s Long Thanh District, some 30km from HCM City.

Son Tien Park, which will be developed on 375ha with a financial and commercial centre and a resort, requires investment of some US$600 million. This is the second amusement project developed by the group, after its first project Suoi Tien Theme Park was developed in District 9 in 1995. — VNS

No float of dong against dollar

HA NOI — The State Bank of Viet Nam denied rumours yesterday that it would widen the daily trading band of the US dollar-Viet Nam dong exchange rate, urging the public to stay calm against the sudden surges in the price of the greenback on black market.

Yesterday, one US dollar was going for about VND19,020-19,160 on the street, an increase of VND250 over Friday, with the black market being driven by whispers that the State Bank was considering a wider trading band for the currency.

"The daily trading band remains," said State Bank’s Governor Nguyen Van Giau. "The central bank continues to pursue a stable and flexible exchange rate policy."

Since the beginning of the year, the dollar has gained over 5 per cent against the dong on the official market. In September, the interbank rate was VND16,976 per dollar; on October 10, it was VND17,000. Yesterday, the rate reached an all-time high of VND17,021.

The gradual increase in the rate last month was viewed as reasonable however, as it narrowed the gap between the official and black-market rates, while encouraging exports.

Meanwhile, most commercial banks have been tending to keep exchange rates at the upper limit of the daily trading band at VND17,872 per dollar.

On its website, the central bank said it would keep a close watch on the forex market and would step in and apply suitable measures to manage the market if needed. — VNS

Up to 70% of foreign teachers in Ha Noi lack valid licences

HA NOI — A recent survey reported that nearly 70 per cent of the foreigners working as teachers in the city’s language training centres have no working licence or professional certificates.

The municipal Department of Education and Training reported early this month that roughly 110 of the more than 300 foreign teachers in these centres have the necessary papers issued by Vietnamese authorities.

For example, only two individuals in the staff of 10 teachers at ILA Vietnam, a foreign-invested education and training centre, have been licensed to teach in Viet Nam.

Language Link employs 101 foreign teachers, but only 25 of them have been certified. Cleverlearn English Language Centre has only one certified teacher out of their total 18 instructors.

Head of the department’s foreign-invested education and training management office Nguyen Quoc Bao, said that the hiring of foreign teachers had caused several problems at the city’s language training centres.

"Most of foreigners stay in Viet Nam and work at centres for a short time, about three to six months, while the procedures for granting working licences for foreigners requires a lot of time and effort," Bao said.

According to Nguyen Thi Tuat, headmistress of the Japanese-invested Sakura Hoa Anh Dao Kindergarten, most of foreigners use their tourist visas or visas designated for individuals visiting family, instead of getting proper working licences when they apply for teaching jobs.

Tuat said that individuals who are not using proper working licences could be fined up to VND20 million (US$1,100) if they are discovered.

Decree 34/2008/ND-CP issued by the Government stipulates that foreigners who wish to work for enterprises or organisations in Viet Nam are required to supply legal documents, which includes professional certificates, medical certificates and other legal papers to the local authorities where they work within 20 days before they begin their jobs.

"The department, together with relevant authorities, will conduct regular checks on these foreign language centres in Ha Noi," Bao said.

Those who are found to be unlicensed will be given warnings or forced to stop teaching, and the centres would be forced to suspend their operations if necessary, he said.

The ministry’s Department of International Co-operation vice head Nguyen Thanh Huyen said the department would work with the Ministry of Public Security’s Immigration Department to refuse to grant visas for those who are found working without the required licences. — VNS

Apartment for rent in CT6 - My Dinh Song Da!

This elegantly decorated Apartment is on the 6 floor of CT6 My Dinh Song Da, Hanoi. Area: 105 m2, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with standing bathtub, 1 living room and 1 kitchen, fully furnished. Just move in to live. Favorable traffic, quiet , next to the Manor, international Kinder garden. Very suitable for people living and working in Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Ba Dinh district. Price rental: 1000$/month.

A cheap service apartment for rent in Trung Hoa - Nhan Chinh!

New and nice service apartment for rent in Trung Hoa Nhan Chinh, It's on the 3rd and 4th floor, including 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 kitchen, fully furnished, wooden floor, quiet, bright. It's close to Big C and Korean restaurants, easy traffic, it's convenient for you to travel to these places. Area: 45sqm. Price: 450$( included fees for internet, cable TV)

A nice house for rent in Vong Thi!

Nice house for rent in Vong Thi, Tay Ho Dist, Hanoi, including 5bedrooms, 3bathrooms, partially furnished, bright with many windows, quiet and very close to West lake. From the terrace, you can see the lake view. The house has a nice yard, garden and garage as well. You can enjoy a good environment when living in here. Area: 140/flr. Rental price:1200$/month

A nice house with 7 bedrooms for rent in Ngoc Ha street!

A house is as the same architecture style as villa in Ngoc Ha street, Ba Dinh district. It has a living room, 7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a kitchen. Land area: 110 sqm. It is full furniture. It is not far from here to Thu Le park and Deawoo hotel. The street is large and convenient. Price rental: $1300 /month.

A villa for rent in Doi Can!

A villa for rent in Doi Can street. It has 3,5 floors, land area is 200m2, house area is 90m2 with a large garden-yard, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms with tubs, internet, Cable Tivi, full furniture, parking, balcony, easy traffic, good security and. Price for rent is $3000/month.

A nice apt in Lo Duc for rent!

Luxurious apartment for rent at 93 Lo Duc, Hai Ba Trung. The 100 square meter apartment is modernly designed with 1 living room,3 bedrooms, kitchen, 2 toilets, balcony facing to Lo Duc Street
Interior: The apartment is fully furnished: sofa, air-condition, TV, fridge, bed, wardrobe, washing machine, water heater, kitchen cupboard, oven, internet, cable TV, wooden floor. Living environment: The building is situated in the heart of Hai Ba Trung district and has basement for parking. The 1st floor is bank and supermarket. Restaurants and shops nearby. The price is 1800$/month, excluding tax.

A new house for rent in Phu Thuong - Tay Ho!

House for rent in Phu Thuong, Tay Ho. Newly built, conveniently located at Lac Long Quan Str - Au Co crossing, 100m away from the crossing, 7 minutes walking to Ciputra. Large front garden, 3 floors with balcony - 1 top floor suitable terrace for coffee with beautiful view over Red River, S = 70m2/floor (1 dinning room, 1 kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 3 toilets) Garage available, Good security, Near market, super market, school and health care center. Suitable for office and residence.