Saigon Hotpot

Saigon Hotpot is a non-profit student organization that offers free travel guides for foreign travelers. Saigon Hotpot was founded in 2006 by a group of students from Ho Chi Minh City. Since then, the club has become one of the pioneering organizations in Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism industry. Furthermore, it was highly recommended and reviewed on TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet. Saigon Hotpot not only promotes tourism but also organizes various volunteer programs, cultural exchanges with international students, and career counseling for high school students. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Name

Saigon Hotpot - Travel with local youth

Saigon Hotpot's founders envision Ho Chi Minh city as a diverse hot pot of cultures from many parts of Viet Nam. As a result, they established Saigon Hotpot, which is named after this attribute of Saigon. The word "hotpot" was born not just to represent Saigon's cultural variety, but also to describe the city's mixture of students from various schools in Ho Chi Minh city.

Slogan: Your smile is our success

History

Founded in 2006 by a group of students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City, including 11 founding members. In an international volunteer program, 11 young people came together with the same goal: provide a dynamic environment for students to improve their English speaking skills through free guiding activities for international travelers visiting Ho Chi Minh City. As a result, they joined hands to establish Saigon Hotpot.

The first tour began with an Australian tourist who was visiting Ho Chi Minh City for the first time. Later, the number of tourists coming to Saigon Hotpot increased gradually. As of July 2008, Saigon Hotpot has organized more than 400 tours for visitors in Ho Chi Minh City. Visitors who join the tour of Saigon Hotpot only have to pay for their transportation and lunch. In addition, there are no further costs.

Organizing Committee

Saigon Hotpot is headed by the Board of Management including the President and 5 heads of 5 departments: Human Resources, Tour, Marketing, Project Development and Finance.

  • HR (Human Resources Department): in charge of member management and ensures good working environment for the members

Organize club meetings and undertake annual membership recruitment. Organize member bonding activities such as the Amazing Race, camping, etc.

  • Marketing: Promotes the club and mission of Saigon Hotpot

Defining and managing the club’s brand Producing marketing and promotional materials Creating content providing search engine optimization for Saigon Hotpot’s website. Monitoring and managing social media. Serving as media liaison.

  • Finance: ensures the adequate and timely provision of funds for the club's operations

Plans and implements the club's financial year budget Conducts research and collects data that assists in the organization's temporary and permanent financial forecast

  • PD (Project development):

Defining the project's goals and objectives Installing and implementing a project control system, which involves such factors as scheduling, monitoring, assigning responsibility, evaluating the impact of changes, initiating and reviewing forecasts, auditing, reporting, material and financial control.

  • Tour: Organizing and preparing tours

Organizes training program for the newcomers Follow trends in the popularity of destinations and packages, and adjust club plans accordingly Handling bookings, invoicing and issuing of tickets

Every year, Saigon Hotpot will organize an executive recruitment for choosing the appropriate people to fill managerial roles and help the club develop. In addition to the official members, Saigon Hotpot has a group including the previous members that are always supportive and willing to help the club when necessary.

Activities

Each month, Saigon Hotpot conducts around 80-120 tours for international tourists from numerous countries such as Singapore, the United States, Canada, etc. At the end of each journey, most tourists become friends of Saigon Hotpot; many of them have returned to Ho Chi Minh City several times and recommended Saigon Hotpot's services to others.

Saigon Hotpot is more than just a group of volunteer tour guides, it's also a playground where every member can generate a variety of fascinating projects.

Furthermore, Saigon Hotpot has organized a variety of online projects such as podcasts, webinars, documentaries, etc to provide tourists and young people interested in the club with a more comprehensive perspective of Saigon and to generate opportunities for members to express themselves and enhance their talents.

Saigon Hotpot also has plenty of internal events to bring the members together, such as camping, yearbooks, birthday parties and so on.

Tour pakages
Saigon Hotpot tour guides and Korean tourists, Miếu Nhị Phủ Temple

Tourists can visit Ho Chi Minh City's attractions with guides from Saigon Hotpot or enjoy Vietnamese traditional foods together in a local house. In addition, various programs are offered through consultation.

  • City tour is a sightseeing tour of the city that provides customers some trips to notable sites such as Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Ngoc Hoang Pagoda, and so on. With this tour, travelers can not only see the breathtaking attractions but also be given interesting stories and facts about the culture and history connected with each location.
  • Chinatown is a tour that takes place in Districts 5, 6, and 10, offering an ethnically and linguistically diverse city. Visitors will have the opportunity to see Thien Hau pagoda, Nhi Phu Temple, An Dong market, Chinese family, Hao Si Phuong alley, and sample Chinese food.
  • Traditional meal tours offer guests the authentic experience of preparing and eating meals with Vietnamese families, providing visitors with a cozy family ambiance and cuisine filled with Vietnamese characters.
  • Tailor-made tours give tourists fascinating excursions that are tailored to their schedules or requirements, resulting in a pleasant and excellent experience for anybody who loves to explore.
  • During the Night Street Food Tour, tourists will embark on an adventure to sightsee Saigon, behold spectacular Saigon views, sample local cuisine, and listen to fascinating stories from highly passionate young people from this city.
    • Crab soup, Vietnamese stuffed pancake (Bánh cuốn), Clear rice noodle (Hủ tíu), Sizzling cake (Bánh xèo), Bánh mì, sugarcane juice, peach tea, soya milk
    • Ho Thi Ky market, Nguyen Thien Thuat apartment
  • Saigon Inside Out Tour supplies tourists with the most genuine experience of Saigon, from the alleys to the street corners, discovering the city's secret, historic buildings and enjoying local delicacies [20]

Achievements
  • More than 1000 tours per year
  • More than 1000 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor
  • Once in the top 5 on Tripadvisor
  • Having a large number of tour guides with excellent performance in many fields, tour guide Cam Tu set a record of having 100 tours/ year

Big events

1. Sky Lantern

A charity program is held annually with an aim to support unprivileged students from rural areas in Vietnam, based on the mission of sustained contribution in healthcare and education for children and awareness enhancement for the young generation about social responsibilities Notable milestones:

  • 2007: Sky Lantern: Helping homeless children
  • 2009: Lovable Spring: Supporting the Han Bridge Project and the charity house in District 8, Ho Chi Minh City
  • 2012: Creative season: Repairing classrooms and awarding scholarships at Loc Tan B primary school, Binh Phuoc province
  • 2013: Multicultural Love: Giving scholarships to students of Tan Cang Primary School, Dong Nai Province
  • 2015: Sky Lantern: Repairing classrooms at Le Van Tam Primary School, Binh Phuoc Province
  • 2017: Back to childhood: Assi Ms. Ho Thi Thien's charity class in Tra Vinh province

Achievements

Providing assistance to children from 6 underserved primary schools Make a contribution to the renovation and repair of 20 classrooms. More than 285 scholarships have been awarded. Sponsorship of 18,000,000 VND for the purchase of books and learning materials for children

For further information, please visit our website: http://saigonhotpot.vn/sky-lantern

2.Culture exchange

Cultural Exchange (CE) is an annual cultural exchange program between Saigon Hotpot and Florida International University (USA). With the goal of introducing overseas students to cultural treasures like food, language, calligraphy, festivals, and human life. Saigon Hotpot has so far carried out four cultural exchange programs on various topics.

  • 2015 - Once Upon a Time
  • 2016 - Run Or Hunt
  • 2017 - Finding TET
  • 2018 - Vibrant Mekong
  • 2019 - Good Morning Viet Nam

For further information, please visit our website: http://saigonhotpot.vn/culture-exchange-connect-engage

Internal Activities

1. Camping

is an annual event that brings Hotpot-ers together through campfire activities, collective games, music gala and so on. While also providing a serene atmosphere for newbies to interact, engage with alumni and share unforgettable memories together.

  • [CAMPING 2019] WHO ARE YOU?

Location: Cao Minh Tourist Area

  • [CAMPING 2018] A TWIST IN TIME

Location: Bong Lai Picnic Area, Phan Thiet City, Binh Thuan

  • [SPRING CAMPING 2017] INTO THE WOODS

Location: Mai Waterfall, Dong Nai

  • [CAMPING 2016 ] HARRY POTTER AND THE LOST CITY

Location: Freshwater lake, Ba Ria – Vung Tau

2.Yearbook

A project that was brewed in hopes of marking a year of surprises. These photos are taken to welcome newcomers and send gratitude to those who have accompanied and contributed to the organization in the projects of 2020. Birthday party: held yearly to mark the anniversary of the official birth of Saigon Hotpot. Alumni party: A gathering of Saigon Hotpot's retirees. It was created not only to adequately commemorate and evaluate the wonderful memories of veteran alumni's excellent working history but also to hand over a chance for oldies to share their experience and knowledge with others, therefore helping to keep current members motivated.

3.Amazing race

A representative outdoor activity of Saigon Hotpot that provides hotpot-ers a variety of intoxicating and exciting experiences as well as valuable information about Saigon.

Other projects, activities

Series podcast Saigon Hotpod - 2020

Brought to life amidst this turbulent pandemic, Saigon Hotpod hopes to tell colorful stories from the people of Saigon as well as those who have a special place for this city in their heart. In a time when most physical interactions are limited like this, reconciling with traditional values is even more important than ever. This has encouraged us to continue our journey of exploring culture and discover the many facades of Saigon, the city we know and love.

Series workshop Lẩu’s journey

"Lẩu's journey" is a series of workshops on Vietnamese culture, with the noble goal of bringing vital intellectual and spiritual life values closer to the community, particularly the target audience: students.

The funds generated will be utilized to assist poor individuals throughout the southern provinces in making ends meet and living a better life.

Blog - website Saigonhotpot.vn

In addition to information on Saigon Hotpot’s tour packages, volunteer programs and noteworthy events. Saigonhotpot.vn also serves as a forum for beneficial and valuable information. As a platform to connect foreigners and young people interested in Saigon Hotpot from across the world through well-prepared and proper blog articles.

In the future, Saigon Hotpot intends to expand additional initiatives for the members. With the objective of spreading Saigon Hotpot's impact to every corner of Vietnam.

References
  1. "Saigon Hotpot: Hình ảnh VN thân thiện trong mắt du khách". FBNC Vietnam. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  2. "Sinh viên TP.HCM dẫn tour miễn phí cho khách nước ngoài". VTV24. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  3. "About us". Saigon Hotpot. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  4. "호치민시 여행의 '길벗' 베트남 대학생들". 일다 (Korea News Company). Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  5. "Saigon Hotpot". TripAdvisor. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  6. "Saigon Hotpot, Ho Chi Minh City". inspirock. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  7. "Fun Filled Schedule on the Saigon Hotpot City Tour". Nadia Lee. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  8. "Saigon Hotpot". anyguide. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  9. "Saigon Hotpot". justgola. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  10. "Saigon Hotpot reviews". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  11. "Saigon Hotpot Rocks! – Free Guide Service". hochiminhcityhighlights.com. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  12. "Saigon Hotpot". Hanoikids. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  13. "STADTRUNDGANG MIT SAIGON HOTPOT (KOSTENLOS)". top-traumurlaub.de. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  14. "Hướng dẫn viên "0 đồng" mở cửa đón thế giới". giaoduc.edu.vn. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  15. "Đồng hành cùng du khách ngoại". Hiệp hội Doanh nghiệp. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  16. "Sinh viên TP. HCM dẫn tour miễn phí cho khách nước ngoài". Trung tâm Thông tin du lịch. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  17. "Người trẻ năng động". Người trẻ năng động. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  18. "Giới trẻ Bắc – Nam tình nguyện dẫn tour du lịch miễn phí". Giới trẻ Bắc. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  19. "Hướng dẫn miễn phí du khách nước ngoài". Tuổi Trẻ Online. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
  20. banh mi Hoa Ma, Cheo Leo coffee, museum of hidden arsenal, the chessboard market, Do phu coffee
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