To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Urbanist Travel, we are excited to invite you to participate in Saigoneer’s first-ever writing competition, “2 Years of Memories,” to look back at the most historic years of Vietnam’s tourism industry during the pandemic and the following recovery period.
Urbanist Travel is an international travel agency that came into existence to further realize Saigoneer’s long-enduring aspiration to “explore Vietnam and beyond.” Read our interview with Urbanist Travel Co-Founder Châu Cecilia Nguyễn here for the company's origin story.
1. WRITING PROMPT
- With each voyage, every moment spent on the road has the potential to form unforgettable memories in our minds. It could be a distinctive dish, a fascinating encounter with warm local people, or even a hapless trip riddled with hiccups. Still, a crucial element contributing to the soul of any trip is the ambiance of the destination — from the architecture, music, and culture to breathtaking landscapes. We would love to hear your stories about such memorable places.
- Writing Prompt: Write about a travel destination you've visited in the last 2 years in Vietnam or Southeast Asia that left a great impression on you.
- Word limit: 500–1,000
- Language: Vietnamese or English
- Please attach 1–3 photos from the trip (if available) to illustrate the essay.
2. HOW TO PARTICIPATE
- Participants write essays based on the above prompt and publish the text and photos on their Facebook or Instagram account under the public privacy setting with the hashtags #UrbanistTravel #2YearsOfMemories. Participants without social media accounts can submit their essays via the Google Form below or via the email info@saigoneer.com.
- Participants provide personal particulars and the link to their essay in a Google Form: LINK
- Submission timeline: From October 27, 2022 to December 4, 2022*. [Update: Due to several requests, we have decided to extend our submission deadline by 1 week! Now you have until the end of Sunday, December 4, 2022 to work on your essays.]
3. JUDGING CRITERIA
There are two categories: Editor’s Choice and People’s Choice.
- Editor’s Choice: A panel of Saigoneer editors and Châu Cecilia Nguyễn, co-founder of Urbanist Travel, will pick the 2 best essays for first and second places.
- People’s Choice: Based on the posts’ social media impressions (On Facebook: 1 point for each like and 2 points for each account that shares the post; On Instagram: 1.5 points for each like), 2 essays with the highest and second-highest amounts of points will be awarded the first and second places, respectively.
4. PRIZES
- First Prize in each category: 1 VND2,000,000 voucher from Urbanist Travel. This voucher could be used for a range of Urbanist Travel services, including tours, accommodations, visa applications, etc.
- Second Prize in each category: 1 copy of the essay collection Beneath Saigon's Chò Nâu, including the signature of book author Paul Christiansen.
- Participation Prize: Each participant is entitled to 1 set of 5 postcards designed by Saigoneer.
- The top prize-winning essay from the Editor’s Choice category will be published on Saigoneer.
5. TERMS & CONDITIONS
- Competition entries must be original and have not been published on any online platform or submitted to any similar competition.
- Participants can submit more than one essay, but only the best-performing essay will be considered for judging.
- Prizes will only be sent to an address located within Vietnam.
- By making a submission, participants grant Urbanist Travel and Saigoneer permission to use part or all of the submitted materials to promote the competition.
- Participants must ensure all provided information in the form is correct.
- Prize winners will be notified via the personal particulars provided in the Google Form submission. Should the winner be uncontactable for over 48 hours after our notification, Saigoneer and Urbanist Travel reserve the right to award the prize to a replacement winner.
Please email info@saigoneer.com for questions about the “2 Years of Memories” writing competition.
