Vietnam Adventure
17 Days
Travel Photo Workshop

Highlights: Ha Noi city life
Transportation: Bus

Upon arrival at the airport you´ll find a driver waiting to bring you to the hotel.
After checking into our hotel in Ha Noi, we meet in the lobby in the afternoon and go to the heart of the city for some Street life photography & to get to know the city life. Afterwards we enjoy a beautiful welcoming dinner and a slideshow with a little insight into the adventures awaiting us.
Ha Noi is the current capital of Vietnam and one of the most populated cities in the country with around 8 million inhabitants. The narrow streets are thus packed with scooters, tour buses, animals and people all around. Ha Noi is incredibly rich culturally with influences from all over in South Asia, France and China, preserving history and honoring nature as well as welcoming the new architecture and modern ways of life. The city is filled with pagodas, temples, markets and lakes with the very distinct Old Quarter at the top of Lake Hoam Kien. The Old Quarter is the very heart of the city and still the core of everyday life for most locals with cafés, outdoor bars and everyday trading, especially with souvenirs, silk and other textiles. A touch more serene part of the Old Quarter is Lake Hoam Kien, where early morning Tai Chi sessions take place at sunrise.

Highlights: Incense Village
Transportation: Bus

We start the day with a morning street Photography in Hanoi, check out of the Hotel and head to Quang Phu Cau village in Ung Hoa district, Known as the “incense village”. The way they spread out the incense for them to dry in the warm mid day sun is very photogenic. Families in this village have been making incense for more than a century.
We enjoy a local style lunch on the way to Ninh Binh, our next destination and overnight stay in the Red River Delta, one of the most populated areas in the north of Vietnam. The Ninh Binh region is one of the most precious unspoilt areas, covered with limestone hills rolling out amongst the emerald green rice paddies and the island cliffs with hidden caves which makes the city a tremendously picturesque and exciting area. It holds mysterious pagodas and churches and not to forget; a myriad of goats. It’s worth mentioning that the Hollywood movie King Kong was filmed there, the environment is truly breathtaking.

Highlights: Ninh Binh region
Transportation: Bus

We enjoy a full day experience in Ninh Binh, starting with an early morning sunrise revealing the limestone hills. The Trang An Complex scenic area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014 and is indeed a complex waterworld maze best visited by boat whilst meandering around steep limestone cliffs and mountains treasuring the hidden caves. The area also boasts of the oldest National Park in Vietnam, the Cuc Phung National Park with extremely important biodiversity and great hiking paths, let alone the outstanding view. The karst rock formation and subterranean waterway network systems make up a fascinating and tranquil landscape where archeologists have found traces of human existence and interaction with nature over a period of over 30.000 years.
In the Trang An Complex, we row through Tam Coc or the green sea as the Vietnamese call it, a natural wonder-world with eroded cave formations. We trot up the miniature great wall towards the Van Long Mua Cave, or the dancing cave, undoubtedly the most spectacular site in the area with extraordinary scenery and views out over Tam Coc all the way to the city.
In the evening we head to Sa Pa

Highlights: Sa Pa – Bac Ha – Flower Hmong – Red Dao People
Transportation: Bus

We then embark on our journey to the green valley of Sa Pa, a pure trekking haven depicting dramatic and cascading rice paddies often mystified with fog and hazy layers of mist. We stop on the way for lunch in Lao Cai City, right on the borders of Vietnam and China, a little city now buzzing with cross-border trading and travels.
We finally arrive in Sa Pa Village, on the hills of the plunging lush valley. Prepare to experience shades of the green carpeted landscape beyond your imagination with breathtaking man made rice terraces as far as the eyes can see.
We enjoy the afternoon shooting in Sa Pa village, sit down together for a nice dinner and then a nights rest.
We then spend a leisurely morning in Sa Pa before we check out and head to Bac Ha where we find one of the very best ethnic markets in Southeast Asia. Bac Ha town is the capital of the area of the Flower Hmong tribe and is generally a quiet sleeping little town except on Sundays when the whole area assembles in joy and vibrancy to socialize. The tribe, originating in China, is one of many minority ethnic groups in Vietnam, still living in high altitudes and honoring their land, dialects and traditions, wearing beautiful and multi-colored, traditional clothing. Another tribe we´ll encounter is the Red Dao People and their lifestyle. They are also one of the 54 ethnic groups that are officially recognized in Vietnam and believed to have arrived not long before the H’mong tribes during the 18th Century.
We then spend one night in Bac Ha with dinner in town and the day after we visit the colorful Bac Ha Market: A Rare Taste of Northern Vietnam & the H’Mong. The Bac Ha Sunday market is in fact a sizzling meeting point for people from the nearby villages, whether they arrive on foot, scooters, buffalo-carts or horses to trade and come together. It welcomes us with traditionally incredibly vibrant clothed villagers, warm smiles and lush produce.
Afterwards we travel back to Ha Noi for the night

Highlights: Long Coc platon tea hills
Transportation: Bus, Domestic Flight

Check out in the morning go to Long Coc platon tea hills and sunset and sunrise photography.
Long Coc tea hill is considered one of the most beautiful tea hills in Vietnam, with hundreds of small hills that are of outstanding scenic beauty, particularly in the morning, when the area is shrouded in thick fog
Early morning shooting as the best time to gaze on these tea hills. As the first rays of sunshine light up the hills and mist still lingers, the scene that develops in front of one’s eyes is spellbinding.
After Morning shoot and checkout we head back to Hanoi, where we will catch a flight to Hue.

Highlights: Hue, The Hải Vân Pass mountain range, The Royal Tombs of Hue, Hoi An – Lanterns
Transportation: Bus, Domestic Flight

Hue is best known for its embracing citadel wherein lies another citadel, the Forbidden Purple City, a protected haven for the emperor alone and chosen servants. Charged with imperial history and historical sites, many designated as Unesco World Heritage, the city of Hue pays its charm to the Perfume River flowing through, named by the aroma infused water in the autumn when flowers from nearby orchards fall into the river.
We spend the day shooting at some of The Royal Tombs of Hue with live models known as the Ao dai ladies. Aodai (Ao Dai) is the name for traditional Vietnamese silk garments worn by both men and women, however more so the latter in modern times, representing the ‘national spirit’ of traditional beauty.
Most of The Royal Tombs are from the 19th century and although Hue suffered severe destruction during war, some of the tombs are in fairly good condition and accessible today.
We spend another night in this wonderful city. The second morning there we shoot the early birds´ lives on the river in Hue with fishermen laying their fishing nets. We head down the coastline to the atmospheric, ancient town of Hoi An, a former major port, where we enjoy lunch, dinner and spend the night.
Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most historic and gracefully preserved town, often referred to as the City of Lanterns and is in fact listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The population is about 120.000 people and somehow the town remains free of the 21st century pollution, traffic and stress and thus perhaps consistently thrones the lists of the best cities around the world to visit. In this beautifully peaceful yet buoyant town we focus our camera time on shooting the lanterns over the sun setting city river.
On day 10 we have a morning shoot of fishermen on a river in Hoi An, then we head to Da Nang airport where we will catch a flight to Nha Trang, Ninh Hoa where we will check into a hotel for the night.

Highlights: Ninh Hoa town, Khanh Hoa province, Hon Khoi salt fields
Transportation: Bus, Domestic Flight

Covering hundreds of hectares in Ninh Hoa town, Khanh Hoa province, Hon Khoi is one of the largest salt fields in Vietnam. We will be visiting the area early in the morning, we´ll enjoy a stunning sunrise. The salt ponds of the Khanh Hoa are very photogenic and with the early start we´ll be able to see not only the salt and reflective pools but the hard working people working the salt field. Afterwards we travel by domestic flights to Sai Gon where we’ll check in at a hotel for the night.

Highlights: Mekong Delta, Floating city of Can Tho on Hau River.
Transportation: Bus

We check out of our hotel and break for lunch in the heart of Sai Gon.
In the afternoon we drive to the city of Can Tho, a good 130 km to the south and use the opportunity to shoot on the way. The city is known for its canal network and it awakens a deep sense of serenity to witness the nights illuminated by floating markets and restaurants. Both Sai Gon and Can Tho city are situated at the heart of the Mekong Delta area (The Nine Dragon River Delta), a vast waterworld maze of rivers and islands in the south of Vietnam, connected by winding canals and surrounded by rice fields. The whole area is best known for its floating markets and restaurants with lush greenery and fascinating, buzzing yet peaceful life all around.
We check into a hotel in Can Tho before we dine and stay one night in Can Tho.

Highlights: Phong Dien floating market, Thom Rom Village, An Giang Province
Transportation: Bus

Get ready (and excited) for a very early morning start at 05.00am and checkout from our hotel to visit the best floating market in the Mekong Delta, the bustling early morning Phong Dien floating market.
We are accompanied by Aodai models as well for even more enticing shots amongst the floating myriads of fresh and bountiful fruit, vegetables, coconut and fish beyond our imagination, from the nearby orchards. We indulge in a local food style breakfast in the morning in O Mon, Thom Rom village, some 20 km away – a small, vibrating fishing village especially known for the artistry of approximately 70 households, weaving fishing nets with ancient techniques and craftsmanship.
In the afternoon we will start our shooting session in Ro, at the Khmer temple, one of many temples and pagodas still serving the Khmer people, the beautiful minority group of 1.3 millions living in the southern provinces, originating from Cambodia. The Khmer people have many special cultural festivities, among them cow racing is a special culture.

Highlights: An Giang Province
Transportation: Bus

Morning shoot of An Giang’s landscape, visiting some of the Cambodian style pagodas where we will find some Khmer monks going about their daily business. We will visit the Banh Xeo pagoda, where volunteers bake pancakes, lunch to give to the less fortunate people of this city. After that we head on to Bac Lieu province and check into a hotel.

Highlights: Women mending blue nets, fishermen on the Bac Lieu beach
Transportation: Bus

This day is all about “catching fish”. At dawn we will be ready on the Bac Lieu beach where we will see, amongst other things, fishermen with their V shape nets bringing in their morning catch. After lunch we will visit a very photogenic scene where women are mending piles of blue fishing nets.

After breakfast we will check out of our hotel and travel by bus to Saigon, where we will have our farewell dinner together and check into our hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel is included, check out is expected at noon. Please arrange your flight back on day 17.

We head back to our homecountries with a full treasure chest of magnificent photographs to bear witness and gratitude to our journey through the magnificent country of Vietnam. Depending on flight schedules of each participant we travel to the airport, airport drop off is included if departure is within in 2 days of workshop ending.

For those who plan to stay longer please let us know if we should prolong the stay at the hotel or if any arrangements are needed. Our local travel crew can arrange according to your wishes.