Today, we will depart Ho Chi Minh City on our early morning flight to Tuy Hoa in Central Vietnam. Our breakfast will be at a local restaurant here. It will be an exciting day, starting with a mat weaving workshop and later a visit to a fishing net repairing village.

We will witness and document the various steps of mat making – from dyeing and drying to weaving and trimming.

We then drive back to Tuy Hoa and check in to our hotel in town. After a quick lunch, we will leave for the fishing net repairing village. Here we will witness women sitting in groups, repairing large green fishing nets. This creates spectacular photographic opportunities. We will then head back to our hotel, for an early dinner, after what has been a long day. (B)

Today if weather permits, we will go to photograph the fishing boats that bring home catch at sunrise. The catch is then landed on the beach by smaller boats, surrounded by women auctioneers. It is a nice, busy, and colorful scene and very authentic.

If we know that the fishermen have not ventured into the sea, we will visit a nearby lagoon to witness the traditional Vietnamese method of fishing. This place is also home to the longest wooden bridge in the country.

We will then return back to our hotel to have breakfast and later proceed to the airport to Hanoi. After checking in to our hotel, we will spend the rest of the evening at leisure. (B)

We will start our day with a pre-breakfast stroll along Hoang Kiem Lake, where elderly citizens go about their daily morning exercises/dance routines. After breakfast, we will go on a photo walk through the very happening Old Quarters of Hanoi, where time seems to stand still and there’s a photo opportunity waiting at each corner. After an early lunch, we will leave for the ancient Temple of Literature complex in Central Hanoi. Hanoi is a very modern city with a long history that is evident.

We will once again have a beautiful Vietnamese model dressed in the traditional áo dài dress we will photograph her in different parts of the temple. The pictures here will be different from the ones we had in Saigon.

We will also visit the famed train street to coincide with the passing of a train along the narrow street lined with cafes and residential homes. This is an experience that cannot be missed, both for photographs and for the unique sight we witness here. (B)

After an early/packed breakfast, we will check out and drive to Quang Phu Cau village, also known as the “incense village of Vietnam”. Families in this village have been making incense for more than a century. We will photograph a workshop that has built steel balconies around its premises so that photographers can climb up and take the top shots, which this place is famous for.

We will venture further into the village to capture some unique sights of this process of incense making. Here we can see small families, elderly couples, and cousins, sitting together in their courtyard and working on various stages of incense sticks.

We will then drive to a lovely Vietnamese restaurant in the small town of Hung Yen, where our authentic lunch will be ready. We will proceed further to the tiny village of The Sy, which specializes in the age-old tradition of making bamboo fish traps. A fish trap is a traditional fishing tool of farmers, mostly in the northern plains of Vietnam. It is shaped like a cylinder with tapering ends and has a small opening with a lid. It takes a skilled weaver about an hour to complete a fish trap. The trap is then fumigated above a stove to make it more durable. Made by skilled locals, fish traps are sent to northern provinces and cities and exported to some other countries.

After spending this time with the locals here, we will big them goodbye and head for our hotel in Nam Dinh. (L, B)

We will start our day before sunrise and proceed to the coast of Viet Tien, to capture the very typical and age-old tradition of fishing in the sea by using the very photogenic butterfly nets. We will get to see and photograph their routine during early morning blue hours and around sunrise. Other fishing activities are happening on the beach and we can choose to capture them as well.

We will then drive back to our hotel in Nam Dinh for a well-earned breakfast, freshen up and check out.

Today, we will visit the famous soya village of Bán Yên Nhân, where we will see how Soy sauce is made. It is said that the soy sauce here is very delicious compared to other regions. The tradition and technique have been passed down through the generations, with families retaining their uniqueness. The soy is stored in large earthen jars in an open courtyard and is inspected from time to time by the workers.

After visiting the Soya workshops, we drive past Hanoi to Viet Tri (Pho Tho) and check into our hotel. (B)

We will leave after an early breakfast for a long drive to Sapa. On arriving, we will check in to our hotel. Later, after lunch, we head out to one of the ethnic tribal villages. We will spend a few hours here, capturing the colorful and unique scenes. Our evening will be at leisure and we can explore the picturesque Sapa town. (B)

After an early breakfast, we will start our day by visiting two tribal villages. These are the Hmong and Red Dao tribes, each with their customs and dress. We will have the opportunity to capture family portraits, individual portraits, homes from the inside, and more of their life.

We will then visit Lao Cai for our “Farewell Dinner”, after which we will board the luxurious Chapa Express train to Hanoi for an overnight train journey. (B, D)

We will arrive in Hanoi during the early morning hours. We will then check in to a hotel for some rest and breakfast.

Hanoi awakens early, and the streets are buzzing by sunrise. Locals are exercising on the streets, alone and in groups. Food vendors are everywhere, and we will be too. A farewell to our guests over breakfast and a chance to exchange contact information and share some of the photographs we’ve experience over the past 9 days. Our day ends around noon. Those opting for the Halong Bay add-on will depart for the tour after breakfast. (B)

We suggest you consider extending your stay and enjoy a 3-day extension on a replica junk in beautiful Ha Long Bay and make good use of all the photographic techniques you have learned on our amazing photo adventure. See extension information below.

After breakfast in Hanoi, we head to Ha Long Bay. The journey to Hạ Long Bay will be done by motor coach, in about 3 hours. By lunch time we will embark on our Junk for a 2-night cruise through the impressive Hạ Long Bay, and the more than 3000 limestone karst islands. We will have time to relax on this replica of the ancient junks that sailed these waters for centuries. Many of the islands we will see have lakes, beautiful beaches and caves for exploring. These islands are among the most popular areas for visitors to Vietnam, and no trip to this part of Asia is complete without photographs of these iconic waters. (B)

Our second day on the cruise will allow us to explore some of the islands that dot the waters of Ha Long Bay. Caving and kayaking are options to consider. There is so much to photograph in this part of Vietnam, and there is no better way to see it than by a relaxing cruise. (B) 

On our final day, after a leisurely sail through the islands, we disembark the Junk at mid-day and take our coach back to Hanoi, where we say goodbye to an amazing 11 days, taking with us photographs to cherish and new friendships to remember. (B)