La Pan Tan is one of the most popular destinations in Mu Cang Chai. In the hills above Rt.32 there are m any great photo locations and homestays. This area is home to many Hmong families who tend to the terraced rice fields. Many of the Hmong families have created homestays where you can immerse yourself in their culture while visiting the rice terraces. The…
Vietnam coastline and islands are dotted with sacred whale temples (lÔng Nam Hải) . These are shrines dedicated to the “Whale Lord”. Fisherman of past prayed to the Whale Lord and viewed him as their protector that could rescure boats during storms or trouble at sea. When a great whale is washed ashore the locals fisherman would have a funeral and bury the whale. After…
There is an.annual Japan-Vietnam Festival in Ho Chi Minh City. It usually takes place in the September 23 park and features: Cosplay: Young people in character costumes.Music and Performances: Traditional dance and Vietnamese-Japanese musical actsExhibition Booths: many booths with japanes fast food, gift shops and other cultural goods. One of the best features is that the cosplay participants not only allow, but welcome photographs.
Moc Chau is a highland district in Lang Son that is well worth a visit. It is particularly popular during the plum tree blossom time in February to March. It is sometimes referred to as the Da Lat of the north for it’s rolling hills and cool climate. It is best known for the hills of tea fields much like Lang Coc closer to Hanoi.…
East of Ho Chi Minh is the closest beach towns. The three area of Vung Tau, Long Hai, and Ho Tram are quite different and there is something for everyone. Vung Tau is by far the largest and a small peninsular city with beaches on both the ocean and protected side. It has many hotels and restaurants, activities for families, and a large expat community.…
Thac Ba is a man-made lake from a hydroelectric project in Yen Bai. It is the ideal place to stop when heading to either Ha Giang or Sapa. It keeps either destination under 250km in distance. The water level varies quite a bit between the rainy and dry seasons with the homestay village of Vu Linh either waterfront or requiring a 200m easy walk to…
Long Coc is well positioned as a stopping point when heading to or from Mu Cang Chai to Hanoi. The ride from Mu Cang Chai to Hanoi is just a bit too far to be comfortable at near 300km. In a pinch you can do it and the roads are good but I try to stay under 250km per day. At ~00 km from Hanoi…
Without a doubt, Nam Cang, and the nearby areas are my favorite photography locations in the Sapa area. There is something quite magical about the area. You reach it from the far southern end of the main road in Sapa, DT152. It is around 1.5 hours from downtown SaPa. There are homestays in the first town you get to off of DT-132, Muong Bo. I…
My trusty steed. It’s a Honda XR-150. The perfect little dual-sport for me in Vietnam. I have not named her — maybe I should. I put 40k km on the bike traveling Vietnam north to south and many miles by train from Saigon to Hanoi.
ICM images are a lot of fun and can create some wonderful semi-abstract images. The idea is that you move your camera as you are capturing the image. You don’t need a super-slow shutter speed as you can move the camera quickly. I tend to look emphasize the shape of the image I am capturing. So a beach scene with large horixontal elements I pan…