Vietnam Portfolios
Photographing Mai Chau
Mai Chau is a great getaway from Hanoi with a lot to offer. Mountain scenes, local villages and country life. Key Takeaways Mai Chau's ideal photography months are November to March and April to May, offering diverse natural scenery and light conditions. Capturing...
FITO – Museum of Traditional Medicine
The Fito Museum, located at 41 Hoang Du Khuong Street in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, stands as Vietnam's first museum dedicated to traditional Vietnamese medicine and pharmacy. Established in 2007, this unique cultural institution preserves and showcases over 3,000...
Thich Quảng Đức Monument (The Burning Monk)
The Thich Quảng Đức Monument marks the exact location where Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist monk Thich Quảng Đức self-immolated on June 11, 1963, in protest of the South Vietnamese government's persecution of Buddhists. The famous photograph of his self-immolation, taken...
Southern Women’s Museum
The Southern Women's Museum, located at 202 Vo Thi Sau Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, stands as a representation of the contributions of Vietnamese women throughout history. Established in 1985, this three-story colonial-style building houses extensive...
September 23 Park
23rd September Park (Công viên 23 Tháng 9) is a significant urban green space located in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, stretching between Pham Ngu Lao Street and Le Lai Street. The park spans approximately 12 hectares and serves as a central recreational area for...
Mai Chau
Mai Chau is a lovely peaceful place. At only 140km from Hanoi it is a popular weekend getaway and nice break from the big city. Though a mountainous area most of the highlights are in the valleys that are full of rice fields and ethnic villages. In addition to the...
Fall Harvest Terraced Rice Fields
Join CaptureVietnam on a grand tour of the 2024 golden rice season. This is a two part, dual-sport motorcycle trip of 13 days and 14 days. Watch our YouTube channel and FaceBook page for video and photographic updates. Stage 1: Hanoi to Lao Cai, September 18-30...
Vietnam Pro Wrestling
Well "pro wrestling" has come to Vietnam. A campy bit of theater sure to entertain. Certainly an interesting subject for photography.
Meo Vac Sunday Market
When you are doing the Ha Giang Loop there are two weekend markets to consider Dong Van and Meo Vac -- both worth getting up early for. All kinds of goods are for sale and the brightly colored ethnic minority women make for colorful photographs. But what makes the Meo...
Mountain Kids
In the rural mountainous regions of Vietnam the kids roam the dirt roads and fields. Rarely clean but always adorable.
Tao Dan Sculpture Park
Tao Dan Park 62 Truong Dinh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City Hours: 5:00 AM - 10:00 PM daily Spanning nearly 25 Acres in central Saigon, Tao Dan Park stands as one of the city's oldest and largest green spaces. Established during the French colonial period in the...
Train Life
Trains in Vietnam are slow, only run along the coast, not always the cleanest but ... utterly charming. If you have the time it is a great experience. Book yourself a 4 berth cabin and enjoy. With Saigon to Hanoi being a 36 hour journey (vs. a 2-hour flight) it is a...
Dog Meat
A very controversial topic, dogs are a food source in Vietnam.
Museum of Vietnam History
Beside the Zoo in District 1 there is a small but lovely museum devoted to Vietnam history. Like many of the museums in Vietnam they have a policy of charging photographers with SLR or other larger cameras. Your Iphone is fine as is likely a smaller camera, even a...
War Remnants Museum — Saigon
The War Remnants Museum stands as one of Ho Chi Minh City's most visited museums, documenting the effects of the Vietnam War through photographs, artifacts, and military equipment. Originally opened in 1975 as the "Exhibition House for US and Puppet Crimes," the...
Reunification Palace
The Reunification Palace (Dinh Độc Lập), located at 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, stands as one of Vietnam's most significant historical landmarks. This modernist structure, completed in 1966, represents a pivotal moment in Vietnamese...
Book Street — Saigon
Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, commonly known as Saigon Book Street, is a 100-meter pedestrian-only street located in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, between the historic Central Post Office and the People's Committee Building. The end of the street opens onto the side of...
St. Joseph’s Cathedral — Hanoi
St Josephs Cathedral was built in the late 19th century during the French occupation of Vietnam. It is a neo-gothic styled church in the style of Notre Dame de Paris. A very impressive architectural building it nows serves as the cathedral of the Roman Catholic...
Ninh Binh — Tam Coc
Ninh Binh is a great alternative to Ha Long Bay if you are visiting Hanoi but pressed for time. Ha Long bay usually takes 3-4 days if you are taking a short cruise. At under 2 hours from Hanoi, Ninh Binh can be done as an overnight trip or even a day trip though there...
Buu Long Pagoda — Saigon
Buu Long Temple (Thiền viện Bửu Long) stands as one of Ho Chi Minh City's most striking Buddhist structures, located at 81 Nguyen Xieng, Long Binh Ward, District 9. The temple complex rises majestically from the landscape, combining traditional Vietnamese...
Train Street — Hanoi
Train Street in Hanoi is a very popular tourist destination particularly with the Instagram and TikTok content creators.. Cafes set up tables along the tracks where the train comes by just a meter or two away. Occasionally the local police will try to shut it down but...
Landmark Building – Saigon
Saigon has a new skyscraper to guide you around the city. Appropriately named Landmark it cast an imposing figure no matter where you are in the city. Along with Bitexco it is a great reference for navigation while walking or riding. Standing at 461.5 meters, this...
Duong Lam Ancient Village
Duong Lam Ancient Village is only about 45km outside of Hanoi proper but feels a world away. A well preserved village with lovely architecture and very hospitable locals. A great place for street photography. Check out the lake area for some stunning sunset...
Temple of Literature — Hanoi
The temple of Literature dates back to 1076 when it was Vietnams first university or Imperial Academy. Lovely grounds and architecture with lots of quiet corners and street style photography opportunities. You will often see children having graduation photos taken...
Opera House — Hanoi
The Hanoi Opera House is a beautiful example of French architecture. It was modeled after the Palais Garnier in Paris and built during the French Colonial occupation of Vietnam starting in 1901.
Quanh Thanh Temple — Hanoi
In the heart of West Lake in Hanoi there is a well known lovely temple on an Island. Quanh Thanh Temple cast amazing reflections in the lake and a great source of photographs around sunrise and sunset.
Black Hmong of Mu Cang Chai
The Black Hmong ethnic group are the majority population in the Mu Cang Chai terraced rice field areas of Yen bai province. In addition to creating these magnificent mountains of rice they are well known for their hand dyed fabric work.Photos...
Honda XR-150L — Pros and Cons
The Honda XR-150 is my ride of choice for trips in Vietnam. It's an old school, low tech design with no modern technology. You don't want to get into deep mud or super-steep trails with it. You can't get up to highway speeds with it. So why is it great for Vietnam...
Weather in Vietnam
Vietnam is a long country covering over 1600 km from south to north. There are complex weather patterns. When it is nice in the south it may be typhoon season or cold in the central and Northern provinces. Here is a general idea of the seasonal weather...
Lunar Calendar
Vietnam, like China, uses a Lunar Calendar for traditional festivals and other cultural events. Lunar dates are based on a start of the first moon of a year so unlike our standard Gregorian calendar New Years Day changes every year. It can be confusing to try to find...
Lenin Park
Lenin Park is near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area and a very popular place to visit. There are little cars for children to rent and of course a statue of Lenin.
Flower Market
The Saigon flower market is definitely worth a trip. Unlike the Hanoi flower market which is a dedicated space just for the flower vendors, this one is in a mixed-use residential neighborhood. Though it is busiest in the early morning, there is still a lot going on in...
Bitexco
The Bitexco building is one of the most iconic symbols of Saigon and it's rapid post-war transformation. The spotlight is now shared somewhat with the taller Landmark 81 building, but for many Bitexco will always be the symbol of modern Saigon. Bitexco Financial Tower...
Pu Luong
Pu Luong is a very tranquil rice growing region with beautiful mountain landscapes just south of Hanoi. It's the perfect weekend getaway from the hustle and bustle of Hanoi. If you're looking to explore the enchanting landscapes of Pu Luong, there's much to discover....
Du Gia
Depending on the direction you do the loop this is often the first or last overnight. Quite different from the stops on the main loop road, Du Gia is a lovely village in the mountain valleys.
Street Photos
You'll find Ho Chi Minh City's lively street photography scenes spread across distinct cultural pockets, each with its own visual narrative. Start in Chinatown (Cho Lon), where narrow streets and centuries-old architecture create natural frames for your shots,...
Zoo
Established in 1864, the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens stands as Vietnam's largest and oldest zoo, spanning 20 hectares in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. Originally founded during the French colonial period by Admiral Pierre de la Grandière, the facility combines...
Lang Co
Coming from Da Nang when you complete the Hai Van Pass you are in Lang Co. A lovely, if not gritty, beach town. Well worth exploring. If you travel to the west of the beach there is a large bay where they raise oysters. You will also find a waterfall/rapids are (Sui...
Halong Bay
Ha Long Bay is a magical place. Yes there are too many boats and yes the pollution is an issue. But get away from the port or Cat Ba island and it is much nicer. I tend to do 2 night tours and head for Bai Tu Long Bay just a bit north. The boats still leave from the...
Ta Cu — Temple in the Mountains
Ta Cu is a Buddhist temple built on a small mountain south of Phan Thiet city. It is accessed by tram or a long hike. Even for those taking the tram there are a number of stairs particularly leading to the reclining Buddha. Unfortunately the last tram leaves a bit...
Street Photography — Hanoi
Hanoi has to be the best city in Vietnam for treet photography. The old quarter, Hoa Kiem lake, and the streets around them are great starting points. I tend to find a good scene and just wait for life to pass in front of it.
Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)
The famous prison where John McCain was kept during the American War (Vietnamese don't call it the Vietnam War). Not the cheeriest of places so I try to go with it and shoot some "darker" subjects.
Bonus Photo Spots Hanoi
Some lesser known photography spots.
Thang Long Citadel
The Thang Long Citadel is a Unesco World Heritage site. Built by the Ly Viet Dynasty to mark the independence of the Dai Viet from China.
Phan Thiet
Phan Thiet is at its heart a fishing port. With one of the larger fleets in the area there are lots of photo opportunities. Along the river in the morning you will see fisherman and their wives repairing the nets. On the south side of the river is the commercial fish...
An Bang Hue — City of Ghosts
North of Hue City you will find this spectacular coastal cemetery where one family seems to try to outdo the other with extravagant tombs for their lost relatives. The area is quite large with many ornate tombs. It's a good stop if heading up the coast for Dong Hoi...
Son Cau Beach
Song Cau beach in Tuy Hoa is a quiet crescent shaped beach with lots of local color. I like to stay at Timothe Beach Bungalow right on the beach and enjoy the sunrise and sunset directly.
Cam Lap Peninsula
The Cam Lap peninsula juts into Cam Ranh bay on the southern side. There are some beautiful vistas and local fishing villages. There is just a single road circling the island with a short branch to Bin Lap.
Cam Ranh Bay
Cam Ranh Bay is an often overlooked part of the South Central coast. It is a bit overshadowed by Nha Trang which is just to the north. In fact if you fly to Nha Trang you will be coming to Cam Ranh airport so try to spend a night.[foogallery...
Ban Gioc
The Ban Gioc waterfalls are 1/2 in Vietnam and 1/2 in China. They are the highlight of most peoples visit to Cao Bang. Though you can easily make a round trip from Cao Bang city spending the night and taking your time to explore the falls, the temple on the hill and...