Moc Chau Love Market
Moc Chau’s annual Love Market attracts thousands of hill tribe people from all over Northwest Vietnam as they search for new love or old flames, bringing a unique carnival of colour and festivity to this scenic mountain town. Moc Chau fairground plays host to traditional ethnic minority games and performances. As night falls, the streets of Moc Chau fill with torch-lit tribal processions and young couples courting amidst the crowds. It all makes for an unforgettable experience of Vietnam’s mountainous north, and a fantastic photographic adventure.
Moc Chau
We travel from Hanoi to Moc Chau by private minibus on the evening of 31st August. On the morning of the 1st, we head into Moc Chau for the Love Market, spending the day and evening enjoying and photographing this unique event. Our base is at a comfortable hotel in town, giving us a tranquil respite from the crowds and a place to share feedback on our photography. There’s plenty of action to photograph, including singing and cooking contests, brocade making, as well as the novel sight of hundreds of tribal people from the surrounding areas enjoying themselves.
On the 2nd, we travel out to Long Sap village, on the Laos border, where we’ll be exploring more traditional festivities. These will include folk games and contests such as buffalo fighting, arranged to celebrate both Vietnamese independence day and cross-border friendship with Laos. After passing by another minority village celebrating with its own festivities, we return to Hanoi, arriving in the capital in late afternoon.
Departure from: Hanoi
Date: 31st August 2024
Price: $449 per person
What to Expect
5:00 am – We have an early start to capture sunrise. Minority people are already arriving in town, by bike and on foot, and we’ll photograph them in the dawn light.
7:00 am – Time for breakfast and a brief workshop at the hotel. Our tour leader assigns her special photographic project for the day.
9 – 11:30 am – The group explore Moc Chau town and fairground, pursuing their assigned stories. The streets are full of colourfully-attired visitors, and the fairground plays host to a variety of traditional games.
12:00 pm – We have lunch at the hotel, followed by a feedback and critique session. Then we have a short break before rejoining the market.
2 – 4:30 pm – The group have more opportunities to capture life around the town, as the streets fill with young H’mong, Thai and Nung people from the surrounding mountains.
4:30 pm – We return to the hotel to relax and freshen up before dinner. Our tour leader introduces the key elements of night photography.
5:30 pm – Dinner
6:30 pm – The streets of Moc Chau fill with processions and torchlit parades, as well as exuberant courting couples. We head out to capture the colourful night-time scenes.
7:30 pm – We return to our hotel
5:00 am – We rise early again to capture sunrise in the stunning valleys near our homestay.
7:00 am – Breakfast
8:00 am – We now head out for Long Sap commune, on the Laos border.
9:00 am – Long Sap is a hive of activity, with various festivities and communal games happening. The perfect chance to practice our skills in all aspects of documentary style and travel photography.
11:30 – We return to Moc Chau for lunch
12:30-1:30 – Lunch, followed by coffee and a picture review session.
1:30 – 2:30 pm – If time, we will visit Ang village for more pictures of tribal festivities, before hitting the road back to Hanoi
5-6:00 pm – We will stop at a few spots for sunset landscape shots, especially between Mai Chau and Hoa Binh
7pm – Arrival in Hanoi and hotel or home drop-off.
Guiding Team
Image Gallery
Tour Information
Recommended Equipment
- Digital Camera
- Drone
- Selections of lens
- Cable release
- Tripod
- Memory cards
- CPL & ND Graduated filters
- Laptop/tablet
- Storage device
What's included
- Hotel Pickup and Dropoff
- Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
- All transportation
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Daily activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
- local guides and government permits
- Photography Workshop with our photographer leader
What's not included
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages
- Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
- Visas
Level of Difficulty
Moderate Physical activity (Walking)
Tour Length
3 Days
Hotel pickups commence approximately 30 minutes prior to this time
Seasonality
Moc Chau love market is an annual event on the given dates. however Moc Chau is well worth visiting at any stage during the year and we are happy to arrange such tours on request.
