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.
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 and editing advice on our photography.
We then head out to our eco-lodge in the nearby countryside. Our final morning gives us a chance to explore the village and surrounding countryside, with a photographic focus on landscapes and portraiture. The area around Moc Chau is unique in Vietnam due to its soft climate and variety of agricultural produce, and we will visit fruit orchards, tea plantations and bee-keeping farms as we develop a photographic story of life in the region. We return to Hanoi in the late afternoon of the 2nd.
Itinerary
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 his 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 board our minibus to Moc Chau homestay
Guiding Team
Our photographers are no ordinary guides. We’re adventurers, teachers and assistants, as well as experienced shooters. We’re up at dawn to catch the best light, and always looking out for the unexpected moments and details that make for great photography. Our guides are committed to making sure you enjoy exploring Vietnam through photography as much as we do. Your pictures and your experience are always the priority.
Photographer Lavonne Bosman will lead our 2022 tour to Moc Chau’s famous Love Market. Lavonne’s work has been exhibited widely in her native South Africa, as well as in Europe. Projects have included portraits of the amaXhosa people, and a story of migration in the Swiss Alps. She has been resident in Vietnam since 2019. For more about Lavonne, hit the profile link above.
Accommodation & Transportation
The detailed list of accommodation for the tour is –
Moc Chau –
Muong Thanh Luxury Moc Chau
Local Traditional Stilthouse (Homestay)
Pricing and Dates
| 2022 | 31st August – 2nd September | $449.00 |
Prices are per person based on double occupancy and do not include international airfare to/from your destination or internal flights during the tour. Single traveler prices are available upon request. Surcharges may apply to certain travel dates based upon international or local holidays, as well as local events and festivals. All prices and fares are quoted in U.S. dollars and subject to change. See the terms and conditions for this trip for more information.
Whats included
- Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
- Daily activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
- All gratuities
Whats not included
- Airfare to and from destination, as well as internal airfare where applicable
- Meals and Drinks
- Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
- Visas
- Alcoholic beverages
