Multi Day Vietnam Photography Tour

>23

Journey to the West

TOUR TYPE:

Photography Tour

TOur Length:

Days

Departure Date:

August 30, 2024

Journey to the West

Moc Chau Love Market and the Black River Valley

For generations, the Hmong of Vietnam’s northwest mountainous Moc Chau have gathered each year for a colorful ‘love market’. Today, the festival attracts people from all over the region as they search for new love or old flames, bringing a carnival of color and festivity to this scenic town. Starting in Hanoi, we’ll travel west to the Moc Chau plateau to enjoy and photograph the celebrations. We’ll mingle with the locals, photographing the mix of tradition and modernity, processions and performances. The celebrations carry on for two days, and we’ll also be venturing towards the Laos border for a local Hmong festival including time-honored traditional games and rituals.

The Black River Valley is blessed with verdant tea fields, where we’ll capture epic landscapes, along with images of the conical-hatted harvesters at work on the green hillsides. We then head further west, capturing spectacular mountain views, and visiting remote villages of Thai, Hmong and Tay minorities. At Ta Xua, we’ll climb along ‘the dinosaur’s spine’, a jaw-dropping journey above a a sea of sunlit clouds.

In Tu Le and Mu Cang Chai, we’ll traverse the towering rice terraces as they begin to turn gold, before heading down into the Red River valley to stay with our friends at tranquil Xoi Farmstay. We’ll enjoy a very local experience in the villages and tribal markets of this authentic rural area, before returning to the capital. It all makes for a visually-rich and culturally-enriching experience of Vietnam’s true northwest, providing a portfolio of fabulous images.

This is a premium photographic adventure, and we’ll enjoy the best accommodation available, from stylish eco-lodges to resorts and restored traditional residences. We’ll also taste the most delicious cuisine in a part of the world already renowned for its culinary excellence. Our close connection to the people of Vietnam, local friendships and many years of experience give us unparalleled access to the authentic life of the locals and the area’s most stunning vistas. As working photographers, with many years of teaching experience, we provide you unique insights and knowledge about Vietnam and photographic storytelling.

Expectations in the Northwest of Vietnam

Capture candid people photography as you engage with the tribes and communities of the wild northwest, documenting their stories with depth and authenticity. Festivals and markets offer plenty of opportunities for images of color and chaos, but we’ll also enjoy intimate moments with our local friends in the homes and hamlets we visit.

The landscapes here are also a photographer’s paradise, with sweeping vistas, lush tea and rice fields, and the cloudy Black River valley, offering endless opportunities for creative composition. We’ll be up at dawn and out at dusk, hunting light and clouds in the area’s most photogenic spots. Every click of your camera will not only boost your photographic skills but also weave an evocative narrative.

This is of course a cultural journey too, and we’ll be trying out the delicious cuisines of the hill tribes, and participating in their traditional games and musical performances. Far from the tourist trail, in the company of our local friends, we’ll enjoy and document the true face of Vietnam’s wild northwest.

Image Gallery

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 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.

Hoang Viet Nguyen

Journalist & Independent Film Director

Award-winning photojournalist Hoang Viet will lead our 2024 Wild Northwest photo tour. As well as an experienced photographer, Viet is an independent film director. Leading photo tours for Vietnam in Focus, he specializes in visual storytelling, documentary and street photography, and photo editing. Hanoi is his hometown, but Viet’s work as a filmmaker and journalist has taken him all over Vietnam, giving him unique insight into the lives and landscapes of many regions.

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

Transfers upon arrival and departure
Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
All transportation
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
Daily activities and excursions as indicated in the itinerary
All gratuities
local guides and government permits

What's not included

Airfare to and from destination, as well as internal airfare where applicable
Trip cancellation insurance or any other travel insurance
Visas
Alcoholic beverages

Seasonality

This is a small private group tour with designated departure dates based on North Vietnam’s festival season. However we can tailor this tour or something similar to your required dates.

Reviews

We were delighted with our trip, We could not have asked for a more congenial and attentive guides, Duc and Nhan outdid themselves. Duc's ability to approach people and to get them to enjoy his company gave us an entry point for interacting with people. His profound respect for the ethnic minority peoples really impressed us and provided the means to engage with people on an equal footing. Nhan was an attentive and knowledgeable with a great sense of humor. We spent much of our trip smiling and laughing with the two of them. In Hanoi, Brett and Ling were great guides and instructors. Overall you have a great team who go the extra mile. The accommodations were great, the food fabulous and the car and driver were both superb. We had an exceptional time, see VIF again!

Throughout the trip, we stay in quality 4-5 star hotels or the best mountain eco-lodges available locally. In some places there are shared bathroom facilities. There is a surcharge for single bookings. If you are open to sharing with someone outside your group, we will do our best to make sure your preferences are met.

Please contact us for more Information

What kind of transport will we have on tour?

Throughout the tour we travel by comfortable, air-conditioned 16 seat private minibus. There will be enough room in the vehicle to carry our maximum 5 guests, guide, driver, luggage and camera gear. Please however bring a maximum of 1 large suitcase, small daypack and/or camera bag.

How much of our time is spent traveling from place to place?

Our photo tours are specially designed to minimize time on the road and maximize photo exploration. Even on longer stretches, the journey is broken up with exciting photography stops. For exact travel times, please inquire.

What is included in the tour price?

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 supplement is available at request. Surcharges may apply to certain travel dates based on 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

Please contact us for more Information

Are there any discounts available?

Yes. We offer a 5% early bird discount on all featured tours if bookings are received 12 months in advance of departure.

We offer an extra 5% discount to returning guests.

What is the payment process?

We take an initial holding deposit of $500 per person, which is non-refundable, unless Vietnam in Focus calls off the trip.

The remainder is due at least 3 months in advance of the departure date. This is also our latest date to confirm tour departure at this point, and guests can go ahead and book flights.

In the event that we have our minimum number of guests booked in for the tour earlier than 3 months before departure, we will confirm the tour, and guests are free to book their flights.

What are your cancellation fees?

Your initial $500 reservation deposit is non-refundable, except in the event that Vietnam in Focus cancels the trip. The deposit can however be put towards a future trip with Vietnam in Focus.

If you cancel your booking with us, our cancellation policy includes the following fees and cut-off periods:

If canceling 90 to 61 days before departure, the guest is liable for 25% of the trip cost.

60 to 46 days before departure is 50% of the trip cost.

45-0 days prior to departure is 100% of the trip cost.

What is the maximum group size?

In order to ensure an authentic, personalized experience, we take a maximum number of 5 guests per one photographer tour leader. With larger groups, we will split between 2 photographer tour leaders.

Do I need insurance?

Yes, you do. You will be asked to sign a legally-binding liability disclaimer with your insurance details before tour departure.

Can my non-photographer partner and / or kids come along?

Absolutely, they are most welcome. There’s plenty to entertain non-photographers on our tours, as long as they don’t mind the rest of us getting up at the crack of dawn most days.

What should I bring?

Please see the What to Bring list included in each itinerary.

Should I book my flight to arrive one or two days before the tour starts?

It’s a good idea to do this, as you’ll have a chance to get over the jetlag and do a bit of exploring before the action begins. We can help you arrange accommodation and adventures.

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