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Hanoi and Sapa, Vietnam


zane_yau

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Hey guys

 

Wife and I are heading off to Hanoi and Sapa this Friday (yes, excited!!)

 

I've searched through different traveller's forums on the net, just wanna hear

the photographer's point of view.

 

We will spend 6 days in Sapa and 5 days in Hanoi.

 

In Sapa, we will start with a 3 day "Market explorer" tour then 3 days of our

free time. Just wondering what we could do in that 3 days? We love

photographing local people and local life and a bit of landscape we dont mind

 

We will have 5 full days in Hanoi on my own. Just wondering will this be too

long... should we go to Halong Bay as well, but from what I read, I think HLB

is all about landscape right? We want to know whether Hanoi offers enough to

keep us excited (photographically) for 5 days.

 

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

Regards

 

Zane

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You wont have any trouble finding photographic subjects in any place you have mentioned. You'd be mad not to take a 2 day trip to HLBay. The misty mornings make you feel like your in a dream. HL bay town is very ordinary. Just a tourist trap really, but get on a private charter boat. (very cheap) and tour the bay and the caves.
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Halong Bay is worth a trip, I've never seen anything like it. If your boat captain is amenable, you can stop at some of the houseboats of the fishing families in the bay and visit.

 

Hoa Binh is a great day trip from Hanoi. If you can get your papers accepted (it took hours for me), the power plant is amazing, right out of James Bond. Also, the food is different than Hanoi and very tasty.

 

There is enough in Hanoi to be there for weeks of photographing, there are people everywhere, alleys, old buildings, whatever you want. Eat on the street, the food is excellent.

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Thanks for the photos Nino, Halong Bay in fact looks very interesting. The landscape is nice, but if I could, like Jeff said, visit those fishing family, it would be great.

 

Jeff, love those people shots you took!! I can't imagine how difficult it is to take people shots with a MF

 

Thinking hard now... problem is I only have limited time in Hanoi (well, 5 days...)

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In Sapa the market tours are fun but really hard to get original shots. Lots of ops for colorful-clothed market people but difficult to get anything but typical tourist shots, plus by the time the tour get there its usually far into the day and overly bright and sunny giving fairly poor, contrasty lighting. Try to get away from where all the other tourists are shooting and find the off-to-the-side areas where the locals are lunching or just hanging out---better for more candid opportunities and less likely to get the same shots as everyone else that day---and the same shots that thousands of other camera-toting people have gotten many times before.<p>

 

For your other days find a private guide. They are usually a few about. Take your time picking one until you find someone who you can tell is experienced and hopefully been in the area for some time, not just some recently arrived tout trying to make a quick buck on the tourist trade. Then ask them to take you on an early morning departure, all-day hiking tour to the small and remote villages in the surrounding hills and valleys. <p>Sapa is nice but is usually filled with so many tourists you might find it hard to get a good shot without another person taking photos in your photo.<p>

 

<p>

 

 

<center><img src="http://static.flickr.com/47/160611314_6ccc660606_o.jpg"><p>

 

Misty hills trial around Sapa, Vietnam<P> ______________________<p>

 

</center><p>

 

<p>

 

<center><img src="http://static.flickr.com/53/160610800_21eca571a3_o.jpg"><p>

 

Hmong girl who took a liking to my sunglasses, Sapa, Vietnam<P>______________________<p>

 

</center><p>

 

<p>

 

<center><img src="http://static.flickr.com/73/160610787_37bfcca0ff_o.jpg"><p>

 

Sister with a shy brother, remote village in the hills around Sapa, Vietnam<P>______________________<p>

 

</center><p>

 

<p>

 

<center><img src="http://static.flickr.com/75/160611072_d1c9c00510_o.jpg"><p>

 

A trio of friendly kids, remote village in the hills around Sapa, Vietnam<P>

 

</center><p>

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Hanoi would occupy you five days, but I'd be sure to include a day excursion to the <a href = "http://www.terragalleria.com/vietnam/vietnam.perfume-pagoda.html">

Perfume Pagoda</a>. I would also think that it would be worth spending two days at Halong Bay, although it can be difficult to get images that do justice to the site. See also

<a href = "http://www.terragalleria.com/vietnam/info/vietnam-montagnards.html">

travel story about Sapa and Bac Ha</a>

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I would suggest you take 1/2 of your time in Hanoi and go visit Halong Bay. I would like to

repeat you a golden advice I got: if you get a cheap tour you will remember being packed

with other people, if you get a less-crowded experience you will remember Halong Bay. We

were there off-season in chilly early January and managed to rent a no-comfort but

seemingly authentic fishermen junk for two-days-one-night for just the two of us at an

amazingly reasonable price, almost comparable with some of the larger tours peddled in

Hanoi. Mind, this was from Cat Ba and not from "Halong City". Cat Ba is easy to reach by

hydrofoil from Halong City, which in turn is very easy to reach by train from Hanoi.

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Zane, Halong Bay is huge. And you do not necessarily need a private boat. I was on a fairly large boat (20-30' or so) with about 15 other people. Lots of deck space and places to see, stand and photograph. Long boats came along side selling all sorts of shellfish and seafood which the boat workers boiled up for us and served back with lemon and cocktail sauce---delicious. Also had boats selling seashells, coral and such. We went for a 4-hour boat ride and saw lots of areas and even explored a cave on one of the islands.<p>

 

<p>

 

<center><img src="http://newton-i.usefilm.com/images/8/8/2238-medium.jpg"><p>

 

Girl selling seashells, Halong Bay, Vietnam<P>

 

</center><p>

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Zane, while walking in Hanoi you might find photographically interesting to give a look to

the couple of streets where iron workers go on with their businesses. I do not have enough

data with me now to point you out where this is, but it is usually mentioned in many

guidebooks about the town, you will for sure find it.

 

With appropriate smiling and kindness you might easily be let in one of the courtyards

where most of the hammering, soldering etc takes place: a good photographic opportunity

for sure.

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  • 9 years later...

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