Vietnam in 33 Stunning Photos

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

First thing on my agenda was to visit the War Museum in Saigon to learn more about the history from both sides. The experience was so overwhelming that I had a headache at the end of it.

Hoi An

Hoi An is one of those places you wish you could stay longer. The Ancient city lights up with beautiful lamps every night, where both the locals and foreigners come out and mingle.

Not to mention, Hoi An has one of the best and cheapest Bahn Mi (Vietnamese sandwiches) in the country. Make sure you check out Banh Mi Phuong before you leave!

I rented a bike and took it for a spin to one of the many rice fields in the area. Tranquility is everywhere here.

Good morning Vietnammmm!

The next day, I went on a little tour to one of the historical sights near Hoi An, the MySon temple. It is one of the remnants of the revered Champa Kingdom that still stands today.

Not as impressive as Angkor Wat, but still quite interesting to be able to observe the similarities.

Phong Nha

Phong Nha is the place where the biggest cave (Hang Son Doong) in the world was discovered as recently as 2008.

I would love to go explore Hang Son Doong, but it would cost me 3,000 USD for a 6-day excursion. I decided to explore a different cave instead. Paradise Cave was a much cheaper option, yet it still rendered me speechless.

It was a 7 km hike inside a dark cave. There were several caverns that could hold a sports stadium within them!

After several hours of hiking, we were rewarded with a gigantic cavern with a humongous hole in its middle.

The cave was so big, it had its own clouds!

It was raining lightly that day, which made cave exploration even more fascinating. There was a stream of rain falling from the cave's ceiling, forming a beautiful line of droplets.

Ninh Binh

My friends and I, whom I met on the train, rented a motorbike and explored the rice fields and green hills of Ninh Binh. Five minutes in, we were lost.

We climbed to the top of a mountain with a view of the Tam Coc caves and Ngô Đồng River.

It was a little foggy and rainy, but the view was still mesmerizing.

River streams running through green rice fields are a common sight in Vietnam. I couldn't get enough of it.

Sapa

I took an overnight train from Hanoi to Sapa, met Anna, Rolando, and Delphine along the way, and we decided to go on a hike to the Cat Cat Village.

Anna is looking at the H'mong children playing in the village.

We hiked further, hoping to see Mt Fansipan, the highest mountain in Indo-China, which stood at 3,143 meters (10,312 ft) high.

Unfortunately, the summit was hidden behind thick clouds all week, and all I could do was imagine where the summit was supposed to be.

It was raining in the morning the next day, so we decided to take a taxi to one of the many waterfalls in the area.

There I was, standing in the face of Mother Nature.

Wouldn't it be nice to climb up to one of the rocks up there?

And so I did!

That was the furthest I could go without slipping to my death. My shoes weren't built to climb slippery rocks.

The sky was clearing in the afternoon, so we got ourselves a map and rented 3 motorbikes.

Do you trust your life with an Asian on a motorbike? Apparently, Delphine did. :)

Not to mention, the views were much more impressive down there. Endless fields of rice terraces as far as the eye could see. No wonder why Vietnam is the number one exporter of rice.

Even though the rice terraces are man-made, we were still fascinated by them. The Vietnamese really make the best out of what they have.

Anna overlooking the valley at the end of our trip before we turned back.

I thought I had seen enough rice terraces in my life to not be fascinated by them, but no rice terraces can compete with the ones in Sapa. They stretch out so far you cannot even see where they end.

We are the mountain riders!

Bonus

In case you are wondering, this is what I looked like on a motorbike. :)

Want to know how I was able to take great pictures of myself while I travel solo?How To Take Great Pictures of Yourself

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: 12go is a great place to look for bus and train schedule and buy tickets online in Southeast Asia that would otherwise not have been available in English online.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for trips and tours to join.

Tickets & Deals: Klook is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.

Want to take your photography game to the next level? Here are some resources to help you upgrade your work and photography gear:

Lightroom Presets: If you are looking for a quick way to make your travel photos look like mine, you should check out my newly released Lightroom Preset Collections.

Camera: Sony a7R V, the highest resolution full-frame camera out there, is my go-to camera when I travel. All of my recent photos and videos are all from this beast.

All-Around Travel Lens: Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens is the lens I mounted on my camera the most. The lens covers most of the ranges I need for travel from wide to telephoto. If I have to take only one lens with me on my travel, it would be this lens.

Ultra-Wide Lens: Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM II Lnes: An ultra-wide lens I often use to shoot expansive landscapes and capture massive architecture I stumble upon while traveling.

Telephoto Lens: Sony 70-200mm F2.8 GM II lens is one of the most versatile lenses to have. It is great for picking out details in landscapes and capturing wildlife when combined with the Sony FE 2x teleconverter.

Portrait Lens: Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG DN Lens is the most compact and lightweight 85mm F1.4 lens out there. It's sharp and produces stunning bokeh for subject separation, perfect for portraits and street photography.

Drone: DJI Mavic Mini 2, a perfect drone for those who travel light. It weighs less than 250g and smaller than an iPhone when folded and can capture 4K video as well as 12 megapixels RAW photos. More than enough for its size.

Bag: Langly Alpha Globetrotter is a camera bag I use to carry all these lenses as well as other essentials when I'm traveling.

Further Reading about Vietnam

Are you looking for more information about traveling in Vietnam? Here are a few more articles that can help you with your trip to Vietnam:

• Looking for a complete travel guide and itinerary for Vietnam? 2-Week Itinerary for Vietnam.
• First time visiting Vietnam and wondering what the best places you should visit are? Here are the 10 Best Places to Visit in Vietnam.
• Planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City and not sure where to begin? Here are the Explore Ho Chi Minh City: 13 Best Things to Do and Places to Visit.
• For a complete itinerary for Ho Chi Minh City, check out: 3 Days in Ho Chi Minh City: A Backpacking Itinerary.
• Looking for the best street food to try in Ho Chi Minh City? Check Out Saigon Street Food: 11 Incredible Places to Eat & Drink.
• Looking for things to do in the ancient port city of Hoi An? Here are the 10 Best Things to do in Hoi An.
• Hoi An is known for its beautiful lanterns that illuminate the entire town at night. If you want to see what it is like in Hoi An at night, check out: The Colorful Lanterns Of Hoi An's Ancient City
• If you are looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination in Vietnam, do not miss the chance to go caving in Phong Nha, and there is no better place to do that than Paradise Cave. Here is a complete hiking guide to Paradise Cave and Dark Cave in Phong Nha.
• Ninh Binh is only an hour away from Hanoi, and it is a great place to escape from the bustling city and be among nature. Here is the 8 Best Things to Do in Ninh Binh.
• If you love mountains, cool breeze, and rice terraces, you are going to love Sapa. Here is the 9 Best Things to Do in Sapa.
• You can see all my Vietnam-related articles on my Vietnam Travel Guide page.