Vietnam - Hoi An: Photo, Culture, Food Retreat

16-23 January 2025

Join us for a week-long retreat in central Vietnam: blending culture, photography, and culinary adventures, from an exclusive quiet villa with private pool near Hoi An old town, just for the sole use of our group!

Spending a week on a photography, culture, and food retreat in central Vietnam offers a rich and immersive experience, exploring places like Hoi An old town, Cam Chau on our doorstep, Cua Dai, Hue, and the Hai Van Pass. Hoi An, with its well-preserved ancient town, provides a stunning backdrop for photography with its lantern-lit streets, traditional architecture, and vibrant markets. The food in Hoi An, particularly in the Cam Chau area where we will be staying, is a highlight. We will be staying in a villa backing onto rice fields of Cam Chau but still within easy reach of Hoi An Old town, an ideal combination to benefit from all that Hoi An has to offer from a quiet base away from the tourist hustle and bustle.

In addition to the amazing experience that is Hoi An, day trips to nearby locations such as Cua Dai Beach, Hue, the Hai Van Pass and the countryside will complete a wide range of photographic and cultural experiences, from rice farmers and basket boat fishermen to ancient architecture and imperial cuisine, dramatic mountain views and winding coastal roads.

What we’ll cover, visit and photograph

Hoi An and Cam Chau

A photography holiday in Hoi An, Vietnam, is a dream come true for enthusiasts of both travel and photography. This charming ancient town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a blend of vibrant culture, history, and breathtaking landscapes, offering endless photographic opportunities. The picturesque streets are lined with well-preserved centuries-old buildings, colourful lanterns swaying in the breeze, and traditional shophouses adorned with fading French colonial architecture. These elements combine to create a vibrant tapestry of colour, texture, and history, making every corner a potential shot for photographers eager to capture Hoi An’s timeless beauty. We will be exploring and capturing the old town at different times of the day and night for capture street life, locals going about their lives, and not least the amazing night-time glowing wonderland, with hundreds of lanterns illuminating the streets and the Thu Bon River.

Our family-ran villa that will be our exclusive home for the week is within easy reach of Hoi An old town but in a quieter area backing onto the rice fields of Cam Chau, offering a serene and picturesque landscape, especially during January, which falls just at the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season - this is the time when locals will be planting rice in the flooded rice paddies, an experience we hope to be capturing on our cameras in the early morning light.

 

Hue, Hai Van Pass, Cua Dai Beach

During our week, we will take a day trip to nearby Hue, a city steeped in history and culture, once serving as the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945. Located along the Perfume River, Hue is renowned for its rich heritage, royal architecture, and tranquil beauty, making it a must-visit destination for travelers and photographers alike. The city’s most iconic site is the Imperial Citadel, a sprawling fortress and palace complex that once housed emperors and their families. The ancient walls, moats, and pavilions of the citadel offer a glimpse into Vietnam’s royal past, while the intricate detailing of the gates, courtyards, and temples provide stunning subjects for architectural photography.

On the way to and back from Hue, our private minibus and local driver will be taking us across the Hai Van Pass, known as ‘the ocean cloud pass’. This is one of Vietnam's most scenic and iconic routes, offering stunning views of mountains, coastline, and the South China Sea. The rugged mountainsides, with lush greenery and sharp cliffs, meet the turquoise waters of the sea below, offering perfect compositions for landscape shots. We will be making a stop at the top, where the serpentine road, with its hairpin turns, in addition to landscape shots, will provide opportunities to capture Vietnam’s adventurous spirit, particularly with motorbikes and cars snaking through the curves.

Another local visit will be to the nearby Cua Dai Beach where, the sight of the famous basket boats dotting the shoreline offers a unique glimpse into the traditional fishing culture of central Vietnam. These round, woven bamboo boats, known as thung chai, are still used by local fishermen to navigate the waters just off the coast. Early in the morning, we can capture the serene, almost timeless scene of fishermen skilfully manoeuvring their boats, casting nets, and pulling in their daily catch.

Photography, culture, food

We are organising this week as a retreat so we will be staying at our villa and making several day trips from there, but also taking advantage of our private exclusive accommodation to spend some time and discuss anything photography-wise that you may be interested in: from 1-2-1s to group show-and-tell photography evenings or tutorials, we will be guided by our participants’ requests to organise these activities as per demand, which we will decide before the trip and at the beginning of the week. Our lovely villa also has a private pool which will be ideal to chill and relax after a long day of visiting and photographing or indeed while having some quiet time during the day in between activities.

During the week, we will be experiencing first-hand what the local artisan culture has to offer and you will have the opportunity to try your hand at one of the town’s most famous crafts, lantern-making. Skilful artisans handcraft these colourful silk lanterns, symbolising prosperity and good fortune - and you can make your own, should you accept this small gift from us, at one of the many craft workshops offering this experience. As they are full foldable, you will be able to take it home with you too! We will also take the opportunity to visit and capture other craft-making activities which are typical local ones such as wood-carving or pottery-making.

Last but not least, we are including all meals in the price of the trip and we will be organising them to ensure you get a chance to experience everything that the delicious Vietnamese cuisine has to offer: a vibrant and flavourful cuisine that balances fresh ingredients, aromatic herbs, and bold yet delicate flavours. Known for its emphasis on freshness and the harmony of taste, texture, and colour, Vietnamese dishes often combine salty, sweet, sour, and spicy elements in perfect balance. From street food to home-cooked meals, we will invite you to explore the local cuisine is deeply rooted in tradition and regional diversity, offering something for every palate: from the famous soup Pho to the popular East-meets-West Vietnamese baguette Bahn Mi to the white rose dumplings or Hoi An’s local speciality of Cao Lau noodles, you will be spoiled for choice.

What you’ll get

  • ✺

    Group airport transfers on arrival and departure dates (Da Nang Airport)

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    7 nights accommodation in an exclusive-use family-run villa with swimming pool, in en-suite single occupancy room

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    All meals starting with dinner on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 8. Special dietary requirements catered for subject to availability.

  • ✺

    Planned and on-demand creative and technical photographic advice from 2 professional photographers including on-site and post-trip image review

  • ✺

    All day trips and experiences as mentioned, local driver / guide for all day trips and local visits.

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    Small group (min 4, max 6 participants)

£2200pp

including everything outlined in the ‘what you’ll get’ section.

Not included in the price:

  • international flights to/from Siem Reap

  • entry visas as applicable

  • any meals or drinks not specified

  • travel insurance (required)

Price

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • Absolutely not. Feel free to bring your favourite tool for capturing images or video as you wish, be it a smartphone or field camera! We will advise everyone depending on their preferences, from beginners to advanced photography enthusiasts, before the trip.

  • It is reasonable to assume that there will be some walking involved at every location. But our explorations will be slow and allow sufficient time to take in our surroundings and capture them - so everything will be at a reasonable pace.

  • Not at all. We are very experienced in working with a mix of complete beginners as well as technically and creatively accomplished photographers, ensuring that everyone gets a lot out of the experience.

  • Just let us know what is required and we will arrange something to suit your needs for the meals that are included. Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse so you will still be able to enjoy some traditional cuisine if you're a pescatarian or a vegetarian for example.

  • No. The price includes accommodation in single occupancy as standard. We may be able to offer a small discount for partners traveling with a participant photographer and sharing a room - just ask.

  • We are visiting Hoi An Vietnam at a great time of the year to experience it, as January is in the end of the wet season and the beginning of the dry season, so not too busy yet compared to other months. Warm weather is expected but not as hot as later in the year, with average temperatures of around 22 degrees celsius.