Curious | Creative | Compelling
Music pounded through the streets, shaking the restaurants stockpiled in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. It was dark when my fiancé and I arrived to the city, and the night was already alive. Revellers drank in nearby bars, spilling out onto the streets and restaurant employees smiled with beguiling faces while enthusiastically waving menus in our direction.
Hội An captured my heart and my lens. From the city’s historic golden buildings and winding waterways, to its lively markets and quaint cafes, Hội An is a photographer’s dream. Continue reading “Streetscapes: Hội An”
Portraits of people bringing light and life to Hội An.
Hội An’s golden buildings make a glowing backdrop framing the people who bring life to the historic city. In the meandering Old Town, shopkeepers sweep doorframes and the smells of cooking — braised pork, fresh chili, basil, star anise and lime — permeate through the air. Silk lanterns of sky-blue, fuchsia and lavender span archways and sway in the gentle breeze as tourists laugh and chat in open-air cafes.
It’s easy to imagine Hội An as it would have been in the 16th century. As a bustling stop along the Silk Road — known then as Hai Pho, or, “seaside town” — the city’s winding streets bedecked with colourful lanterns would have been filled with travellers from across the seven seas.
The streets are strangely hushed as we make our way from the hotel towards Hội An’s Old Town. The sun has not yet risen, and the world is covered in darkness. Quietly, we walk past homes where the residents are slowly beginning to stir. Continue reading “Good Morning Hội An”
As the sun sets over Hội An, the everyday humdrum begins to fade and is replaced by magic of a human invention.
Hội An’s night and day markets couldn’t be more different than, well, night and day.
If there is one thing to do while travelling through Vietnam, it is eat. The country is a goldmine of flavours. Well known dishes such as bánh mì, phở and bún chả subtly change from region to region, creating a nuanced dining experience as one visits each new city.
Continue reading “Eat Your Heart Out at Hội An’s Night Market”
Wandering through Hué’s Imperial City, one can’t help but feel a sense of calm and tranquillity having escaped the hordes of Hué’s bustling west bank.
A city separated by the Perfume River, Hué was once the capital of Vietnam and the imperial seat of the Ngyuen Dynasty. Connected by the Tran Tieng Bridge, this popular tourist destination is a living example of modernity meeting antiquity. Continue reading “Hué There”