Overview
Tucked away in District 3 is one of Saigon’s best-kept local secrets, a throwback to the Vietnam of thirty or forty years ago. Old school apartment blocks huddle together amidst the modern city, where a bustling community of markets and street traders thrives. We head out to this area, known as ‘the colony’ in late afternoon, just as the streets liven up for the evening’s action. We’ll start by shooting life in and around the apartment blocks, capturing daily activity amidst the fascinating retro architecture, and then move onto the local flower market, picturesquely sheltered overhead by hundreds of umbrellas. Our focus is on street photography, portraiture and of course low-light photography once the sun goes down. We’ll also have a chance to try out some of Saigon’s signature street food dishes in an area renowned for culinary excellence
What you will be doing
We will start out exploring the fascinating apartment blocks that lie at the centre of the area. Venturing up several of the stairwells, we capture unique shots of life in this vintage accommodation. We'll be looking at how to use leading lines, angles and moments of sudden movement to shoot geometric, urban exploration-type imagery.
The sun is beginning to go down, and it's time to walk over to the flower market, which is illuminated with fluorescent lights, and a hive of action. As well as many types of flowers, the nearby food stalls sell a variety of Saigon specialities. We'll have a quick snack (or several) and a milk tea or coffee while reviewing the pictures taken so far.
Now it's time to wander the stalls of this area in search of portraits of the vendors and other images of local life. We'll be looking at how to approach people for photos, different types of composition and optional settings for these types of situations.
We now move to our last stop of the tour, a rooftop high above the city streets. We'll set up our tripods here to shoot long exposure images of the view, including street night life and a traditional pagoda.
We have a last drink in the cafe below and review our shots, before taking you back to the hotel.
Where we'll meet
🧭 Meeting/pick-up point: Your hotel
🗺️ Instructions: We will pick you up from from your hotel.
Things to know
Accessibility:
Children friendly
Fitness requirement
Moderate fitness level
Tour Language
English
License requirement
None
Additional information:
In the event of forecasted heavy rain, we’ll contact you to reschedule or cancel the tour and give you a full refund. If it’s early morning and raining heavily, our guide will call you on the phone number you gave us to discuss options for postponement or cancellation. In the event of cancellation we’ll issue a full refund.
Bring DSLR Camera / Film Camera, memory cards and fully charged battery
Bring wide angle or standard zoom lens
Tripod is ideal but optional
You can rent a camera. We have a Nikon DSLR available to rent for $30 per tour including free memory card. Please enquire on booking
You can join the tour with film or smartphone camera
Non-photographer partner and kids welcome, cost vary by tour
Inclusion ✅
Tour guide
Pick up and drop off transport
Exclusion ❌
Snack
Gratuities
About your host
Vietnam in FocusWe run acclaimed private and small-group photo tours throughout north, central and south Vietnam. Whether you are a beginner, serious amateur or professional photographer, we can help you to capture incredible shots, and enjoy an unforgettable, authentic experience of this fascinating country. Our photo tours have been recommended by Lonely Planet, The Guardian and Le Petit Fute, as well as holding a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor for over a decade. We are officially licensed by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to run tours and workshops, and have led groups from National Geographic and the Travel Channel. We also love to make a difference. We work with local NGOs like Peace House Shelter, Change, and the Centre for Women and Development to raise awareness about social and environmental challenges in Vietnam.
For every trip booked, Kodama Travel donates £1 to Just One Tree to restore our forests and the ocean.