Need tips for Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam

Hello everyone!

As the title says, I will have a trip in these 3 countries for 2 moths ( march and april)

What places do you recommend, photographic wise, to go there?
Also, it is a good idea (for taking photos) to travel by train? At least some portions of the tour? I intend to start in Thailand and to go til Hanoi in Vietnam.

I am not very into street photography like anecdotal photos of crowded cities and people. I like taking photos that somehow includes nature elements, like water, plants etc. But not necessarily in the wilderness.
If you find useful, here is my webpage to have an idea: www.andreifarcasanu.com

Thank you very much!

So is the plan Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam? I'm assuming Cambodia over Laos. I've been to every country in SE Asia, some several times, but not for as long as you will be travelling (at least, not at one time). I usually travel there in Feb/Mar but occasionally from July-Sept. Mar/Apr will definitely be hot and dry. There will be a lot of slash and burn over multiple countries, plus other forms of pollution, so you will have a lot of hazy skies, especially during the day. I always found that early morning (i.e. right after sunrise) and dusk/evening to be the times to photograph, not only because of the respite from the haze and heat, but because that's when the locals are out doing their thing, before (or after) they have to go to work. Like you, I don't really shoot crowded cities or people, and as such I don't really enjoy most of the cities in SE Asia. The only exception to that rule is a few Vietnamese cities that I stopped in, like Hanoi - the last I was there it still had a faded colonial charm but was very chaotic in an old-school sense. Hue and Hoi An were also nice places to be in and explore from. HCM City was too modern and boring in comparison.

I've travelled by bus, car, train, and boat through these countries. The train was an overnighter in Vietnam (Hanoi to Hue I think). If you were interested in photographing part of the aspect of train travel it could be interesting, but I'm not sure how well it would lend itself to go photos of the countryside at this time of year. My memory of it was a lot of barren fields, or of newly planted rice. A lot of people do the boat trip from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh on the Tonle Sap Lake in order to photograph the fishing villages along the shore, but the water levels may be too low at this time of year for you to do it. If you really want to photograph the countryside well, I would recommend to rent a scooter or hire a driver to take you - you'll probably have a higher success rate for photographs.

I have never really gotten off the beaten track when travelling here, for a variety of reasons, partly due to the short amount of time that I've been there, or other obligations (like conferences that take place in major cities), etc. That said, here are a few impressions I've had of the countries on your list:

Thailand
Are you sure you want to start here? I imagine the water festival in April would be a really fun event to photograph if you have some way of protecting your camera. (I realise you've probably planned it this way because of flights).

Bangkok - Even though I enjoy visiting some of the sites here, I've never really had an success in photographing it. However, some of posters here, like (there was a url link here which no longer exists), have made really interesting (street) photos while there.
Chiang Mai - I like this city more, but mostly because it's closer to things to do outside of the city. My best experience here was volunteering at Elephant Nature Park for a week, where we got to feed and bathe and do various other chores over the week. It really wasn't that strenuous (a couple hours in the morning, then a couple more in the afternoon) and we were allowed to take photos and explore the area in our free time.
Ayutthaya - Not bad if you are interested in old ruins (like I am) but it's not as spectacular as Angkor Wat. Definitely less tourists than Angkor Wat though.
Khao Yai National Park - this is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it's known for its waterfalls and population of wild elephants (I shot both). You can do group or private tours there. I did a private tour with a photographer (and his wife) which allowed me to spend as much time as I wanted in the various locations around the park. If you've seen "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio the waterfall that they jump from is here. (However, there are many others).
Beaches - Based on the photos on your website, I think this is probably where you'd want to spend most of your time. I've been to a few low key ones (Ao Nang, Hua Hin) but I imagine you could go almost anywhere.

Cambodia
Well, even though I've been here three times, I've only ever been to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (Angkor Wat), mostly because I was limited by the people I was travelling with, or I had very little time. I hope the next time I go there I can spend some time visiting other parts of the country.

Phnom Penh - the first time I went here (in 2001) it had a wonderfully faded colonial charm about it (in some areas). That's all gone now with all the construction and rebuilding. I suppose I might find something to enjoy about it if I had more time to spend there, maybe others can chime in. Of course, there are some interesting (and disturbing) places to see like the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields.
Siem Reap/Angkor Wat - first time I went here (2001) it was a sleepy little town, very poor, and needy of tourist custom. I went there again in 2005 and 2012, and by that time the city had doubled in size and tripled in population. It has a much more slick tourism industry there, and most of the buildings you'll see (outside of the core) are all new buildings. Angkor Wat has of course, exploded with tourists, especially large groups of Chinese and Koreans, and no matter when you go, you will always be with hundreds, if not thousands, of other people. During Mar/Apr, there is no point in trying to get sunset or sunrise shots - the haze will prevent any interesting colour, and I have yet to see interesting cloud formations that would make it worthwhile. It would be much better to avoid those places (and thus the crowds) and head for other temples that will hopefully be less crowded. And I don't mean the other big temples like the Bayon or Ta Prohm - there will be as many people there at (or just after) sunrise as there will be at Angkor Wat (this was not true the first time I went there, but was definitely true the last time). I found it very difficult to get good shots at Ta Prohm - not only because of the crowds there (it's definitely the most popular), but because there are boardwalks and roped off areas that spoil the natural element of what that temple is about (definitely different from the first time I was there when we had to scramble over broken masonry to see a lot of the site). The movie "Tomb Raider" is good in that it shows a lot of the temples at the Angkor Wat complex at their best, especially Ta Prohm, but it definitely won't be like that when you go. In fact, in terms of crowds, I had a much better time photographing it in the late afternoon, rather than the morning. The other thing to be aware of is a lot of the temples are undergoing restoration work so there may be scaffolding up at quite a number of places. I did some homework before I went the last time, looking at places that other photographers have shot (like the ones John McDermott shot for his book Elegy or any of Steve McCurry's work in the country) - this allowed me to discover lesser known temples that were much more agreeable to shoot. Of course, if you have a driver, it's worth asking him to take you to the kinds of places you want to shoot (which could include local villages, etc - I did that the first and second time there).

Vietnam
Well, I've only been here once, and that was 11 years ago now. Unfortunately I got a bad case of food poisoning here (in Hoi An) which severely impacted what I could do (and what I remember).

Hanoi - as mentioned above, this ended up being my favourite city in Vietnam. I love the mad chaos about it, the calm serenity around the lake (Hoan Kiem), interacting with the locals, and more. The experience felt not too distant to what it might have been like 20 or 30 years earlier.
Halong Bay - very disappointing. You will not get the iconic images you see of this bay at this time of year (again, haze). Grey skies, lots and lots of tourists, lots of boats. It's a real circus. This was the most disappointing place I visited in the country.
Hue - Had a fun time here, we did a motorcycle tour (hired drivers, we did not drive) around the countryside, through the rice fields. Definitely worth it.
Hoi An - Got sick here, but before I did, really enjoyed the town, the food, everything about it. Very laid back.
HCM City - Big, modern, bustling. Nothing impressed me here, although to be fair I only was here for 2 days.

Okay, this post has become very long, and I'm not sure I've helped you at all. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Hello Moosontheloose. Thank you very much for the answer it did help! I have tickets to and from Bangkok, so I suppose I will miss the water festival..Or maybe I will fly in from where I will be at that moment, depending on if I find cheap air flights.
My intention is to see Bangkok, then, go to south of thailand and stay some days, maybe a week in 1-2 location as the base and wondering around (with scooters, i understand is the best) For example to "camp" in Khanom and see the area by scooters. then to go to Cambodgia by train, at Siem Reap-Angkor Wat, then to south of Vietnam and to go up north till Hanoi. (aprox one month in Vietnam). From there fly back to Thailand in Chian Mai, and finally back to Bangkok.

From your experience, what do you think about the plan?

What do you mean going to Cambodgia over Laos?
I am interested also in seeing temples less touristic and actually I was thinking of staiing to some temples. By the way, it is possible to accommodate you at some?

I will be travelling light, backpack style, so i can be mobile

Thank you again!

The Grand Palace (strict dress code, though) and Chao Phrya river in Bangkok are also good options.

Koh Phang Nga in Phuket is breathtaking.

Hi Andrei,

By Cambodia "over" Laos I meant "instead of" Laos (you hadn't mentioned the third country, so it was a guess).

I think your itinerary sounds fine, nice and relaxed. As for staying at temples, I'm not sure. I've never done it anywhere in SE Asia, but I'm sure it's possible and maybe a cheap alternative (it's definitely possible in Japan, but it's NOT cheap here!).

Hi Mooseontheloose,

got it, yes I wil go in Cambodgia instead of Laos. And from what I understood, it is better to avoid north of Cambodgia, for safety reasons.

Thank you ManicPixie for the answer.

Any other ideas? Some maybe not so touristic places?
Thanks

Hi there! I was thinking to get 400 iso negs with me, what do you think about the light in these 3 countries on March and April? Maybe it is a stupid question but since it is the first time there I have no clue about the intensity of light for example. A 100 iso film will be helpful just some hours?

Thanks!

I'd say bring a mix of both. It depends on what you are planning on shooting of course, but I'd bring more 100 speed than 400 due to light conditions. 400 speed film will be useful for indoors or lower light situations. That said, I found I needed a tripod for low-light interiors (temples, etc) or during the early morning/evening hours so film speed doesn't matter so much then.

AndreiF said:

Hi there! I was thinking to get 400 iso negs with me, what do you think about the light in these 3 countries on March and April? Maybe it is a stupid question but since it is the first time there I have no clue about the intensity of light for example. A 100 iso film will be helpful just some hours?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Hi Andrei,

I live in Thailand and have shot here for a very long time. This month I wrote a very detailed guide on shooting in Thailand with all the tips you will likely need. There's a huge amount of information that I have tried to include. It was popular with quite a few forum members and some of them have been to Thailand this past week, they found the guide helped them a lot. You can find answers to the questions you've asked so far plus everything else you will need to know here:

Dead Link Removed

Hope that helps.

Check out my 'work' page for examples of Bangkok based film photography, you can see what the light here might look like on film.

Enjoy yourself in Thailand!

While you are in Siem Reap, take a day trip up to Phnom Kulen (a mountain a few kilometers from the city). It is a sacred site dating back to the Hindu era of Angkor, and it has multiple Buddhist shrines amidst the jungles on the slope. There is also a beautiful waterfall there. I mention it for several reasons. It mostly attracts local (Cambodian) tourists, not foreigners, and is much less travelled in general. There are paths through the jungle that will take you to see some pristine springs and the beginnings of the river that goes over the falls. There is one spring that the waters are crystal clear, and at first glance appears to be maybe two meters deep. But if you look carefully, you'll see the white sand at the bottom is not solid, but rather flowing and bubbling - it is suspended in the water. Nobody knows exactly how deep the spring is. Not far beyond the spring is the Kulen river, also known as the river of 1000 lingas, because the ancient Khmer people carved Hindu lingas in the riverbed so that all the water flowing down the mountain would be blessed, and fertilize their crops. You can also see a large carving of Shiva and his wife in the riverbed. When I was hiking the trails, you could see dozens of butterflies floating around, from tiny white ones to giant rainbow-colored ones with wings the size of your hand. There were also orchids growing from trees and rocks along the trail.

The temples will be a challenge to photograph well unless you want to shoot details only. At the time of year you will be there they will also be less attractive because the moats around most of them will be dry, and you won't be able to get shots of them reflected in the water. No matter what, remember to bring LOTS of sunscreen and insect repellent. Another smaller temple somewhat out of the way, and less likely to be overrun, is Banteay Srei, The Temple of the Women. It's on the circuit, but outside the central complex of temples. When I was there I was one of maybe five individuals or small groups, as opposed to Angkor Wat itself with thousands of people. I also wholeheartedly recommend hiring a local guide and driver to take you to these places. Remember that since you'll be near the equator, the sun rise is roughly 6 am, and the sunset roughly 6pm every day. Evening comes up on you very fast if you're used to the long sunsets at more northern latitudes.

TheFlyingCamera said:

While you are in Siem Reap, take a day trip up to Phnom Kulen (a mountain a few kilometers from the city). It is a sacred site dating back to the Hindu era of Angkor, and it has multiple Buddhist shrines amidst the jungles on the slope. There is also a beautiful waterfall there. I mention it for several reasons. It mostly attracts local (Cambodian) tourists, not foreigners, and is much less travelled in general. There are paths through the jungle that will take you to see some pristine springs and the beginnings of the river that goes over the falls. There is one spring that the waters are crystal clear, and at first glance appears to be maybe two meters deep. But if you look carefully, you'll see the white sand at the bottom is not solid, but rather flowing and bubbling - it is suspended in the water. Nobody knows exactly how deep the spring is. Not far beyond the spring is the Kulen river, also known as the river of 1000 lingas, because the ancient Khmer people carved Hindu lingas in the riverbed so that all the water flowing down the mountain would be blessed, and fertilize their crops. You can also see a large carving of Shiva and his wife in the riverbed. When I was hiking the trails, you could see dozens of butterflies floating around, from tiny white ones to giant rainbow-colored ones with wings the size of your hand. There were also orchids growing from trees and rocks along the trail.

Click to expand...

I've always wanted to go here, if I ever make it back to Cambodia it will definitely be on the list.

TheFlyingCamera said:

While you are in Siem Reap, take a day trip up to Phnom Kulen (a mountain a few kilometers from the city). It is a sacred site dating back to the Hindu era of Angkor, and it has multiple Buddhist shrines amidst the jungles on the slope. There is also a beautiful waterfall there. I mention it for several reasons. It mostly attracts local (Cambodian) tourists, not foreigners, and is much less travelled in general. There are paths through the jungle that will take you to see some pristine springs and the beginnings of the river that goes over the falls. There is one spring that the waters are crystal clear, and at first glance appears to be maybe two meters deep. But if you look carefully, you'll see the white sand at the bottom is not solid, but rather flowing and bubbling - it is suspended in the water. Nobody knows exactly how deep the spring is. Not far beyond the spring is the Kulen river, also known as the river of 1000 lingas, because the ancient Khmer people carved Hindu lingas in the riverbed so that all the water flowing down the mountain would be blessed, and fertilize their crops. You can also see a large carving of Shiva and his wife in the riverbed. When I was hiking the trails, you could see dozens of butterflies floating around, from tiny white ones to giant rainbow-colored ones with wings the size of your hand. There were also orchids growing from trees and rocks along the trail.

The temples will be a challenge to photograph well unless you want to shoot details only. At the time of year you will be there they will also be less attractive because the moats around most of them will be dry, and you won't be able to get shots of them reflected in the water. No matter what, remember to bring LOTS of sunscreen and insect repellent. Another smaller temple somewhat out of the way, and less likely to be overrun, is Banteay Srei, The Temple of the Women. It's on the circuit, but outside the central complex of temples. When I was there I was one of maybe five individuals or small groups, as opposed to Angkor Wat itself with thousands of people. I also wholeheartedly recommend hiring a local guide and driver to take you to these places. Remember that since you'll be near the equator, the sun rise is roughly 6 am, and the sunset roughly 6pm every day. Evening comes up on you very fast if you're used to the long sunsets at more northern latitudes.

Click to expand...

I enjoyed your website!
Thanks for the info regarding locations, nice to have this.

chromacomaphoto said:

I enjoyed your website!
Thanks for the info regarding locations, nice to have this.

Click to expand...

You're welcome. I'm always glad to help out fellow photographers. Another tip for you to help you navigate the Angkor complex: there's a guide available online that you can download for free that covers the entire complex of temples, including many of the smaller ones. It was written in the late 1950s or early 1960s I think by a French archaeologist, one of the last surveys before the war. It will help you get an idea of where everything is in relation to the other temples, and can help you orient your visit so you're not showing up at a temple whose west side is the most attractive/complete/photogenic at 7 AM, or vice versa.

Another temple a little out of the way but worth it (less touristed) is the Bakong. It's an earlier temple, with some beautiful carvings, including a famous one of some Hindu demons, on the wall of the second level if I recall correctly. I have a photo of it in the late afternoon sun with some monks walking up the path toward the temple that's just gorgeous, and one of the photos on my website is of the famous carving. I don't know what camera system you're planning to bring with you but I highly recommend bringing a super-wide angle lens or a dedicated panoramic camera to do it justice, as many of the temples are not only very broad, and very tall, they're also very narrow inside, so something wide is a big help. When I was there I had a Sigma 18-35mm zoom for my Contax system, and a Hasselblad XPan, and I took full advantage of both. Definitely pack some 400 or even 800 speed film for temple interiors - it's DARK in there, and hand-holding without super-fast lenses will be a challenge (you'll be lucky if you can use a monopod for the crowds - if you try to shoot with a tripod, you'll have to pay a tripod fee of several hundred dollars for every three days.

Oh, one more traveler's tip - the US Dollar is the de facto currency of preference in Cambodia, at least it was when I was there. For things like your entry visa to the country, have the fee ready in US Dollars, or be prepared to pay extra. Most stores and restaurants will prefer to be paid in US currency. Credit cards are useable at only a very few businesses and at higher-end hotels. You'll get change in some really worn-out looking US currency, a good deal of which may be counterfeit, so if you get it there, spend it there, don't bring it home and try to convert back to Euros.

chromacomaphoto said:

Hi Andrei,

I live in Thailand and have shot here for a very long time. This month I wrote a very detailed guide on shooting in Thailand with all the tips you will likely need. There's a huge amount of information that I have tried to include. It was popular with quite a few forum members and some of them have been to Thailand this past week, they found the guide helped them a lot. You can find answers to the questions you've asked so far plus everything else you will need to know here:

Dead Link Removed

Hope that helps.

Check out my 'work' page for examples of Bangkok based film photography, you can see what the light here might look like on film.

Enjoy yourself in Thailand!

Click to expand...

Thank you chromacomaphoto! Very detailed article, I really enjoy it reading, a lot of good tips there! I will be in Bangkok for some days at the beginning of April (after that we will head to Khanom) so, if you feel like we can meet for a drink and why not for some wondering around with the cameras I would really like it to meet a fellow photographer. Let me know by private message and I will send details.
Thank again!

TheFlyingCamera said:

You're welcome. I'm always glad to help out fellow photographers. Another tip for you to help you navigate the Angkor complex: there's a guide available online that you can download for free that covers the entire complex of temples, including many of the smaller ones. It was written in the late 1950s or early 1960s I think by a French archaeologist, one of the last surveys before the war. It will help you get an idea of where everything is in relation to the other temples, and can help you orient your visit so you're not showing up at a temple whose west side is the most attractive/complete/photogenic at 7 AM, or vice versa.

Another temple a little out of the way but worth it (less touristed) is the Bakong. It's an earlier temple, with some beautiful carvings, including a famous one of some Hindu demons, on the wall of the second level if I recall correctly. I have a photo of it in the late afternoon sun with some monks walking up the path toward the temple that's just gorgeous, and one of the photos on my website is of the famous carving. I don't know what camera system you're planning to bring with you but I highly recommend bringing a super-wide angle lens or a dedicated panoramic camera to do it justice, as many of the temples are not only very broad, and very tall, they're also very narrow inside, so something wide is a big help. When I was there I had a Sigma 18-35mm zoom for my Contax system, and a Hasselblad XPan, and I took full advantage of both. Definitely pack some 400 or even 800 speed film for temple interiors - it's DARK in there, and hand-holding without super-fast lenses will be a challenge (you'll be lucky if you can use a monopod for the crowds - if you try to shoot with a tripod, you'll have to pay a tripod fee of several hundred dollars for every three days.

Oh, one more traveler's tip - the US Dollar is the de facto currency of preference in Cambodia, at least it was when I was there. For things like your entry visa to the country, have the fee ready in US Dollars, or be prepared to pay extra. Most stores and restaurants will prefer to be paid in US currency. Credit cards are useable at only a very few businesses and at higher-end hotels. You'll get change in some really worn-out looking US currency, a good deal of which may be counterfeit, so if you get it there, spend it there, don't bring it home and try to convert back to Euros.

Click to expand...

Thank you again, I will download that app to see how's working, since I want to go to Angkor for some days!

TheFlyingCamera said:

While you are in Siem Reap, take a day trip up to Phnom Kulen (a mountain a few kilometers from the city). It is a sacred site dating back to the Hindu era of Angkor, and it has multiple Buddhist shrines amidst the jungles on the slope. There is also a beautiful waterfall there. I mention it for several reasons. It mostly attracts local (Cambodian) tourists, not foreigners, and is much less travelled in general. There are paths through the jungle that will take you to see some pristine springs and the beginnings of the river that goes over the falls. There is one spring that the waters are crystal clear, and at first glance appears to be maybe two meters deep. But if you look carefully, you'll see the white sand at the bottom is not solid, but rather flowing and bubbling - it is suspended in the water. Nobody knows exactly how deep the spring is. Not far beyond the spring is the Kulen river, also known as the river of 1000 lingas, because the ancient Khmer people carved Hindu lingas in the riverbed so that all the water flowing down the mountain would be blessed, and fertilize their crops. You can also see a large carving of Shiva and his wife in the riverbed. When I was hiking the trails, you could see dozens of butterflies floating around, from tiny white ones to giant rainbow-colored ones with wings the size of your hand. There were also orchids growing from trees and rocks along the trail.

The temples will be a challenge to photograph well unless you want to shoot details only. At the time of year you will be there they will also be less attractive because the moats around most of them will be dry, and you won't be able to get shots of them reflected in the water. No matter what, remember to bring LOTS of sunscreen and insect repellent. Another smaller temple somewhat out of the way, and less likely to be overrun, is Banteay Srei, The Temple of the Women. It's on the circuit, but outside the central complex of temples. When I was there I was one of maybe five individuals or small groups, as opposed to Angkor Wat itself with thousands of people. I also wholeheartedly recommend hiring a local guide and driver to take you to these places. Remember that since you'll be near the equator, the sun rise is roughly 6 am, and the sunset roughly 6pm every day. Evening comes up on you very fast if you're used to the long sunsets at more northern latitudes.

Click to expand...

Thank you TheFlyingCamera for the idea and the tips! I think I will check it out, sounds very interesting.

AndreiF said:

Thank you chromacomaphoto! Very detailed article, I really enjoy it reading, a lot of good tips there! I will be in Bangkok for some days at the beginning of April (after that we will head to Khanom) so, if you feel like we can meet for a drink and why not for some wondering around with the cameras I would really like it to meet a fellow photographer. Let me know by private message and I will send details.
Thank again!

Click to expand...

Glad I was able to help you out with useful information, keep in touch either here or by IM when you are in BKK, I'm usually very busy but wouldn't rule out meeting up with a fellow film shooter if I can make it happen