Photographic trip in Thanh Phu district, Ben Tre province (Southern Vietnam)
Discover an exceptional journey designed especially for photography enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike, in search of the unique landscapes of a lesser-known Vietnam.
150 km from Ho Chi Minh City, immerse yourself in the authenticity and tranquility of Southern Vietnam, away from the beaten paths and tourist clichés. Experience something unique by exploring the environment of a community that has been deeply connected to the Mekong for millennia. The picturesque scenes of nearly deserted roads and captivating nature will provide you with memorable images and an unforgettable souvenir.
« Bình yên » This word means peace and tranquility. It is the term most commonly used by the residents of Thanh Phu to describe their region.
Here is the place where I escape and live part-time for over 30 years. I enjoy taking long walks in the middle of shrimp farming ponds and along the coast with my camera, looking for unique scenery and lighting of the trees, ponds, rivers, and sea. Sometimes I come across fishermen with nets, shell collectors, or locals making their way to their fields.
See my photo page on Thanh Phu.
In Thanh Phu, there is the sea, which is shared between a gray sandy beach and mangroves. The water is never blue because two of the major branches of the Mekong Delta, laden with silt, flow into it from either side, sometimes creating interesting color mixtures. This region is not touristy and remains largely unindustrialized, providing a unique and natural setting for capturing original images of a lesser-known Vietnam, even to many Vietnamese, as there are no tourist infrastructures in place.
If If you are looking for a classic decor of terraced rice fields, incense makers, boats among palm trees, or salt marshes that everyone will instantly recognize as Vietnam, then my trip is not suitable. On the other hand, your photos will evoke envy and admiration from those around you, impressed by the discovery of unique sites. Vietnam is also a country of fascinating diversity from one region to another. To capture these authentic landscapes, you must explore beyond the usual tourist spots.
Finding sites like this in Vietnam is not easy. No travel agency offers them. It is a wild and unknown sector, and the nearest hotel is 60 km away. The idea of organizing trips for photography enthusiasts came to me suddenly when professional photographer friends, well-acquainted with Vietnam, asked me to introduce them to this region after seeing my photos on Facebook.
Thus, My goal is to provide you with a quality trip, featuring services specifically organized for you, excellent cuisine, and enough comfortable accommodation in air-conditioned rooms at the Thanh Phu guesthouse. It may not be the Ritz, but for two nights, it is clean and comfortable. To ensure optimal service and meet your quality expectations, I have chosen to only accept groups of one to four people at a time. (See details at the bottom of the page) And to remunerate our management team at double the usual rate, which also helps improve the living conditions of their families in this less privileged region.
About Thanh Phu, History and Geography: 150 km from Ho Chi Minh City, Thanh Phu is a coastal territory of 411 km² with a population of 127,800 inhabitants in 2020, of which 90.3% of the population is rural. In 1946, Ben Tre became the birthplace of the revolution against French colonization. The districts of Thanh Phu and Mo Cay, an island surrounded by the Mekong Delta and inaccessible by road, closed their doors to any Vietnamese and foreign invasion until 1995. In 1994, I was the first Westerner to return there and I invited Jacques Buguet, then Consul General of France. He was the first diplomat to return to Ben Tre since 1946 and I gained the reputation of "The One Who Reopened" this region to the outside world. Until 2000, Thanh Phu was the second region of the second poorest province in Vietnam.
I I am not a tourism professional or a photographer. I am a nature enthusiast who recently realized that the landscapes I photograph every day could appeal to other people, and I suddenly wanted to share them. However, I am a professional in the social sector, and that is why my trips should primarily be a great time among friends who are passionate about images and discovery. My job is something else entirely. (See Wikipedia about me) I am the pioneer in the fight against human trafficking and child prostitution networks in Vietnam. I work in cooperation with police forces worldwide and the Interpol network. My work has been recognized with three medals from the Vietnamese Prime Minister, and in 2020, I also received the international French award "Le Trophée des Français de l'étranger" in the Social and Humanitarian category. I have been the subject of around twenty short and feature-length documentaries by the Vietnamese national television, not to mention the press. I am an iconic figure in Vietnam, which results in being invited "too" frequently by numerous international embassies and consulates.
The trip
The idea is to share this region with enthusiasts of original decor and images, regardless of the equipment, be it a camera, a phone, o a GoPro... I want the trips to be enjoyable and memorable, which is why I organize trips for 3 to 4 people as well as personalized trips upon request. It may cost more than with larger groups, but it's a choice and it doesn't interest me. I am trilingual (French, English, and Vietnamese). I take care of all the organization on-site, including a hearty and delicious dinner of Asian prawns and/or barbecued crayfish (subject to availability), and a seafood and freshly caught squid dinner to be enjoyed by the seaside (cooked, nothing raw). I offer various accommodation and transportation options on-site, which must be done on two-wheelers due to the small roads and ferry crossings. You can choose to have a driver or drive yourself. However, if you don't have an international or Vietnamese driver's license and you enjoy drinking beer, it would be advisable to take a driver, a polite and friendly one that I have selected. The police there are not very friendly and are very strict. The goal is also to be able to take photos during the journeys, which is why having a driver is a good idea and it gives you the freedom to focus on your photography. We are not doing military training, and you are not paying me by the hour. That means that wherever we go, we will take the necessary time, and the same goes for the journeys, we don't drive fast. You should feel safe and you should return relaxed, satisfied, with plenty of images in your mind and on your memory card.
Sincerely, what I propose is rural and deep Vietnam, far from all tourist routes. This means that this stay is an adventure and an immersion in this rural area, and therefore, I have no standing criteria to offer. There are no restaurants or hotels within 50km. However, the guesthouses we have selected are very decent. If you want to discover the true essence of Vietnam and keep a special memory of it, my stay is perfect. Also, don't worry, there is air conditioning in the rooms, and I also ensure that maximum comfort is preserved so that your stay goes smoothly.
Constraints: Yes, however, there are two constraints. The first one is the weather, over which we have no control. Personally, it has never bothered me. I enjoy the rain, as it makes it less hot and provides a new light for new shots. Plus, both my equipment and I are weatherproof. The second constraint is the tide. In order to access the most beautiful spots, the tide must be anything but high, allowing the discovery of kilometers of beach. During low tide, you can walk in the water for hundreds of meters towards the open sea without ever touching the ground. The pleasure of walking on this beach is truly intense and always gives the impression of being the first person to set foot there. To check the tides, I use the website: Tideschart.comThat is why, in order to fully enjoy the day, we must go to the coast according to the tide chart.
It's going to be hot, as it usually is, but next to your accommodation, my cousin has a small water park with a 1-meter deep, 25-meter long swimming pool. You can touch the bottom a bit while doing the crawl stroke! Around the pool, there are pickleball and volleyball courts for you to relax, and you can also take a leisurely walk in the surroundings. Then, when we're on the coast, walking along that long, completely deserted beach, that's when we can swim to our heart's content. No matter the weather, the water is always warm. Not once have I resisted taking a swim. On that note, I recommend wearing lightweight pants or long shorts to protect yourself from insect bites and possible jellyfish stings, but most importantly, wet clothes cool you down considerably. In any case, locals who fish, collect seashells, or swim often do so fully clothed from head to toe, so we won't shock anyone. Then, on the way back, our clothes will have dried. Personally, I wear lightweight water sports clothing and they dry in 30 minutes. If the saltwater bothers you before we return, there will be an opportunity to take a freshwater shower.
About travels:"No road is long. At most, we will travel 40km on small, practically deserted roads, passing through a few tiny villages. Then, stopping here and there to take photos, the road will be long enough because there are images to capture all along the way."
The Bonus:
As you have probably seen everywhere in Vietnam, plastic waste is abundantly present. I have decided to allocate a portion of your payment to a long-term project on environmental education and waste management in this region.
Essay. Routes not yet established.
Duration: 3 days with transportation from Ho Chi Minh City. 2 days and a half on the field
- D1: transport from Ho Chi Minh City to Ben tre: Departure at 9 a.m. (8:30 a.m. at your home, arrival between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.. Reception of your accommodation and meals nearby. In the afternoon, we will explore the area to discover unique landscapes. Around 4 pm, we will go to the village of An Thuan to take a walk in the countryside, amidst fish farming ponds, water coconut trees, and canals. If everything goes well, we will be able to enjoy a beautiful sunset over the ponds, as you can see in my photos. However, we have to navigate through the electric poles, which, according to the locals, will soon outnumber the trees. Nobody is happy about it, but nobody has a say. Not to mention the residents surrounded by wind turbines who can no longer sleep at night.
- D2: After breakfast, we will leave for a day on the coast of the South China Sea. (See photo of the route above)
(The daily schedule may be reversed due to the tides.) The first place we will go is the mouth of the Mekong and the South China Sea. Then we will have a drink in a café called "Ecolo-Naturel" built in the trees, just below the wind turbines. Yes, in its great wisdom, Vietnam is gradually turning every cm of its nature into concrete. Then we will have dinner at the restaurant, on or by the beach depending on the tide, it's the only one that exists! Then we will go to Bai-Tay-Do, where we will walk to the mangroves for about ten kilometers (round trip), taking our time and enjoying the water until nightfall, in order to enjoy the sunset, which is towards the land, since the coast is to the east. Depending on everyone's health, we can still walk further. At any time, the most tired can go back to the café where we will have parked our motorcycles, and rest while having a drink. You will always be accompanied by your driver, and if you prefer, you can return to your hotel earlier. Along our walk, a motorcycle will also follow us, carrying water, a snack, and your bag if you prefer to travel light. Then, in case of fatigue, it will take you back to the meeting point. Sincerely, we will have the feeling of being free, but we will be well supported, ready to face any situation.
In the evening, we will return to your hotel and nearby, we will grill some prawns at my cousin's small water park, where you can also swim. Relaxation guaranteed. Other dishes will also be served. Then, if you wish, there will be sausages, fries, and grilled chicken, but I will make you taste our special fondue, enhanced with cheese.
- D3: After breakfast, we will take another small road and then take a ferry to reach Cong Hoa Island in the middle of the Mekong. We will return around 1 PM to have our lunch quickly, and then head towards My An to explore other paths that have their own uniqueness. Around 4 PM, your vehicle will take you back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Costs and distribution:
|
Transport HCM-TPBT |
Transport local |
Hébergement | Alimentation |
Organisation +Encadrement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Optional and degressive |
Fixed |
Degressive |
Fixed |
Degressive |
|
Around 4m.VND Go and back 1 car A car shared by individuals. personne |
2.1m vnd / personne 1 moto avec pilote. |
7k vnd/ room 2p max. |
2.2M vnd (5 rep+ 2 dej) Details below |
10m vnd /1p 8m vnd /2p 7m vnd /3p and more |
Being uncompromising about the quality of the services provided during our stay, I wish to compensate the employees more generously. This is a deliberate choice on my part, as I do not aim to save a few dollars at the expense of quality. I want to ensure that the employees and service providers involved are helpful and happy to participate. Additionally, this will allow them to earn a little extra money.
The costs are calculated in VN Dong to avoid complications. This is a straightforward practice that is independent of exchange rate fluctuations. Payment in cash is preferred, as all the services and restaurants we use only accept cash. The price for a stay is 19 million VND for one person, including the rental of a car for the trip from HCM to Thanh Phu, all-inclusive except for extra drinks. The rate decreases if multiple people share the vehicle we rent. Having several participants also reduces organizational and management costs. Therefore, the rate for three people is 13.34 million VND per person with round-trip transport from HCM to Thanh Phu, or 12 million VND without transport.
For any inquiries, please contact me by filling out the fields below or by writing to me at: georges@georgesblanchard.com . Thank you.