Travels with Tricia

A Vietnamese woman, wearing a traditional hat, carries baskets of recyclables in Hoi An, Vietnam.

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Scenes from Hoi An, Vietnam

Posted by

Tricia A. Mitchell

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Even on the most overcast of days, Hoi An’s streets are replete with color.

Salespeople stand before crumbling, mustard-colored buildings, enticing the young — and the young at heart — with bunches of fluorescent balloons.

Nearby, market stalls overflow with vibrant-colored produce. There are miniature bananas, silk scarves of every hue, and blue-and-white dishes with abstract landscapes delicately painted on them.

Fluffy, ginger-colored dogs rest on the pavement, watching the world go by.

And handmade lanterns brighten the streets — by day and by night.

Red Lanterns in Hoi An, Vietnam
Motorbike riding in Hoi An Vietnam
Merchants selling flowers in Hoi An Vietnam
woman selling bananas in Hoi An Vietnam
Baby mouthing menu in Hoi An Vietnam
Dog resting in Hoi An Vietnam
Man smoking in Hoi An Vietnam
Woman smoking with non la hat in Hoi An Vietnam
Colorful cloth fabric for sale in Hoi An Vietnam
Necklaces for sale in Hoi An Vietnam
Dolls for sale in Vietnam
Knick knacks for sale in Hoi An, Vietnam
Faced carved out of wood in Hoi An Vietnam
Man on bike in Hoi An Vietnam
Locals in Hoi An Vietnam
Boy carrying pink balloons for sale - Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An Architecture - building
Offering mums in Hoi An Vietnam
Street Sign in Hoi An Vietnam Bach Dang
Dog napping in Hoi An Vietnam
Ladies at Hoi An Marketplace
Ho Chi Minh and Tet New Year Decorations for sale in Hoi An Vietnam
Plates of Vietnamese food in Hoi An
Incense bundle in Hoi An Vietnam
Good Morning Vietnam shirt for sale in Hoi An
Hoi An Streetscape
Hoi An Streetscape with Palm Trees

Where in the World?

Photography & text © Tricia A. Mitchell. All rights reserved.

Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

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47 responses to “Scenes from Hoi An, Vietnam”

  1. Karen Avatar
    Karen

    Wonderful colourful post, great photos :-)

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Thank you so much, Karen. :) Enjoy the weekend.

      Reply
  2. jensine Avatar
    jensine

    love the vibrancy and the liveliness of the photos … thanks for sharing

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hi Jensine – I’m so happy you enjoyed them – thank you!

      Reply
      1. jensine Avatar
        jensine

        well they are pretty wonderful

  3. bananabatman Avatar
    bananabatman

    More great shots. Thanks.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Thrilled you enjoyed them, Dave! Vietnam is indeed a photogenic country.

      Reply
  4. furtherbound Avatar
    furtherbound

    Wow, what incredible photographs! They are so vibrant and full of life – I have never been to Vietnam before, but whilst looking at these images I could literally hear the laughter, bustle and chaos, and smell the sweet incense. Not many pictures transport me like that. Thank you :)

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Furtherbound, what a great compliment – I’m flattered; thank you! I’m pleased that the photos allowed you to have a virtual sensory tour of Vietnam.

      I’ve left out a few other quintessential Vietnamese experiences in this post, specifically the delicious cuisine and the sea of motorbikes that whiz by in the busiest cities. Hopefully someday you’ll have the chance to visit Vietnam too. Will you do so on your ’round the world trip?

      Happy you stopped by! Thanks again.

      Reply
  5. unpackedwriter Avatar
    unpackedwriter

    the colors and human connection in your photos are so rich! How did your latest travel transition go? We can’t wait to do Vietnam before it changes! – Renee

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hello Renee! I’ve been out of the loop this past week – flight from Germany, St. Louis, Chicago, family in Wisconsin, and now Canada. We’re really enjoying Toronto and seeing family here – it’s such a multicultural city!

      In case you couldn’t guess it, I highly recommend a visit to Vietnam. I think we spent three weeks there. Its diverse landscapes really surprised me. I don’t think it’ll change too much between now and when you eventually trek there, so no rushing! :)

      Thank you as always for your kind comment. I’ll touch base via email shortly.

      Reply
      1. unpackedwriter Avatar
        unpackedwriter

        Tricia,
        Hope you’re getting settled back in stateside! I should also be in Toronto sometime in July to take my mother over to visit U of Toronto archives to research a Canadian ancestor of ours.

        You must be in a frenzy getting adjusted and health ins and stuff out of storage. Might make an interesting post b/c so few people understand all those logistics of the international wanderer!

        Best, Renee

      2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        Hello again, Renee! Sounds as though you have such interesting family backgrounds – on both sides. I’m really enjoying our time in Canada; we’re now in Québec.

        Surprisingly, we’ll be returning to Europe after our weeks here in North America. We haven’t finalized much beyond that, but perhaps that’s a blog post in and of itself – new chapters yet undiscovered. :) Hope your summer’s still going well.

  6. Cornelia Lohs Avatar
    Cornelia Lohs

    Fantastic photos!! Greetings from (this time) Maine, Cornelia

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      What a globe trotter you are, Cornelia! It seems we’ve both hopped to the same continent. We’re now in Toronto. How long will you be in Maine?

      Reply
      1. Cornelia Lohs Avatar
        Cornelia Lohs

        We are here to attend a wedding and will be leaving on Sunday. I’ll be on a press trip next month to Montreal and Quebec City on invitation of the Quebec Tourist Office. Looking forward to that!! There are many French Canadians in Maine.

      2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        Cornelia, I bet Maine is beautiful this time of year! We’ve been on the go a great deal this past week, but I look forward to checking out your pics from the U.S. in the coming days.

        It seems we’re headed to many of the same spots too. We’re hoping to get to Quebec City and Montreal in the coming days. We’re having a fun road trip of North America.

        Enjoy the wedding and the upcoming weekend!

        Safe travels to you.

  7. Shutter Bug Avatar
    Shutter Bug

    Great images, Tricia. The first and fifth photos are my favorites. Ban mei, ho teiu, pho’, goi ga are some of the Vietnamese foods I really miss. The strong coffee was also memorable. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Jessie, I’ve just had a wonderful North American dinner, but am tempted by your mention of Vietnamese food! Like you, I also took a great liking to pho — also bánh xèo (seafood pancakes wrapped in rice paper) and traditional spring rolls. And the coffee was quite good! We had fun moments getting acquainted with the Vietnamese coffee press our first morning there.

      Thank you as always for your kind comments and hope you enjoy the upcoming weekend.

      Reply
  8. Sonali Dalal Avatar
    Sonali Dalal

    Thank you so much Tricia,it is a wonderful introduction to Vietnam.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hi Sonali – thank you! I snapped thousands of pictures while in Vietnam – from the ladies’ hats, to the marketplaces (which were some of my favorites) there was so much to capture there.

      Reply
  9. Madhu Avatar
    Madhu

    You have such a great eye for composition Tricia! Fab shots.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Madhu, what a flattering remark – thank you! Now, it’s time that I learn some of my camera’s complicated settings. :)

      Reply
  10. Victor Ho Avatar
    Victor Ho

    Great essay as always, Tricia.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Greetings, Victor, and thank you! I’ve missed seeing everyone’s posts this past week while on the road, and wonder what fun parade or travel moment you’ve captured lately. Enjoy the weekend!

      Reply
  11. kolkatakev Avatar
    kolkatakev

    Outstanding, thanks, love the pics…

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Many, many thanks, Kolkatakev!

      Reply
  12. Rachael Avatar
    Rachael

    I somehow missed this. Lovely, colourful post full of life.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Rachael, summer is a busy time for all of us it seems! I’m still trying to catch up on my photographic inspiration sites too. :) We’re planning to be in the western U.S. in a few days – I’m so looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time!

      Reply
  13. alessandro ciapanna Avatar
    alessandro ciapanna

    a very enjoyable photo essay :)

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Mille grazie, Alessandro! It’s a pleasure to connect and to explore your energetic images from Italy too.

      Reply
  14. Color Odyssey Avatar
    Color Odyssey

    Beautiful pictures!

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Glad you enjoyed them, Color Odyssey. Many thanks!

      Reply
  15. John Smith Avatar
    John Smith

    What a lovely variety of fresh and beautifully taken photos….. so glad the I dropped by!

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      How kind, John, and additionally flattering coming from such a talented photographer! I feel very fortunate to have visited Vietnam and much of SE Asia. Hoi An was a picturesque spot, with so many photogenic faces.

      Here’s hoping that you enjoy the upcoming weekend! Will you be indulging your inner shutterbug? :)

      Reply
      1. John Smith Avatar
        John Smith

        As its my wife’s birthday we are hoping to visit Castle Kennedy Gardens tomorrow……. even if its flooded…. so I may capture some flowers with rain drops on them.
        Best regards, and thanks for the compliment….
        John.

      2. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
        Tricia A. Mitchell

        John, sounds like a lovely birthday experience for her! Rain can cast such a romantic mood on a subject. Here’s hoping your wife’s birthday was enjoyable and that your photo sessions were a success. I shall look forward to seeing some of the blooms on your site soon.

  16. rigmover Avatar
    rigmover

    A great bunch of very colourful photo’s, thanks Tricia.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Hello Mark – welcome back! Yes, Hoi An was a vibrant place – from the mustard-colored buildings, to the colorful produce and flora, it was such a joy to photograph.
      Hope you’re enjoying the weekend, and I look forward to seeing more of your adventures!

      Reply
  17. RDoug Avatar
    RDoug

    My, you have been to some very interesting places in this world. Great photography as well. What equipment are you using, if I may ask?

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Doug, yes, I’ve been very fortunate to have tiptoed to many special spots throughout the world. I have my parents to thank for my travel bug, and I lived in Germany for a decade, which allowed me to see much of Europe.

      I have a Nikon D5100 with an 18-200 mm lens. That’s the extent of the equipment for now, but there are a few more gadgets that have caught my eye!

      Glad to have connected – I found your site via your Santa Fe post, a city we’ll be exploring today and tomorrow.

      Reply
  18. Food,Photography & France Avatar
    Food,Photography & France

    Beautifully seen pictures – very fine post.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Merci, Roger; I’m pleased that you enjoyed a glimpse of Hoi An life. Have you had the chance to visit there?
      I’m so pleased that I found your site, via Marina’s, and look forward to more photographic inspiration!

      Reply
  19. texasroadies Avatar
    texasroadies

    Beautiful pictures. So full of color. :)

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Thank you, Texasrodies! Hoi An is a colorful jewel of Vietnam. :)

      Reply
  20. itchierfeet Avatar
    itchierfeet

    A very nice set of images.

    Reply
    1. Tricia A. Mitchell Avatar
      Tricia A. Mitchell

      Thank you!

      Reply