When the Phnom Penh - Ho Chi Minh City bus stopped in the latter, Harry Bradley set about exploring the neighborhoods along the Saigon River on foot. 

“A wide variety of buildings and skyscrapers lit up the sky and the nonstop traffic made sure there was always something cool to shoot,” he wrote in a post documenting Ho Chi Minh City by night on his Instagram @harrybradleyphoto.

Bradley, from the UK's Isle of Wight, spent a month and a half exploring Mui Ne, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay, and Hanoi.

During these travels, which started in February, he garnered such a strong love for Vietnam that he rerouted his Asian journey to return to the country just a month later to spend an additional 45 days here.

“Initially I wanted to visit Vietnam because I had learned about its beautiful green nature with stunning rice fields and a long stretching coastline,” Bradley told Tuoi Tre News via email.

“As I traveled, I learned how much more there was than this."

Before arriving in Vietnam, Bradley did not know what to expect. 

“From my two months traveling in Asia prior, I’ve learned how different it all is from my life back home, so I went in with an open mind,” he said.

“By the end, I was blown away by the huge variety of things to see in Vietnam. 

“I quickly felt very welcome and comfortable getting out and seeing the country.”

Variety is key

Bradley documented a good deal of his trip through photography. 

“I absolutely loved Vietnam and I spent three months in total exploring the country [and] seeing some truly amazing places with my camera,” he said.

“I loved the culture, the food, the kindness of the people, and the diversity of all the amazing types of nature that Vietnam has to offer. 

“There was such a great variety of places to photograph."

According to Bradley, Vietnam has everything, from interesting ancient buildings to jungles, mountains, rice fields, sand dunes, beaches, and great weather.

Bradley first took up photography about three years ago, and it has since become his true passion.

Earlier this year, the 28-year-old quit his job in construction to officially make travel and photography his full-time profession.

Since then, he has been on the road, and so far his favorite spots for photography have been Sa Pa, Mui Ne, and Ninh Binh.

“My top three locations in Vietnam were Sa Pa for amazing hiking through mountains and stunning terraced rice fields. Next was Mui Ne to experience the sand dunes, fishing village, and beautiful coastline. And the third place was Ninh Binh (Tam Coc) for the most unique mountain range I had ever seen,” he said. “Simply walking around this place was awe-inspiring.”

Bradley particularly enjoys photographing nature.  

“So, photographywise, my work naturally gravitates to the outdoor adventures I go on,” he said. 

“For Vietnam, I’d tend to look on Google prior to arriving at a new location for any piece of nature that could be explored, and I'd simply head there.

“I don’t like to follow trends, so I tend to ignore famous photo points and see how I can see these locations from a new perspective.

“I also liked the culture and spending some time around the less touristy areas to experience how people live their lives and how it compares to back home."

Bringing memories to life 

Bradley’s series of Vietnam photos on Instagram has earned dozens of compliments and served as a reminder for many former travelers of beautiful memories in Vietnam. 

“So picturesque. I will have to make sure I visit one day for sure,” one Instagram user commented on Bradley’s photos of Sa Pa’s terraced rice fields.

“Beautiful images of Mui Ne! And that place at night is magical with all the boat lights!” another commented on a post of the fishing village in Binh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam.

Bradley hoped the people who saw his photos could get a true feel of what life is like in Vietnam. 

“I like to create engrossing and dreamy scenes to really draw you into an image and take in the special moments that I happen to come across,” he said. 

“Specifically for Vietnam, I’m particularly happy with my shots of mountainscapes in Sa Pa, early mornings in Hoi An, and sunsets in the sand dunes of Mui Ne. 

“I find these photos help to bring memories to life so that others can experience them too.”

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!