Vietnam Sketches

Over the years I have done a lot of travelling and a lot of sketching. I have just finished updating my Gallery pages on my sketching site www.holidaysketching.com.au.

It was so enjoyable to revisit places in my sketchbooks that I haven't thought about for years. All the memories came flooding back. I could remember clearly where I stayed, who I was with, places I visited and much more. 

So I am going to do regular blogs on my sketches to share with you. The first are some from Vietnam. I also put out a Sketching Newsletter with tips, hints and information on where I have been, and trips I have planned.

  

Of course the upcoming trips have been postponed until 2020, as due to COVID, flights are still uncertain but my Australian tour to Kakadu and Litchfield Parks is confirmed for May 2020. To register to receive the Newsletter, enter your email address on the home page of the above website, Holiday Sketching.

Cuc Phuong National Park

Cuc Phuong National Park is Vietnam's largest nature reserve, situated in the Ninh Binh Province in the Red River Delta. Staying right in the park was an experience, as my group were the only tourists there. We ate in the local café which was built on stilts, enjoying steaming bowls of absolutely original Pho beef soup, rich with chilis and beef. The mornings in the park were bitterly cold, and the soup really warmed us up. This was my first visit to Vietnam in 2008, and I have revisited many times. 

Gom Thanh Ha pottery village

This pottery village is a 3km scenic boat ride from Hoi An. It is a 16-17th century traditional occupational village, where the pottery is still made the same as when it the village was built. You are free to roam around the village and see the families making their pottery in the original wood fired kilns.

Hu Hua temple, Hoi An

Tucked away in a little back street, this was a perfect place to sketch which was away from the crowds. It was a traditional temple, very small, but of significance. Hoi An has so much to offer.

Sampan on Halong Bay

Halong Bay is a World Heritage site and not to be missed while in Vietnam. We were fortunate to spend a night aboard a boat which was an incredible experience. The atmosphere on the bay with the towering isles in various shapes and sizes is almost ethereal with a light mist descending on them. The bay is also abundant with thousands of limestone karsts, floating villages and caves that can be explored.

Tam Coc temple

When I was in Tam Coc in 2008, the group stayed in a wonderful hotel, very close to the Ancient Houses Complex which was still under construction. This is where the temple was sketched. Tam Coc is in the Ninh Binh province and the scenery around the town was incredible. This province has much to offer.

Markets Lang Son

Lang Son is situated in the far north of Vietnam, close to the Chinese border.. The ladies we sketched were so excited and kept running over to look at our sketches. Ancient history of the province is linked to the Bronze Age when the trade route that existed between China and India passed from the Red River Delta.