The price of an elephant trekking tour is not only the sizable dollar amount it costs. Elephants are separated at a young age from their mothers to be tortured, starved and beaten into obedience. Before I knew this I did think about paying for being carried through the jungle by an elephant, sounds like a lot [...]

I have been hanging around in Southeast Asia for the past 9 months and it is time to stop and sort through the thousands of photos I took in a calmer environment. In other words I am out of money. The last stop is Hanoi where I will be flying home from. Although the colorful communist [...]

Do not look for scrumptious and mouthwatering food photography of perfectly rolled sushi or smooth Tiramisu from the rugged mountains of Northwest Vietnam, home of the Hmong hill tribe minorities. Goat head is what’s for lunch! Nearing towards the end of my eventually 9 month long Southeast Asia photography trip I decided to spend my 41st [...]

Oh yes, my Laos experience! No, I am not complaining, just subjectively reporting. Even if I asked the kids in the above photo to pray for a successful travel photography trip I do not think that would have helped. But the wisdom gained from my time spent in Laos will enable me to better enjoy non-photography related [...]

While I was walking around in an impoverished section of Kompong Cham taking pictures once again accompanied by my 7 year old guest photographer from my last visit I took the above snapshot of a little girl who was crying and kept scratching due to being covered with some kind of irritating skin rash on [...]

I took a gamble on Kampot, the pepper capital of Cambodia not knowing if this quiet town would have enough to inspire me. The results of just showing up in places which are without “much to see” have swung both ways in the past. The riverside was relaxing and the views were very nice, I have not [...]

The only reason I returned to Phnom Penh was to get a visa for Laos. For some reason the capital never appealed to me photographically but I decided to walk around while waiting for my passport and look around again without any pressure to take incredible photos. I was glad to find a monk’s umbrella for its [...]

Takeo is not a must see town, life moves at a snail’s pace and it is mildly recommended by the popular guidebook as a daytrip destination. So I was eager to stop by expecting close to zero tourists and to witness authentic, simple Cambodian rural life. The kids on the above picture are racing snails. I felt [...]

I can always depend on Chau Doc for kids and travel photography so this is the 3rd time I stopped by on my way to the Cambodian border. My days spent here have been memorable every time mostly because of the Cham people who live by the riverside across town; they provided me with the warmest [...]

I have already spent one day in Can Tho before, the highly touristy and biggest town of the Mekong Delta. I stopped by again mostly because it was on my way from Tra Vinh to Chau Doc and the Cambodian border. Last time I was in Can Tho I only did a Mekong River boat tour [...]

Tra Vinh is a tucked away town in the Mekong Delta casually mentioned but not even listed as an off the beaten track stop by the popular travel guide. I was looking forward to visiting this secluded area which is too far from Saigon for the hordes of daytripping package tourists to reach. The area of Tra [...]

Six stopovers in six days covering approximately 1000 miles in bouncing honking buses simply means I was not captivated by Central Vietnam photographically speaking. Some might find this extreme but I cannot fake inspiration. It was an unique journey nevertheless only no photos came of it. One of the best aspects of this 6 town bus journey [...]

This funny warning sign displayed in the garden of the Bich Dong pagoda outside Ninh Binh is the most appropriate photo I can use to illustrate a post about tourists not showing respect to the image of Buddha. Wearing a suit and tie in 100 degree heat hopefully is only symbolic but it makes an important [...]

After spending 12 days in the Northwestern mountains photographing the Hmong minorities and the fantastic scenery in Bac Ha I did another stopover in Hanoi before heading South. No photos again from Hanoi because the novelty of the town ended after my first visit; so it seems like I need to continue traveling to find fresh [...]

While visiting the stunning mountainous region of Northwest Vietnam I had a chance to take a break from searching for Vietnam’s Next Top Model and photograph some naturally beautiful, talented both hesitant and some quite willing locals like the buffalo above. The pose is bold but not vulgar, notice how the curves of the model are [...]

The reason I backtracked and returned to Hanoi from the perfect destination of Ninh Binh instead of continuing to head South as planned was to meet a model from MySpace to discuss possibilities of doing photoshoots together in response to my recent post of looking for Vietnam’s Next Top Model. But there aren’t any photos from [...]

Kenh Ga is a popular day trip choice 20 some kilometers from the perfect travel destination of Ninh Binh. The waterways of the village which are surrounded by picturesque karst mountains can be explored by taking a boat tour. I had a motor bike driver take me from Ninh Binh to Kenh Ga through a maze of [...]

Just like the scene on the above photo, Ninh Binh offered quiet simplicity with old time charm and something interesting to photograph around every corner and down every alley during my extended three weeks stay. Beside the funny incident of getting yelled at by the bus station toilet attendant upon arrival because I did not comply [...]

*** Please contact me if you or someone you know is interested in taking photos with me in Vietnam or is traveling to Vietnam! Projects range from casual, natural portraits to dramatic, edgy, creative concepts. *** Spite that Vietnam is the home of the most naturally beautiful women Vietnamese model search has been a challenge. Approaching a beautiful [...]

Bored enough to read my Tokina 12-24mm and Nikon 18-200mm wide angle lens comparison post illustrated with stellar examples? If yes, thank destiny or Google because you are at the right place. Just watch your step … but more about the elephant dung later! Articles on the rules of photography and other photography tutorials often use [...]

Far away cultures offer interesting experiences around every corner. All that’s needed are open eyes and an open mind. The above sign is quite bizarre: from 5AM to 9PM it is prohibited to transport a seal on a bicycle in Haiphong! Go figure! Haiphong is said to be a less touristy version of Vietnam’s capital, LonelyPlanet refers [...]

Notice something on the above photo I took of marching Communist Vietnamese soldiers across from Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum: those two faces on the left side of the picture were giving me icy glares! Because I have had a … let’s just say hectic Communist past in Hungary … seeing the soldiers’ looks sent chills down [...]

Usually every post in this blog covers one town and one stop but in the case of Thailand this one post covers 15 days and five places: Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, Phrae, Nan and Bangkok which account for my entire stay in Thailand. Everyone loves Thailand so why could I not wait to leave after 15 days [...]

Battambang is described by Cambodia guidebooks as an attractive sleepy town with a few attractions nearby. After the tourist hell of Angkor Wat and not knowing how touristy and commercial Thailand (my next stop) will be I decided to stop over for a few days. Related reading: They were not lying, not a whole lot going on [...]

I was fortunate (and yes, quite skilled) to capture a split second of a Cambodian Buddhist monk performing an ancient self cleansing ritual at the Bayon of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. It is not an accident why I choose the above photo to be the first of this post. Discarding all unnecessary from our lives [...]

It is very exciting to present the work of my first guest photographer in this blog! THESE PHOTOS WERE NOT TAKEN BY ME (except the last one) but a seven year old Cambodian boy who became very interested to try out my camera. I absolutely love all his pictures especially the one above. His photos are so [...]

Big or busy cities have little appeal to me photographically or as a tourist. The only reason I even stayed in Phnom Penh was to buy an external hard drive for my laptop. Fortunately there were some unplanned special moments during my stay. I found the above sleeping cat nearby a pagoda; I choose this picture [...]

Because I am not in a hurry to get anywhere I will not to fly too often within Southeast Asia. I have already experienced a few crazy bus rides in Vietnam so to cross the border I decided to take a boat on the Mekong River to Phnom Penh, Cambodia out of Chau Doc; a stylish [...]

People, cultural and travel photography in Vietnam is the theme of a new photo album (No 5) that has been added to this website. These are literally travel photos because they were taken though windows of minibuses and a Mekong River tour boat. These pictures are not meant to be “masterpieces” (it is easy to argue that [...]

The reason I returned to Chau Doc, Vietnam was to take a boat ride to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I could have crossed the Cambodian border at Ha Tien as well but I have taken many bus trips already (and many more are waiting for me) also I had a great time touring the Mekong River [...]

The snapshot above was taken by me during the bus ride from Ha Tien to Chau Doc of the lovely lady who was sitting next to me for a few bus stops (about 15 minutes). Her gaze of uncontrollable love and the admiring twinkle in her eyes as she looks at me are priceless. But [...]

To finish circling Vietnam’s Mekong Delta I have returned to do more photography in Ha Tien, one of my favorite places. Ha Tien is not very touristy, the people are very friendly and it felt good to come back to a place where the hotel staff greeted my with a big smile and was happy to [...]

Sharing is caring! The Make A Wish Foundation is a fantastic concept and charity! Well, two days ago I had a chance to fulfill not one but two wishes of two very special people of Vietnam. One was a 14 year old girl who’s wish was to pick pocket a tourist with a lot of money [...]

The photos posted here are from Bac Lieu where I made My Two Donations To The Make A Wish Foundation Of Vietnam; meaning I got pick pocketed by a 14 year old Vietnamese girl and extorted by the Police within 24 hours. These are some of the pictures I took in the first hour of walking [...]

I was excited to arrive to Soc Trang which is not mentioned in Vietnam guide books or on the internet to great extent therefore I could not research anything about it. But at this time all I really was looking for was an authentic Vietnamese town without being hassled by motorbike drivers (too much) and seeing [...]

Can Tho, Vietnam is an even busier tourist spot (mostly package Mekong River trips originating from Saigon) than Chau Doc but it had to be on my list of stops for a brief two nights. By making these frequent stops I only have to ride the minibus for a few short hours between towns which actually [...]

As seen on the photo above Chau Doc is alongside the fantastic Mekong River, it is a popular border crossing town to Cambodia and a recommended stop in Vietnam. I get weary of any place which is highly popular with tourists, yes it might have scenic reasons but usually some annoyances are also associated with these [...]

I am glad to say I arrived vomit free to Ha Tien from Phu Quoc Island via Rac Gia after a two-hour eventful bus ride. Appropriately as a Hungarian I stayed at the Du Hung Hotel which was recommended by an excellent free online Vietnam guidebook website. The room was nice for $11 and the only [...]

Pop quiz: there are 3 people sitting in the last row of a bouncing bus. Who is the true wise man in the above photo who did not vomit during a roller coaster like bus travel in Southern Vietnam? Yes, of course the answer is: seat No 27!!! After getting off the ferry coming from Phu Quoc Island [...]

Some people plan more than others when traveling or in life in general and some plan only a few days ahead (yours truly). It has its obvious advantages and drawbacks. Most drawbacks work themselves out so this short term planning shall remain the way of this trip for now. Another not so typical aspect of my trip [...]

Travel books already warn you plenty about air pollution and insane traffic conditions namely motorbikes in Saigon, Vietnam. Crossing the street must be done with caution and with confidence. When (if) a reasonable gap occurs in the flow of traffic precede as far as possible, stop if necessary, precede again. In case no gap occurs do [...]

Watch out for those Aussies! I expected Andrew Stubbersfield, member of my Photography Directory to be a lot more cheeky but he answered my Photographer Questionnaire like a normal well adjusted human being! Just to show you not all photographers are weird, obsessed, high maintenance primadonnas! Not ALL I said. Q: How would you describe [...]

My Photography Directory is the perfect site for online exposure for smart or busy or lazy professional and amateur models, photographers, makeup artists, hair stylist, wardrobe stylists, modeling agencies, management companies or fashion / style magazines. This post will answer 2 questions: what is wrong with the above picture? (hint: blank directory registration form waiting for you) how [...]

If you are in Vietnam or planning to visit I have a great online guidebook to recommend. Currently I am still in the Mekong Delta region but even before my trip is over I wanted to mention the website of Robert Reid a freelance writer who has worked for Lonely Planet from 2003 to 2007 also [...]

My first official photography session in Vietnam was educational on many levels: 1. spite the poverty the Vietnamese people are full of smiles and kindness 2. I don’t have the right at this point to dream about ever becoming a National Geographic Photographer