“Vietnam stole our hearts” by Kelly Adams

Vietnam, was our first somewhere-very-culturally-different-family-adventure and it stole our hearts.  Compared to our home in Brisbane Australia it was a vastly different world. Vietnam was a much faster pace than what we are used to with a mix of chaos, noise from everyday lives of locals, bustling areas with people everywhere.  Hustling, energetic, vibrant, full of colour & smells & at times were all a little too much sometimes, but that is the experience we wanted to share as a family.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography155
Picnic lunch stop by the ocean, the kids play while the adults catch the cool sea breeze.

 

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography261
Getting lost in the flower markets of Ho Chi Minh City.
travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography247
Hoi An, the old town with it’s beautiful mix of ornate Vietnamese tube houses, Chinese shophouse & temples, Japanese pagoda bridge & colourful French colonial buildings.

 

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography269
Creative use of the power lines.

But somehow it just seems to work. There’s a sense of happiness & forgiveness & family is everything in the Vietnamese culture, yesterday is the past…. tomorrow is worth it, but today….. today is where it is at. The food is terrific & the scenery mind blowing, the heat intense & the people warm & welcoming.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography005
96 years young.

There’s a sense of happiness, forgiveness & family is everything in the Vietnamese culture

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography070

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography057
A local family waits for street food after school.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography188

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography046
Poolside, the only way to beat the intense humidity.

We travelled from the Vietnam’s Northern city of Hanoi & travelling via boat, bus, train & plane we made it all the way down to Ho Chi Minh City with all the key stops along the way.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography088
400 steps to the top of Ti Top Island to take in the incredible view of Halong Bay.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography201travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography200

vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography-9-5
Time to rest & relax at a homestay on the Mekong Delta.

My husband & I had done plenty of backpacking before children but this was the first big adventure with our two kiddos.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography271
Street life, happy locals.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography223travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography270

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography248
Beautiful, colourful streets of Hoi An.

yesterday is the past…. tomorrow is worth it, but today….. today is where it is at

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography172
Girls dressed in beautiful traditional dresses (áo dài) gather in the garden of The Imperial City in Hue to celebrate their school graduation.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography054travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography147

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography075
Taking a break & getting out of the heat in the Kings Tomb.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography049travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography091travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography036

At times, it was hard, exhausting & a little overwhelming, for all. But the sharing, learning & experiencing all the new things together, was totally 100% worth it.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography048

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography084
As night falls in Halong Bay.

travel_vietnam_with_kids_kellyadamsphotography045

 

 

About Kelly

kellyadamsprofilepic.35

 

Kelly Adams is a Lifestyle Family & Wedding Photographer based in Brisbane, Australia.   Kelly started her adventures with film photography studying TAFE course in Black & White Darkroom Photography.  She then went on to complete a Bachelor of Photography from the Queensland College of Art.  Kelly moved to digital photography for more convenient & economical practices of being a working photographer.  However a few years ago she returned to using film in her personal work, mostly photographing her family and their adventures together.  Kelly has fallen in love all over again with film…. Kelly is now reintroducing film back into her client work, to share the love of film.

On this trip Kelly took along one camera…. Canon 1V, one lens, my 50m f1.2 & a 15 rolls of Kodak Portra 400.

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/kellyadamsphoto/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/kellyadamsphotography/

Website http://www.kellyadamsphotography.com.au