Joe Tower

Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam, 2026

2026-04-24T00:00:00Z

Ho Chi Min City is more of a "living city" than both Ha Noi or Da Nang. There are highlights such as visiting the many cafe apartments to explore, aside from the most popular one. Walking through the shop-converted historic apartments is a fun morning/afternoon experience. We got coffee on the top floor and lunch on one of the mid-levels.

The largest market, Ben Thanh, is a must-experience market. We're not keen on the whole "fake designer goods" thing or haggling for souvenirs, but we appreciate the overall experience. I very much enjoyed getting a much-celebrated durian avocado smoothy. The thick & creamy avocado texture compliments the, rather flavorsome, durian. We also found the sometimes-elusive Bánh Mì Kẹp Kem (ice cream sandwich) vendor and got a vanilla/pineapple/durian ice cream sandwich. It was rather delightful.

Conclusion

Ho Chi Min City was definitely worth visiting, although, we could have reduced the number of days to 3 instead of 5. We weren't big on wanting to visit the war museums, and of the non-war museums, we found those in Hanoi to be of better quality. Our biggest oversight in planning, which would have made visiting the area better, is if we had planned a day trip or overnight to the Mekong Delta. Maybe it's enough of a reason to go back.

Da Nang, Vietnam, 2026

2026-04-24T00:00:00Z

We arrived in Da Nang on a rainy afternoon. Our first afternoon was spent getting acclimated, getting some necessities from a near-to-our-hotel store, of which there are plenty, and finding something to eat.

We spent the morning of our first day visiting the Marble Mountains (Ngũ Hành Sơn). It was such a hot & humid day we were glad to have left early in the morning. After a couple hours exploring the Marble Mountains we took a Grab to a mall, shopped at a grocery store to get bottled water / coffee / gifts, and got lunch. Later in the afternoon we took a Grab to visit the Lady Buddah statue.

We spent the next day in Hoi An, which is a 45-minute Grab ride from the Da Nang beach area. We explored the old town for most of the day; seeing several spots on the history tour and eating dinner at mẹt – where we had to get the traditional noodle dish, Cao lầu of Hoi An and Bánh bao bánh vạc (White Rose dumplings). The Cao lầu noodles are made with Bá Lễ well water.

We spent the third day taking another day trip to visit Hue. We visited the imperial city, Citadel, Khai Dinh tomb, Minh Mang tomb, Thien Mu Pagoda, and took a dragon boat on the perfume river.

Finding Red-Shanked Langurs (Red-shanked douc)

On our fourth and final day we spent the morning on the back of motorbikes finding red-shanked langurs in the hills. It was such an incredible three hours; coasting down hills on the lookout for red-shanked langurs, perched in trees along the road, eating leaves/buds. It was especially meaningful to see them because they are so critically-endangered; with only 3,000 reportedly alive today (~1,500 in Da Nang, ~1,500 in Laos and Cambodia).

Conclusion

Da Nang was our second favorite city that we visited. It served as an excellent home base to make day trips to Hoi An and Hue. Riding on the back of a motorbike searching for red-shanked langurs was an unforgettable experience.

Ha Noi, Vietnam, 2026

2026-04-22T00:00:00Z

Our trip to Vietnam began in Hanoi. Our flight from rom MSP → Korea in-flight took 14 hours. Then from Korea → Hanoi in-flight took 5 hours. For this trip we exclusively watched It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia for the entire journey. It was glorious. The actual flights were just fine, unremarkable, which is good for flying, I suppose. We arrived in Hanoi in the evening, so we were able to go to sleep and wake up refreshed for out first day in Hanoi.

Photography gear taken on this trip

OM System OM-1 (x2)
- with the 12-100mm f4
  - I used this lens the most, by far. It is incredibly versatile for most day-time shooting and I'm rather happy with its price-to-performance-to-size ratio.
- the 17mm f2.8 mark I
  - Used very seldom on this trip, but a bright prime is an always-pack type of lens
- the 9-18mm f4-5.6 mark I
  - I don't think I used this lens once on this trip. The 12mm of the 12-100 ended up suiting my needs just fine. Perhaps while at train street I would have benefited from the extra-wide end of this lens, but I didn't take it with me that day.
- and the 75-300mm f4.8-6.7
  - This lens was only used one day to capture the beautiful red-shanked langurs in my Da Nang post

Gear takeaways from this trip

On this trip, I learned that:

The 75-300mm is very capable for wildlife that is not-too-distant. I would not bring it if birds were at all a realistic opportunity wherever I'm going. For Vietnam, I knew that birds or smaller wildlife were not going to be a primary interest, so I was okay leaving the heavier/larger 100-400mm f5-6.3 at home.
The 12-100mm f4 is seriously great for any city-based travel adventure or for hiking/landscapes. Its reputation is absolutely justified. I could easily take this plus a fast (f1.* for low-light) prime lens and I'd be good. The problem, as always, is making that decision to pack that light. Easier said than done

Below are my favorite image captures from the trip.

On our first day we stumbled upon a Tết celebration around Hoàn Kiếm Lake. The celebration included live music, dancing, and very colorful clothing.

This lake was a fairly close walk from our hotel. It was one our favorite places to frequent in Ha Noi.

We also visited many coffee shops. Vietnam is known for strong coffee, mostly due to their use of 100% robusta coffee, blended with coconut, salt, or egg. Egg coffee is a must-try; with its thick texture and caramel-like coffee flavor. Salt coffee was my personal favorite; with its salty cream topping and rich dark roasted coffee flavor. Coconut coffee varied in preparation and flavor, but was always very delicious. Really, you can't go wrong with coffee in Vietnam. It may not be my personal favorite coffee profile (I prefer pulling out flavor notes in my coffee opposed to more one-dimensional coffee roasted primarily to be blended with cream/sugar/etc. I like my coffee black) but it was wonderful to try all the various coffees for which Vietanm is known.

Several other captures are from the Museum of Literature and things I found interesting while exploring the city.

Train street

Train street is quite a unique experience. Vendors line either side of a section of residential train tracks. You can sit down, have a beverage or something to eat, while you wait for the next train to come through. There is such little space between you and the train I'm surprised they still allow train street to be open. And that is the reality because police often shut it down.

Should this be an experience? Maybe not because humans ruin experiences such as this. I'm happy we were able to experience it.

Imperial Citadel of Thang Long & Presidential Palace

We didn't plan on visiting this citadel (just stumbled upon it), but it ended up being one of our favorite experiences/explorations in Hanoi. After perusing the citadel we wandered through the Ho Chi Minh Presidential palace grounds since it was too late in the day to see Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum (the actual body of Ho Chi Minh). We did visit Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum a day or two after and it is quite the experience. You walk through an intense amount of security, leave all your possessions in a locker, and single-file walk into the mausoleum, get to view the body of Ho Chi Minh for a minute or less (no hands in pockets, no stopping) while being ushered through a room with armed guards lining the wall around you.

The last four images in this gallery are on the presidential palace grounds.

Bái Đính Pagoda

We took a day trip to Bái Đính. We love exploring Buddhist temples and pagodas when we travel and this experience did not disappoint. Our private tour guide for this day was not our favorite, but we still enjoyed the experience, overall. We prefer exploring places on our own and at our own pace, opposed to being led around, though the knowledge of a tour guide is invaluable. Audio guides are the best of both worlds, but the transportation side of hiring a tour guide for both the Bái Đính and Tràng An made it make sense.

Tràng An

On the same day we went to Bái Đính, we chose Tràng An instead of Tam Cốc; mostly because we didn't need a boat experience longer than 2-3 hours, we didn't care about the "traditional" rowing-with-feet style of boat rowing experience, and we didn't care for an experience which allowed merchants to approach your boat. Tam Cốc is known to be the older and "more traditional" experience. It's also a bit less expensive than Tràng An. For us, we simply wanted to enjoy the experience in a timely fashion. Especially because we were doing the Bái Đính experience before and had a traditional puppet show in the evening. It was a long enough day.

In researching Tràng An, no one mentioned how much sitting in a boat for 3 hours hurt your bum. Maybe it's just us, but it was uncomfortable. It was a beautiful and unforgettable experience. If I were to nitpick, I'd criticize the amount of boats allowed at one time. Seeing all the neon orange life preservers in photos kind of takes you out of nature and feels less picturesque.

Around Hanoi

Conclusion

Ha Noi was our favorite city in Vietnam. The combination of day trips, city life & exploration, museums, and overall vibe was a highlight of our trip.

Off we go to Da Nang.

Penang, Malaysia, 2025

2025-04-05T00:00:00Z

Our days in Penang

We had very high hopes for Penang; both in our research and while speaking to people in KL, people said they like Penang more than Kuala Lumpur. On reflection, KL was more of our type of city. Penang was great, though. One of our favorite things was discovering chendul and eating it as often as possible — both because it's delicious but also because it's very refreshing in the heat. Penang was the hottest of the three places we stayed in Malaysia. The afternoon sun and humidity was no joke. This made it difficult to be outside for lengthier periods of time during the afternoon; often walking through malls to stay cool. There were plenty of malls to walk through, though we didn't enjoy them as much as the malls in KL.

One of my favorite subjects to photograph around Penang was the unique home/building fronts, alleyways, colorful buildings, and strong shadows found throughout the city. Truly remarkable textures, color, and just plain interesting.

Our favorite day in Penang was spent at Kek Lok Si Temple and Penang Hill.

Around Penang

Kek Lok Si Temple

One of our favorite days in Penang was spent at Kek Lok Si Temple followed by Penang Hill. We probably could have spent a full day at Kek Lok Si. There is something so special, so relaxing, about visiting temples.

Penang Hill

Penang Hill offers some wonderful wildlife and nature, in contrast to the city. We feel it would have been more impressive to us had we not spent so much time in Sabah right before going to Penang and Penang Hill. It was still a wonderful and worthwhile experience.

Conclusion

We would go back to Penang, but spend less days in favor of also visiting Malacca; which looks to be Malaysia's Burano. That is, if we were re-doing this trip itinerary. Penang has a lot to offer, from scenic views, to excellent food, coffees, teas, chams, to the friendly people.

Sabah, Malaysia, 2025

2025-04-04T00:00:00Z

KL -> Sandakan

We arrived in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia and spent a night at the Sandakan hotel before taking a tour bus to the Sukau Rainforest Lodge. On the way to the lodge, we stopped at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre to observe some orangutans and then we spent 3 days, 4 nights, at the lodge exploring the wildlife around the lodge and going on boat safaris.

The images

All images are presented in chronological order. All were shot with one of two OM System OM-1 cameras, one with the 40-150mm f2.8 Pro attached and the other with the 100-400mm f5-6.3 attached. This trip was my first time using the OM-1s for an extended period of time. In preparation for this trip and because I was so happy with my original OM-1, I purchased a second body. One thing I learned from our trip to Uganda was that should I ever go on another rainforest safari trip, bring a 70-200mm f2.8 equivalent lens. Which is why, for all wildlife in Sabah, I made sure to have one camera with the 40-150mm f2.8 lens attached and the other with the 100-400mm. This way, I have lower light covered, for the most part. I mean, of course a 100-400mm f2.8 lens would be ideal, but even if such a lens existed (and was physically possible) it would be ridiculously expensive, large, and heavy. Depending on which camera ecosystem you subscribe to, your best option is a 70-200mm f2.8. In the case of M43rds, this is the fantastic Olympus/OM System 40-150mm f2.8, which is 80-300mm f2.8 in full-frame field of view equivalence and light gathering.

Camera nerd details/thoughts

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the results. Sure, there were times my ISO went too high and I captured noisy images, but hey, it's better than no images. I'm not a professional photographer making money from photography, so I constantly temper my expectations and make decisions based on value provided by my chosen camera system. For travel and wildlife it's hard to beat OM System and micro four-thirds right now. In that ecosystem, the PanaLeica 100-400mm or OM 100-400mm are the main affordable options. I adore Panasonic LUMIX, but prefer OM System for micro four-thirds setups. Both lens options have less than awesome f-stops. They are excellent in bright light and can be good in overcast situations. Once it starts getting dark, that's where the limitations become apparent.

I also learned that OM cameras, by default, set memory cards to reset their filename numbers. This means, when you insert a new memory card it starts at the same file number the last card started from - not ended from. Because of this, I have three memory cards from one camera with the same filenames (e.g. 3 files which are all OM1A-1000). It's not awesome. However, I know this now and have changed this default. Future trips won't suffer the same mistake. Also, one of my two cameras was set an hour later than the other, so merging the files took some extra effort. I need to make sure my cameras are properly time-synced in the future.

Sandakan & Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

I'm so happy we stopped here because it allowed us to see orangutans up close. Unfortunately, while we did see one orangutan while at Sukau Lodge, I wasn't able to capture it well due to thick coverage and its continual movement. The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre is definitely worth a stop on your way to one of many boat safari lodges. Most (maybe all?) tour companies make this stop. We used Borneo Eco Tours who happen to be owned by the same person as the Sukau Lodge. Both were great.

Sukau Lodge and boat safaris to spot wildlife

Our stay at this lodge was fantastic and I can't recommend it enough. During our 4-night stay, we saw crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, macaque monkeys, herons, hornbills, oriental darters, one obscured orangutan, and so many butterflies.

Our one hope during our time in Sabah was to see pygmy elephants and I am happy to report that we did! It took a couple hours on a boat safari, one afternoon, but we found a family of 8-10 pygmy elephants. Finally seeing them out in the open after spending most of the boat journey only seeing parts of elephants, obscured by thick trees, was an unreal experience. I didn't love how our safari guide, and all other safari guides on the Kinabatangan river, were crowding and seemingly boxing-in the elephants. I was nervous that our presence, and the presence of so many boats, were making them stressed out. They were likely stressed out, but when we finally saw all the elephants, one cause of their distress was that one of the oldest elephants in the group was lagging behind. Everyone was stressed out waiting for them to catch up to the rest of the herd. Seeing the old elephant with a baby elephant was heart-melting. I feel very fortunate that I was able to see and capture these wonderful creatures.

Proboscis monkeys were my absolute favorite subjects to photograph and to observe. It would be a dream job to get paid to observe and photograph proboscis monkeys for a living. They are so fascinating, off-putting, and uncomfortably human-like. It's disconcerting, to say the least. But I loved every minute of it. The males have longer noses and they make a honking sound; either for mating purposes or to announce their status as a dominant male in the presence of other males (human or primate). The females have smaller noses and the adolescent females have pushed up noses. Sometimes we'd see a proboscis and think, because of its large belly, it was a pregnant female. This was not the case. I'm not sure we saw a pregnant female at all because most (maybe all?) adults have very large bellies due to their consumption of leafy greens and having a four-chambered stomach.

Conclusion

Our time in Sabah was unforgettable. The entire staff at the Sukau Lodge were wonderful. Our guides were knowledgeable and knew where to find all the animals/birds we wanted to see. I would not hesitate to go back in the future. It was a very different lodge experience in comparison to our Uganda and Rwanda trip. The wildlife sounds around the lodge in Sabah were much different from the sounds at Akagera in Rwanda. Proboscis monkeys do make a similar honking noise to hippos, though I prefer the soothing hippo sounds. I will always prefer sleeping to the sounds of hippos over the sounds of most other wildlife.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2025

2025-04-03T00:00:00Z

Our first time in Malaysia

After a lot of research about where to go in Malaysia, we planned a trip and visited Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, and Penang. We traveled from Minneapolis to LA, spent an evening in LA, then flew to Singapore and finally to KL.

Walking around the city, we explored temples, ate some great food, drank some incredible coffee and tea and cham, saw a lot of artwork, and learned a bit about Malaysia's history. Some of our favorite experiences were visiting the Batu Caves and exploring the KL Bird Park and the Taman Orkid Garden (near the bird park). Seeing so many free roaming birds up close was an incredible, sometimes scary, experience.

Aside from these places, I didn't photograph them, but we spent plenty of time in malls around KL to escape the heat.

Beverages and food items

Our favorite tea chain was Chagee but we also liked Mixue (their theme song is ridiculously catchy). Some of our favorite coffee was Old Town White Coffee tied with Oriental Kopi. Oriental Kopi also has some good food options. We also fell in love with cham (or kopi cham), which is a blend of coffee and tea. It's fun to make at home, as well. Pulled tea, teh tarik, is also very enjoyable and reminds me a bit of Indian mixed/pulled tea.

One of our favorite snacks/breakfast items was butter and kaya toast. It is traditionally served with a soft boiled egg, which you can pour into a dish, into which you can then dip the kaya toast. I really enjoyed all the spicy fried noodles often served for breakfast or lunch - such as Hokkien Mee or Char Kway Teow.

Photography gear taken on this trip

OM System OM-1 (x2)
- with the 9-18mm f4-5.6 mark I
- the 14-150mm f4-5.6 II
- the 20mm f1.4 Pro
- the 40-150mm f2.8 Pro
- and the 100-400mm f5-6.3

The in-city images captured below were shot with an OM-1, one with the 9-18mm attached and the other with the 14-150 attached. All the images from the KL bird park were shot with the 100-400mm or the 40-150mm.

Whenever we travel, being present in the moment takes precedence over photography. I don't travel with the intention of capturing the best images possible, but the best possible images in the moment without sacrificing me being present. If I end up capturing an incredible subject and composition, that's an incredible occurrence. Most of my captures are a mix of snapshots and the more thoughtfully composed captures.

This post highlights some of my favorite captures from our time in Kuala Lumpur.

Around Kuala Lumpur

Batu Caves

The Batu Caves consist of several caves with many Hindu temples inside. We arrived at 7am, as early as possible, to beat the heat and crowds. I would suggest the same for anyone interested in visiting. The stair monkeys weren't outside when we arrived, but were when we descended the stairs to leave.

KL Bird Park & Taman Orkid Kuala Lumpur

The KL Bird Park is the largest bird park in Asia. Birds are free to roam around and will fly/stop right next to you. There is no barrier separating you from the birds.

We also visited the Taman Orkid Kuala Lumpur which is near the bird park.

Conclusion

KL was the best starting point to ignite our love for Malaysia. While researching, we came across an incredible couple, named Travel with Lens, making Malaysia videos and blog posts. Their videos offer a level of detail and charm that other travel videos do not. We're very thankful for their posts and videos.

We would love to go back to KL, maybe retire there. It offers all of the amenities, health care, and infrastructure we appreciate in the USA, but is far better in terms of quality of life and safety. Malaysia is the tenth safest country in the world. The USA ranks in the mid to high 100s, depending on the list in which you're looking. If we could move now, we just might.

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, 2024

2024-03-23T00:00:00Z

Our third trip to Chennai

Once again we stayed at the wonderful Accord Metropolitan, ate at our favorite eatery: Murugan Idli Shop, finally visited the beach, and took a day trip to Mamallaburam.

Below are some of my favorite captures from our days in Chennai. You may also enjoy seeing my posts for our stay in Mumbai and Kerala.

Photography gear taken on this trip

Fujifilm X-T3
- with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR
- the XF 27mm f/2.8
- and the Rokinon 12mm f/2 (which I used a few times)

Chennai

Mamallaburam

We took a day trip to Mamallaburam in Tamil Nadu.

Around Chennai again

Kochi, Kerala, India, 2024

2024-03-22T00:00:00Z

This trip we stayed in Aluva, which is a small suburb of Kochi. Every trip to India involves a stop in Kerala because we have a family friend who lives there. It's always wonderful to visit with him and see different parts of Kerala.

Below are some of my favorite captures from our days in Aluva, Kochi, Kerala. You may also enjoy seeing my posts for our stay in Mumbai and Chennai.

Photography gear taken on this trip

Fujifilm X-T3
- with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR
- the XF 27mm f/2.8
- and the Rokinon 12mm f/2 (which I used a few times)

Kerala

Mumbai, India, 2024

2024-03-21T00:00:00Z

This trip we decided to stop and explore Mumbai for a couple days before going to Kochi. While in Mumbai, we toured Gandhi's house, saw the Gateway Of India (under construction), and explored the city.

Below are some of my favorite captures from our two days in Mumbai. You may also enjoy seeing my posts for our stay in Chennai and Kerala.

Photography gear taken on this trip

Fujifilm X-T3
- with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR
- the XF 27mm f/2.8
- and the Rokinon 12mm f/2 (which I used a few times)

Mumbai

Gent, Belgium, 2024

2024-03-20T00:00:00Z

While in Gent, we toured the Gravensteen castle, appreciated the incredible architecture, and enjoyed some good soup at the souplounge.

Below are some of my favorite captures from our day trip to Gent. You may also enjoy seeing my posts for our day trip to Bruges and our stay in Brussels.

Photography gear taken on this trip

Fujifilm X-T3
- with the XF 16-80mm f/4 R OIS WR
- the XF 27mm f/2.8
- and the Rokinon 12mm f/2 (which I used a few times)